Josephine Bingler - Global Sex Tourism

            I think we can all agree that traveling to new places is a way for us to immerse ourselves in new cultures, have new experiences, and indulge in pleasures. For example, nice massages or in the case of this article Bodies, Borders, and Sex Tourism in a Globalized World: A Tale of Two Cities - Amsterdam and Havana, a plethora of options to fulfill sexual ideals and desires. Wonders and Michalowski write that when we travel, we shed much of our identities and adopt new ones as we "feel free to experience the identity of "others" by sampling cultural products, experiences, bodies, and identities" (552). The article explores why sex tourism has grown to be the large industry it is today while connecting it directly to globalization. 

            With the global sex industry being worth at least $20 billion a year, there is obviously a large demand for sex workers and factors such as migration and tourism are leading factors to the growth and success of the sex tourism industry. The article focuses on Havana and Amsterdam, two very different cities. In Havana, increased globalization lead to acceptance of US currency. Therefore, the sex tourism industry became larger, more stable, and accepted. In Amsterdam, due to the liberal culture and global forces, the government had to become involved and help stabilize the business of prostitution. Now, prostitution is legalized and taxed making it safer for prostitutes. Due to the changes and adjustments due to global forces in both cities, sex tourism was able to flourish. 

            The popularity of sex tourism, all links back to men (mostly western) being more the more dominant gender in society. Typically, men have the better and higher paying jobs. Therefore, they have the money to afford these pleasures and are often sent on business trips where they can easily take part in fulfilling their sexual desires. While reading this article, I wondered if it made men feel pathetic and "unmanly" that they were paying for sex. But as Wonders and Michalowski write, "For advantaged men from the developed world, sex tourism provides an opportunity, not only to experience fantasized sexual freedom with imagined uninhibited women, but also the opportunity to experience- in their bodies- their own privilege" (550). The male consumers find that buying these women reinforces their superiority, dominance, and privilege. What I found most interesting was Americans seem to think sex tourism is so foreign and travel to other cultures almost expecting it, while criticizing it. I believe this a large part of why Americans feel that we are better and more superior or even civilized than other cultures. Yet, many Americans take full advantage of sex tourism when traveling to "exotic" places.

            I loved that the last post tied in the movie "Taken". While reading this article, I could not help but think of this movie. In fact, this is the first thing that pops into my head when someone mentions sex tourism. The movie is about an American girl who studies abroad, is kidnapped, and is forced into sex tourism. In fact, this movie instilled a sense of fear that this could very well happen to me when I study abroad. But it seems that sex tourism is a last resort for young women (mainly of color) who cannot find a job and need money to support. It is sad and disturbing that women must feed into the primarily male desires and sell their bodies to the market of sex tourism.