The Multiple Perspectives Approach to Understanding Sexual-Economic Exchange
Abstract
Sexual-economic exchange is a multifaceted phenomenon shaped by biological, psychological, social, and economic factors. This paper examines sexual-economic exchange-including commercial sex and transactional intimacy-through a multidisciplinary lens, integrating perspectives from evolutionary psychology, sexual economics, and the social sciences. Evolutionary models frame these exchanges as adaptive strategies emerging from reproductive asymmetries and resource transfer dynamics. Historically, the institutionalization of private property and male-dominated societies fostered conditions for sex-for-resources arrangements, with prostitution representing an institutionalized and often stigmatized variant. Psychological approaches explore how some individuals arrive at sexual-economic exchange through pathways shaped by early adversity, cognitive patterns, and social marginalization. However, for many, sex work represents a conscious and strategic choice shaped by broader life circumstances and constrained opportunities. Sexual economics theory contextualizes these dynamics within market principles, positing that sexual access functions as a valued resource predominantly regulated by women in heterosexual interactions. Gender asymmetries in sexual desire and resource provision shape mating strategies and intrasexual competition, with societal norms reflecting market dynamics. Efforts to eliminate or liberalize sexual-economic exchange have yielded mixed outcomes, as seen in…
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