Whelehan, Patricia

About the author: Patricia Whelehan has a PhD in cultural anthropology from SUNY Albany. She is a certified sex therapist, mentor, diplomate and clinical supervisor with the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists, and the American Board of Sexology. She is a Professor of Anthropology and the campus AIDS Education Coordinator at SUNY Potsdam. She has over 20 years of teaching, research and counseling experience in the field of sexology.

Anthropological Perspective on Prostitution the World’s Oldest Profession

2001 0-7734-7604-0
This work is essentially an ethnography, written and researched by an anthropologist. As such, the use of participant observation, in-depth interviews and a holistic, relativistic, culture-based approach provide a perspective not usually found in the literature on prostitution. The daily, nonwork lives of prostitutes are explored, showing their commonness, humanity and connections with the ‘straight’ world as ordinary people. By getting deep, rich data through the use of participant observation and ethnographic approach, it serves to address myths, and challenge stereotypes about sexuality, women, and prostitution.