Chicago Life

Unequal Sisters-Chapter 19, Sexual Geography and Gender Economy, The Furnished-Room Districts of Chicago, 1890-1930 by Joanne Meyerowitz. I have to say by the time I was done reading this chapter I was relieved it was over with. While being informative about how sexuality changed between 1890 and 1930 the chapter seemed to be very repetitive. From what I read I came to the conclusion that many women started out giving sexual favors in exchange for money to supplement their income to help make ends meet. Women would sexualize themselves in order to receive help with daily entertainment and sometimes even help with their housing costs. From what I read I gathered that many women came to do these sexual favors as full time positions as an easy way to make money. As many people know however that prostitution is the oldest occupation in history it seems to have become such an issue. However, you do find that people do this to make money even today they have merely changed their job title from prostitution to escort. I feel like growing up I must have grown up sheltered because I didn’t know this was such a thing I only thought people had sex with their spouses and never before marriage. But, I have come a long way from that little girl and come to realize that many people do this to make ends meet, go to college or sometimes are even forced to do so.

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