Learning Objectives

After studying Chapter 18 you will be able to:

1. Define pornography and explain some of the problems in establishing a contemporary definition of it.

2. Describe different types of sexually explicit materials. Differentiate between obscenity and indecency.

3. Describe the extent to which pornography affects intimate relationships between men and women.

4. Discuss the current legal controversies surrounding pornography and freedom of speech.

5. Discuss the findings of two presidential commissions appointed to study pornography:

a. the outcome of President Johnson’s Commission on Obscenity and Pornography

b. the process and outcome of the 1986 U.S. Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography (the Meese Commission)

6. Discuss whether laws should regulate the dissemination of pornography. Discuss the “pornification” of mainstream culture.

7. Discuss the legal, social and personal aspects of child pornography.

8. Define prostitution and discuss the ways in which it has manifested itself throughout history.

9. Identify the characteristics of the female prostitute’s typical customer.

10. Describe some characteristics of the typical prostitute and explain some of the motivations for being a prostitute.

11. Discuss worldwide exploitation of women and children in prostitution.

12. Explain the controversy that exists in this country regarding the legal status of prostitution, and in doing so, distinguish between legalization and decriminalization.

13. Explain how AIDS is a concern for prostitution, and citing relevant statistics, discuss the extent to which AIDS is a problem in the U.S. as opposed to parts of Africa.

14. Discuss teenage prostitution, making reference to the following:

a. what prompts some teenagers to become prostitutes

b. common characteristics in the lives and backgrounds of teenage prostitutes

15. List and briefly describe three types of female prostitutes and the services they may provide.

16. Define the role that a brothel has played in prostitution.

17. List and briefly describe the attributes of male prostitutes.

18. Discuss the various people, agencies, businesses, and institutions that benefit economically from prostitution. Discuss the pros and cons for the decriminalization and/or legalization of prostitution.