Prostitution And Deviance Examination Of Theories...

Prostitution and Deviance: Examination of Theories Amongst Positivist and Constructionist Perspectives Within Society Deviance is behavior, beliefs or characteristics that many people in a society find or would find offensive and which excite, upon discovery, disapproval, punishment, condemnation, or hostility (Goode, 2011 p. 3). Most scientists will agree that a person s most basic needs, physiologically, are breathing, food, water, sleep, and sex. If all of these are the most basic to human s needs, then how can sex be thought of as an act that is deviant? Deviance can be any behavior, belief or thought, that one person or society does not agree with, so basically anything we do, say, or think, could be considered to be deviant through the eyes of another person, culture or society. Defined by Merriam-Webster s Concise Encyclopedia, Prostitution is the practice of engaging in sexual activity, usually with individuals other than a spouse or friend, in exchange for immediate payment in money or other valuables (Merriam-Webster, 2014). When looking at this definition, most would agree that prostitution is the epitome of deviance. Prostitution is also one of the oldest professions in history, dating back to the bible and the old western days. Depending on the time in history, the society involved, the culture of the people within those societies, prostitution has been considered legal, illegal, acceptable, or deviant. This view changes depending on the time,