The debate over the legalization of prostitution: “Prostitute” versus “sex worker”CCJS 330: Contemporary issues in criminologyWhat is sex, or rather what should sex be? Is it physical and emotional intimacy and a private expression of love between two people? Should it only be allowed in marriage? Is this something random that happens in every romantic relationship? Should it be private or publicly displayed in liberal societies? Should businesses and advertising companies such as clothing lines, the alcohol industry, perfumes and others use sex to sell their products? As the saying goes, “sex sells”. But should sex sell? Should sex be sold? Or maybe the better question is: should selling sex be legal? This is precisely the issue that has been most prominently debated since the 1970s, when the sale of sex was legalized in the state of Nevada; it is still the only state to have legalized prostitution in the United States. The goal of my research and discussion is not to establish any definitive solution to this debate or to the profession of prostitution itself. Nor is it about forcing anyone to accept any position presented. Rather, it is about giving you, the reader, a greater understanding of the context surrounding this issue, the reasons that push parties for or against its legalization and their tactics and solutions, and hopefully allowing you to take a more informed decision. my position and hopefully understand mine. Should prostitution be legalized? Are the people who work in this profession prostitutes or sex workers? It's your first year of college, you're studying your career dream, and the best part is, you're at Duke University! Not only will you be able to study your passion, but you will receive a degree starting from... middle of paper... Kathryn Hausbeck. The State of Sex: Tourism, Sex, and Sin in the New American Heartland. New York: Routledge. 2010. Print.Chapkis, Wendy. Live sexual acts: women performing erotic work. New York: Routledge, 1997. Print.CastingCouch-X.com. Porn star Belle Knox interviewed in her first adult film. Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2598821/Duke-porn-star-lands-gig-reality-Belle-Knox-host-Web-based-competition-The-Sex-Factor.html# v-3300952741001Ditmore, Melissa H. Prostitution and Sex Work. San Francisco: ABC-CLIO, LLC. 2011. Print.The view. DUKE University's "PORN STAR" Belle Knox goes on "The VIEW" to DEFEND her career choice. YouTube, LLC, March 17, 2014.TuneInRadio. 1-800-358-6329, Little Rock, Arkansas. May 19, 2014. Radio. Weitzer, Ronald Legalizing Prostitution: From Illicit to Vice in New York: NYU Press, 2011, Print.