Decriminalizing Prostitution

Prostitution is a social phenomenon in which people engage in sexual activities for monetary benefit. Different countries permit prostitution with the premise that women should have the freedom to choose what they do with their bodies. Some see the business as a means of economically empowering women. However, the practice raises social concerns, particularly through the objectification of women, which demonstrates gender inequity. Furthermore, prostitution violates social norms on women's integrity as well as religious views that urge for sex between married couples only. Legalizing prostitution necessitates the legalization of the conduct as well as the constitutional freedom to engage in the business.The proposers claim that it is business between consensual adults hence no need of denying it. Prostitution erodes the morals of the society and exposes the community to sexually transmitted infections as well as high rates of unwanted pregnancies.

Structural Function

In structural function, the society is a complex system of structures whose coordination creates a stable society. The structures include rules and regulations that the society considers acceptable, as well as those, considers unethical. Structural function points out that observance of the laws allows the society to work well while breaking the norms leads to conflicts in the society. Each community runs under a strict set of standards which describe the acceptable practices and those which are a violation of the norms. The young generation grows under the strict direction of the laws as a way of ensuring the laws remain active within the society. If one part of the population upholds the regulations and another does not, it becomes a source of conflict within the community. The structural function outlines that the proper functioning of all organs in the structure determines the effectiveness of the society.

In the traditional society, the communities upheld utmost respect for the human body. It was the view that bodies of persons are private entities which do not need the public display. Prostitution goes against the norms through violation of the basic ideas of the societal norms. The structure promotes respect between persons and advocates for actions that uphold the rules. However, prostitution commercializes the body of women leading to the objectification of women. Secondly, it is the societal norm that sexual activities are for the married people. Legalization of prostitution encounters challenges from the societal norms which encourage sex in marriage. Therefore, allowing prostitution breaks the structural functions in the society which require a keen observation of the law by all people in the community. Legalization would create a defiant generation towards other societal norms due to the violation of the organs in the compound structure (Glazer, 2016, p. 367).

Social Conflict

The social conflict approach explains a scenario where people in the society interact during divergence of views as opposed to consent. Every society has people from different classes. People from higher classes possess the higher financial power to influence their ideas in the community. However, the people from lower social classes try to push for issues that favor their class. The quality difference becomes the source of conflict with the higher classes taking advantage of the lower classes. For example, the rich in the society create laws that do not interfere with their way of life. A good example lies on the causes of prostitution. Most of the women in the business are from low-income families. The women are not in a position to earn a living due to unemployment. Therefore, they engage in the practice to make a living.

Prostitution in the expensive places occurs through brothels run by the people from the wealthy families. Therefore, the conflict takes place in the determination of the issue due to the social difference. It is a rare occurrence to find a young woman from a wealthy background engaging in prostitution. However, most of the lawmakers are rich. The battle of the legalization of prostitution becomes a social conflict between the two classes. Legalization of prostitution would make it hard for the poor to indulge in prostitution making them subjects to the wealthy. Social conflict expresses the societal interaction on issues where one class dominates the other. However, the question of prostitution is more of ethical practices and objectification of women as opposed to fighting for power. As much as the poor indulge in the practice more that the wealthy, the legalization of prostitution considers the moral implication as well as the ethical inclination to societal norms especially for the young ages (Glazer, 2016, p. 408).

Symbolic Interaction

Symbolic interaction is a theory that explains the different perceptions that people have on different ideas. When individuals in a society interact with an idea, it becomes easier for them to accept the ideas as compared to those people without any knowledge of the design. According to the theory, a positive interaction between the people and an event leads to a positive perception. A negative experience will trigger people to oppose the idea. All practices within the society have a tag that shows how people perceive the idea. For prostitution, the society considers the practice as a violation of the ethics in the society. Many people view prostitution as the cause of many family breakups due to infidelity. The business also promotes human trafficking for trade promotion (Glazer, 2016, p. 427)

Therefore, the practice experiences much opposition from the people who value family unity. Secondly, others believe in the religious teachings of sexual intimacy between man and wife. Prostitution allows the woman to have intimacy with multiple people in exchange for money. Therefore, the society has a negative perception about the practice as a whole. For the people supporting the amendment, prostitution is a source of finances. The people consider prostitution as a good practice from the ability of the practitioners to earn a living. Secondly, they consider the practice as a freedom of human beings in using their bodies without restriction (Glazer, 2016, p. 425). The diverse views depend on the experiences and exposure to the different groups on the subject. Each team depends on their experiences on the matter.

Conclusion

Symbolism interaction defines the social issue of legalization of abortion. The article clearly articulates the mixed opinion of people on both sides of the issue. Harsh economic times push people into indulging in activities that are unethical in earning a living. Prostitution goes against the social structures and norms that run the society. However, the proposers see the practice and human freedom as well as a business investment. However, the morality of the practice causes significant opposition from the society. Prostitution leads to failed marriages as well as unwanted pregnancies in the community. Besides, the method communicates the idea of inequality in men and women due to the objectification of women in the sex business.

Therefore, the symbolic interaction is the best model in defining prostitution as a social problem. As much as prostitution is a source of income, it leads to the development of a society that does not respect the bodies of women. It leads to the perception of women as sources of pleasure. The knowledge creates the feeling of inequality between men and females. However, legalization aims at establishing departments in the government to protect the prostitutes in their business and teach them how to practice safe sex for healthy living. The potential social damages of legalizing prostitution are many hence the idea is not right in relation to upholding social norms. Therefore, both selling and buying of sex should be illegal.



Reference

Glazer, S. (2016). Decriminalizing Prostitution: Should buying and selling sex be legal?. CQ Researcher, 26(15), 337.