Games Pimps Play: Players and Wives-in-Law: A Qualitative Analysis of Street Prostitution

182 Pages·1997·7.56 MB·English

by  James F Hodgson

GAMES PIMPS PLAY:
PIMPS, PLAYERS AND WIVES-IN-LAW
A Qualitative Analysis
of Street Prostitution
James F. Hodgson
Foreword by
LivyVisano
Canadian Scholars' Press Toronto 1997
Games Pimps Play: Pimps, Players and Wives-In-Law
A Qualitative Analysis of Street Prostitution
James F. Hodgson
First published in 1997 by
Canadian Scholars' Press Inc.
180 Bloor Street West, Ste. 1202
Toronto, Ontario
M5S2V6
Copyright © 1997 Canadian Scholars' Press and James F. Hodgson. All rights
reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be
made without written permission.
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Hodgson, James Fredrick, 1958-
Games pimps play : pimps, players and wives-in-law : a qualitative analysis
of street prostitution
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-55130-116-4
1. Prostitution. 2. Pimps. 3. Prostitutes. I. Title.
HQ117.H621997 306.74'2 C96-932302-6
Page layout and cover design by Brad Horning
Disclaimer: Some images in the printed version of this book are not
available for inclusion in the eBook.
This book explores the world of pimping
and identifies the "games pimps play"
with the lives of women and children.
This page intentionally left blank
Acknowledgements
This research project began in 1983 as part of an honours thesis effort and
has evolved into a sociological journey of many years. The years of research,
writing, observing, interviewing and rewriting have provided me with a
perspective of street life that continues to influence my life today. I am forever
indebted to the young people who showed great courage and determination in
sharing their experiences with an outsider. The honest and forthright details
that these young people disclosed allowed this exploratory study to depict street
life as illustrated by people who were living it. I thank these many young people
for their honesty, trust and determination in sharing their lives to explicate and
add creditability to this research project. I have learned much from their
perseverance, diligence and resolve.
Multiple drafts of this exploratory study have been read and edited over
the years by a number of talented and exceptional people, including Evelyn
Hansen, Angela Bell-Irving, Kathy Orban, Beverly McKeddie and Camilla
Mahan. I am forever indebted to these people for their time and patience in
providing research and literary assistance.
My colleague, friend and mentor Dr. Livy A. Visano has been an essential
source in providing the appropriate academic guidance and development. Dr.
Visano has provided much inspiration and has been the derivation of
encouragement in the completion of this exploratory study. His commitment to
educational and intellectual pursuits provides for a model that many wish to
emulate. I am eternally grateful for his commitment and patience in walking me
along the pathway to academic enlightenment.
To my family, who I owe much in the form of gratitude and appreciation. I
thank my father, William Thomas Hodgson, for his continual display of
unconditional love, tolerance and support during the term of this research
exercise. His much earlier lesson of "never give up" has been most useful during
this project. Most of all, I thank my best friend and partner Camilla Anne Mahan
for her unrelenting support, companionship and determination. Her commitment
to me and this project has facilitated the closure of this undertaking. Her lesson
of "living your dreams" has brought many years of research to a conclusion.
To these two very extraordinary people in my life I dedicate this book.
James F. Hodgson
1997
Contents
Acknowledgements v
Foreword: From Localized Texts to Hegemonic Narratives:
Contextualizing the "Games People Play" xi
Chapter 1: Introduction: 1
Chapter 2: Methodological Issues: Researching "The Game" 11
Chapter 3: Juvenile Prostitution: A Social Typology 23
Chapter 4: Procurement: The Pimp's Game 43
Chapter 5: Stratagem Method of Procurement:
"Lifestyles of the Rich And Famous" 57
Chapter 6: Training: Getting Started—"Turned Out"
Applying the Trade 89
Chapter 7: Working Relations: The Descent to Violence 75
Chapter 8: The Pimp: Analytical Examination 89
Chapter 9: Policing the Game: Social Service/Law Enforcement
and the Street Sex Trade 103
Chapter 10: Emergent Sociological Theoretical Approaches:
Reviewing The Findings 119
Glossary of Terminology Used within the Pimp-Prostitute Subculture 143
Bibliography 145
List of Tables
Table One: Women's Ages and the
Number Interviewed (Self-reports) 20
Table Two: Pimps' Actual Age and the
Number Interviewed (Self-reports) 21
Table Three: Levels of Vulnerabilities 26
Table Four: Social-Economic Weil-Being of the Family 29
Table Five: Family Relationships 31
Table Six: Incidence of Sexual, Physical or Psychological Abuse 32
Table Seven: Institutional Files of Fifteen Respondents 36
Table Eight: Juveniles from Racial Groups 39
Table Nine: Levels of Vulnerability and Procurement Method 44
Table Ten: Model Displaying the Methods of Procurement
Utilized by Pimps and the Resulting Incidents of Abduction 79
Table Eleven: Model of the Cycle of Violence 86
Table Twelve: Focal Concerns of Lower-class Culture 121
Table Thirteen: Adaption of Miller's (1958) Theory to
the Prostitution Environment 124
Table Fourteen: Merton's Theory of Anomie 125
Table Fifteen: Differential Association 128
Table Sixteen: Matza's Drift Process 129
Table Seventeen: Travis Hirschi's Social Control Theory 132
Table Eighteen: Labelling Theory 134