Essay On Prostitution In The Great Depression

Many countries suffered from the Great Depression during the 1930s. The United States was one of the many. During this decade approximately thirteen to fifteen million Americans were unemployed. Considering the number of men that were unemployed, women had to look in unusual places for jobs to sustain themselves, and often their families during difficult times. It was accustomed that men would be the ones providing for the family, but during this time women had to step up and work too. The few jobs that were available during the Great Depression were given to men because many required a man’s strength; therefore women had to look for jobs elsewhere. The economic downfall of the Great Depression forced some women into prostitution.

Money and jobs were scarce in the United States during this time. Prostitution rates increased drastically during the depression that women were willing to work for little money. Prices on prostitutes varied depending on the woman’s ethnicity. “One establishment, for instance, charged twenty-five cents for sex with Mexican women, fifty cents for African American or Asian women, and seventy-five cents to a dollar for white or European immigrant women” (Wild 729). Ethnic differences affected the value of a prostitute. The white prostitutes knew their worth and considered themselves better than the prostitutes of color. This can be considered as white privilege; which is an advantage a white person has over a non-white person. This also shows that prostitution was common amongst women of many ethnicities, due to the desperate need of money. Another statistic states that, “in the 1930s, one in five American men lost his virginity to a prostitute” (Weir and Laurier). Considering the high unemp...

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The Great Depression brought worries and sorrows to some people in the United States. With so many individuals unemployed, women felt forced to obtain a job they did not want. Few prostitutes did it for pleasure; however many did it as a necessity. Prostitutes were willing to work for very low prices just to earn money during the depression. Consequently, prostitution rates increased in the 1930s. Proliferation in prostitution occurred all over the United States. The increase in prostitution increased the number of brothels as well. A successful brothel was Polly Adler. The increase in prostitution also affected the way women were viewed by others. Many people were quick to judge prostitutes and forget they were exposed to many dangers. The only reason many women joined prostitution was because of the economic hardships during the 1930s.