Full Description
Looks at the experience of being an exotic dancer in different kinds of strip clubs.
Is stripping good or bad for the women who do it? According to sociologist Mindy S. Bradley-Engen, there's no simple answer. An exotic dancer's experiences can be both empowering and degrading: at times a dancer can feel like a goddess, at times ashamed and dirty. Drawing on extensive interviews as well as her own experiences as an exotic dancer, Bradley-Engen shows that strippers' work experiences are shaped by the types of establishments-the different worlds-in which they work. A typology of strip clubs emerges: the hustle club, the show club, and the social club, each with its own distinct culture, expectations, and challenges, each creating circumstances in which stripping can be good, bad, or indifferent. Going beyond the warring rhetorics of exploitation and empowerment, this book provides a rich and complex account of the realities of exotic dance and offers a fascinating, thought-provoking consideration for both academics and general readers.
Contents
Acknowledgments
1. Introduction
My Interest
Applying a Social Worlds Perspective
2. Methodology
Analytical Approach
The Dancers
3. Dancing at the Hustle Club
The Social World of the Hustle Club
The Pussycat
Adjusting to the World of the Hustle Club
Brianna's Story
4. Dancing at the Show Club The Social World of the Show Club
Babydoll's
Adjusting to the World of the Show Club
Showcasing
Rachel's Story
5. Dancing at the Social Club The Social World of the Social Club
Fantasy
Adjusting to the World of the Social Club
Club Initiation
Nadia's Story
6. The Social Worlds of Exotic Dance The Work and Normative Order of the Hustle Club
Explaining Career Continuity: The World of the Hustle Club
The Work and Normative Order of the Show Club
Explaining Career Continuity: The World of the Show Club
The Work and Normative Order of the Social Club
Explaining Career Continuity: The World of the Social Club
7. Conclusion
Future Directions...
Club Typology Trends
Challenging the "Exploitation versus Liberation" Debate
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
