The Power of the Powerless: Prostitution and the Reinforcement of Submissive Femininity

Abstract

Deviancy has been explored in terms of its potential to challenge the existing power structure. However, the implications of gender for power relationships, even in discussions of women deviants have been largely ingnored by crimonologists. Using Liazos’ paradigm of power as its starting point, the interaction between power and gender is explored by examining prostitution and the efforts of prostitutes to organise collectively in PROS to decriminalize prostitution. The significance of the gender base of power for social work intervention with ‘deviant’ groups is also considered. It concludes that women deviants can become more powerful by organising collectively, though their organisation ultimately fails to challenge existing social relationships and the distribution of power between men and women Female subordination is reinforced despite their protest.