Compare and contrast the different types of relations and capital of low-, mid-, and high-end sex workers and their clients. Address the role of globalization in your answer.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Varies. See chart on page 267 to compare and contrast typologies. Answer should show that low-end is most likely to have low cultural, economic, and body capital and does not increase any of these capitals with sexual exchanges while mid possess higher body and cultural capital which allows them to access a group of clients (White foreigners) who can increase their economic and body capital. High-end workers have the most economic, cultural, and body capital and are thus able to find desirable Viet Ku men who can provide them with more economic and cultural capital. Globalization has allowed different types of foreigners access to sex workers who are affordable, no matter that they might be mid-high end--White men who are looking for international sex tourism and sometimes companionship or love, and Viet Kieu who are able to consume more in Vietnam than abroad because of international currency rates. Globalization has also contributed to the low cost of low-end sex workers who have experienced changing economic conditions in Vietnam, are poor, typically rural and uneducated, and do not have other forms of capital to find other work or enter the mid and high sex work tiers. Additionally, jobs available to them are very low pay, and sex work, while very low paying, is often double the amount that they would earn in service positions. These economic conditions also favor access to cheap sex for local men.