Tech Tools & Prostitution

Sudhir Venkatesh was previously featured in Freakonomics for his undercover research on the economics of street gangs, which he conducted by earning gang members' trust and joining their community. Now he's taken this winning strategy to greener pastures - New York's high-end sex trade.

I followed 290 women, 170 of whom made enough (at least $30,000) to separate them from streetwalkers. I spent at least 12 months earning their trust, trying not to ask a lot of prying questions. Once they realized I wasn’t a cop or social worker, they usually told me their stories. I focused on financial questions first, because it made them feel validated as workers. How much did you earn this week? What expenses did you have? Do you save any money?

Discoveries that caught my eye:

• 47% of the escorts surveyed work in food services, another 43% in retail sales
• BlackBerries increase earning power by suggesting the worker is drug- and disease- free (70% use BlackBerries, 19% use iPhones)
• Escort agencies provide 31% of regular clients...Facebook provides 25%

 

[Wired]