The Business of Pleasure: A History of Paid Sex in the Heart of Europe by Hofman, Elwin

The Business of Pleasure: A History of Paid Sex in the Heart of Europe

First English-language book on the history of commercial sex in BelgiumIn 2022, the Belgian parliament made a...
¥7,406 JPY
¥7,406 JPY
SKU: 9789462704107
Product Type: Books
Please hurry! Only 261 left in stock
Author: Elwin Hofman
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Subtotal: ¥7,406
10 customers are viewing this product
The Business of Pleasure: A History of Paid Sex in the Heart of Europe by Hofman, Elwin

The Business of Pleasure: A History of Paid Sex in the Heart of Europe

¥7,406

The Business of Pleasure: A History of Paid Sex in the Heart of Europe

¥7,406
Author: Elwin Hofman
Format: Paperback
Language: English

First English-language book on the history of commercial sex in Belgium

In 2022, the Belgian parliament made a landmark decision by approving the decriminalisation of sex work. This move positioned the small nation as the first country in Europe - and the second globally - to abandon the hypocrisy of tolerance. But this was not the first time paid sex in Belgium gained international notoriety. The medieval bathhouses and 'frows of Flanders' were well-known throughout Europe. In the nineteenth century, Belgium faced international outrage as the alleged epicentre of white slavery. Yet while Belgians were accused of forcing white women into prostitution, they were left alone when it came to the inclusion of any suspect woman in the prostitution registers of colonial Congo. Throughout the First and Second World Wars, both allied and German soldiers sought relief in Belgian brothels. The Business of Pleasure presents the compelling life stories of sex workers and their interactions with authorities, clients and pimps. Transcending stereotypes, this history of commercial sex offers a nuanced understanding of the difficulties and opportunities associated with paid sex for women, men and trans persons past and present.

Contributors: Elwin Hofman (Utrecht University), Magaly Rodr?guez Garc?a (KU Leuven), Pieter Vanhees (former researcher KU Leuven), Jelle Haemers (KU Leuven), Amandine Lauro (Universit? libre de Bruxelles), Maarten Loopmans (KU Leuven), Ilias Loopmans (MA history student at University of Antwerp), Sonia Verstappen (former sex worker).



Author: Elwin Hofman
Publisher: Leuven University Press
Published: 10/15/2024
Pages: 184
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.59lbs
Size: 9.21h x 6.14w x 0.39d
ISBN: 9789462704107

About the Author

Elwin Hofman is a cultural historian and writer. He teaches at Utrecht University and has (co)authored several books on cultural history, including a history of homosexuality in Belgium.

Magaly Rodríguez García is an authority on the history of international labour organisations and subaltern history. She is a professor at KU Leuven and collaborates with Belgian and foreign colleagues on projects regarding, inter alia, sex work and prostitution policy at the local, national and supranational levels. In the context of oral history projects, she became closely involved with advocacy groups for vulnerable persons such as sex workers and homeless people.

Pieter Vanhees is a social historian and has researched the history of prostitution in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries at KU Leuven.


Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.

Related Products

Recently Viewed Products