The Regulation of Prostitution in China
Law in the Everyday Lives of Sex Workers, Police Officers, and Public Health Officials

Sheds light on how law shapes the lives of sex workers, street-level police officers and frontline health officials in China.

Margaret L. Boittin (Author)

9781107179226, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 12 December 2024

430 pages
23.6 x 16 x 2.5 cm, 0.758 kg

'The book is most interesting when it examines how these women see themselves, rather than the state's perception of their illicit work. … In her fieldwork, Boittin, sometimes accompanied by a research assistant, boldly sallies forth into the demimonde of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and elsewhere to conduct one-on-one interviews with an array of insiders covering the full gamut of China's sex industry. … Boittin's interviewees are clear-eyed and calculating about their situation, even if some are fanciful to the point of delusion, with some women long in the game promising themselves just a couple more years before heading back to the family farm for a bucolic retirement. These conversations reveal fascinating differences between how workers of differing status view their profession.' Robert Foyle Hunwick, China Books Review

In this compelling book, Margaret L. Boittin delves into the complex world of prostitution in China and how it shapes the lives of those involved in it. Through in-depth fieldwork, Boittin provides a fascinating case study of the role of law in everyday life and its impact on female sex workers, street-level police officers, and frontline public health officials. The book offers a unique perspective on the dynamics between society and the state, revealing how the laws that govern sex work affect those on the frontlines. With clear and accessible prose, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in law, state-society relations, China, and sex work.

1. Introduction
Part I. History, Contemporary Context, and Official Policies: 2. Historical Continuities and Contemporary Context
3. The Official Story: Prostitution Policies in Contemporary China
Part II. Society: 4. On the Streets and in the Brothels
5. In the Clubs
6. In the Home
7. Perspectives and Experiences Shared Across Tiers of Prostitution
Part III. The State: 8. Patterns of Punishment
9. The Weak Yet Savvy Street-Level Police Officer
10. China's Sex Worker Health Policies: The Influence of Transnational Actors and Their Limitations
11. Street-Level Health Officials
12. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Law & society [LAQ]