On the Game: Women and Sex Work

by Sophie Day

***Winner of the Eileen Basker Prize and the Wellcome Medal for Anthropology as Applied to Medical Problems.*** On the Game is an ethnographic account of prostitutes and prostitution. Sophie Day has followed the lives of individual women over fifteen years, and her book details their attempts to manage their lives against a backdrop of social disapproval. The period was one of substantial change within the sex industry. Through the lens of public health, economics, criminalisation and human rights, Day explores how individual sex workers live, in public and in private. This offers a unique perspective on contemporary capitalist society that will be of interest both to a broad range of social scientists. The author brings a unique perspective to her work -- as both an anthropologist and the founder of the renowned Praed Street Project, set up in 1986, as a referral and support centre for London prostitutes.

Genres: Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this ethnography for my Social Anthropology class and I found it powerful and a great insight into the lives of sex workers.

To be honest, I didn't read every chapter but having read most of the book, I liked how Sophie day gave a really clear and scientific account of a few sex workers' lives in London. One thing that was interesting is to see how workers separated their private and public lives. Also, it becomes really clear how that stigmas around sex work deeply impact their everyday lives.

I would recommend it if you want to better understand the struggles of the profession or if you're interested in themes of stigma and power.

[astrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much skim-read, but pretty good and compelling ethnography centering on prostitution in London over the span of about 15 years.

[Emma Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

'On The Game' was an extremely open-minded and intelligent view of life for sex-workers living in London. Day neither romanticises nor disrespects the women and their work, instead giving an incredibly clinical and factual perspective.

I chose to read this ethnography for my social anthropology class on an essay about power, 'On The Game' was informative and really helpful, I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in anthropology, most importantly feminist ideologies of gender, kinship, exchange, and power.

The stories, although changed somewhat, are personal and really make you care about these women and their struggle for their rights to basically claim ownership of their own sexuality and body. Some of the stories even have an inspirational tone, while others are filled with sadness, no two women's stories are the same, definitely worth the read.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because sexual health is my fandom now? Well, I think this was actually someone's thesis in book form - it's a sociological/anthropological study looking at various sex workers who attended a particular London clinic in the 80s and 90s. It was very interesting, but hard going in places, particularly the parts which are more rooted in sociological theory (about which I know very little).

[Brittany Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read it for class. Very fascinating look into the lives of prostitutes in the UK.