Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Risky Business: How Gender, Race, and Culture Influence the Culture of Risk-Taking among Sex Tourists

  • Chapter
Men, Masculinities, Travel and Tourism

Part of the book series: Genders and Sexualities in the Social Sciences ((GSSS))

  • 279 Accesses

Abstract

The San Diego trolley runs from the border entry gate to Mexico throughout San Diego County. Next to cars, this is arguably the most popular way to travel to and from the border. Often, this venue attracts young, loud, drunk and bragging males on their way home from the Tijuana red-light district (la Zona Norte) area, especially on the weekends. One particular day, I sat behind two older men who were quietly laughing and sharing their experiences of the day. I interrupted their conversation to discuss my research, and they proceeded to show me a few pictures of their novias (‘girlfriends’) — sex workers with whom they had established regular rapport.1

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bauer, T. and McKercher, B. (2003) Sex and Tourism: Journeys of Romance, Love, and Lust. New York: Haworth Hospitality Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, R. and Robinson, L. (1998) Night Market: Sexual Cultures and the Thai Economic Miracle. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brennan, D. (2004) What’s Love Got to Do with It? Transnational Desires and Sex Tourism in the Dominican Republic. Durham: Duke University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, A. (2006) ‘“Accidental allegories” meet “the performance documentary”: Boystown, señorita extraviada, and the border-brothel-maquiladora paradigm’, Signs, 31(21): 357–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, B. E. (2003) Individualism. In American Masculinities: A Historical Encyclopedia. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, H. (2007) ‘Cultural seduction: American men, Mexican women, crossborder attraction’, Critique of Anthropology, 27(3): 261–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cantú, L. (1999) ‘Border Crossings: Mexican Men and the Sexuality of Migration.’ Unpublished PhD diss., University of California, Irvine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carballo-Dieguez, A. and Bauermeister, J. (2004) ‘“Barebacking”: Intentional condomless anal sex in HIV-risk contexts — reasons for and against it’, Journal of Homosexuality, 47(1): 1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chow-White, P. A. (2006) ‘Race, gender and sex on the net: Semantic networks of selling and storytelling sex tourism’, Media, Culture & Society, 28(6): 883–905.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clift, S. and Carter, S. (2000) Tourism and Sex: Culture, Commerce and Coercion. London: Pinter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Connell, R. W. (1995) Masculinities. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Connell, R. W. (1998) ‘Masculinities and globalization’, Men and Masculinities, 1(1): 3–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connell, R. W. and Messerschmidt, J. W. (2005) ‘Hegemonic masculinity: Rethinking the concept’, Gender and Society, 19(6): 829–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Graaf, R., van Zessen, G., Vanwesenbeeck, I., Straver, C. J. and Visser, J. H. (1997) ‘Condom use by Dutch men with commercial heterosexual contacts: Determinants and considerations’ AIDS Education and Prevention, 9(5): 411–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, J. O. C. (2001) ‘The sex tourist, the expatriate, his ex-wife and her ‘other’: The politics of loss, difference and desire’, Sexualities, 4(1): 5–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, J. O. C. and Taylor, J. S. (1999) ‘Fantasy islands: Exploring the demands for sex tourism’, in K. Kampadoo (ed.) Sun, Sex, and Gold: Tourism and Sex Work in the Caribbean. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, pp. 37–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Díaz, R. M. (1999) ‘Trips to fantasy island: Contexts of risky sex for San Francisco gay men’, Sexualities, 2(1): 89–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fajans, P., Ford, K. and Wirawan, D. N. (1995) ‘AIDS knowledge and risk behaviors among domestic clients of female sex workers in Bali, Indonesia’, Social Science and Medicine, 41(3): 409–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farmer, P., Conners, M. and Simmons, J. (eds) (1996) Women, Poverty and AIDS: Sex, Drugs and Structural Violence. Monroe, ME: Common Courage Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Higgins, J. A. and Hirsch, J. S. (2007) ‘The pleasure deficit: Revisiting the “sexuality connection” in reproductive health’, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 39(4): 240–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Higgins, J. A., Hirsch, J. S. and Trussell, J. (2008) ‘Pleasure, prophylaxis and procreation: A qualitative analysis of intermittent contraceptive use and unintended pregnancy’, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 40(3): 130–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hobbs, J. D., Pattalung, P. N. and Chandler, R. C. (2011) ‘Advertising Phuket’s nightlife on the Internet: A case study of double binds and hegemonic masculinity in sex tourism’, Sojourn (Singapore), 26(1): 80–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holt, T. J. and Blevins, K. R. (2007) ‘Examining sex work from the client’s perspective: Assessing johns using on-line data’, Deviant Behavior, 28: 333–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hooykaas, C., van der Pligt, J., van Doornum, G. J., van der Linden, M. M. and Coutinho, R. R. (1989) ‘Heterosexuals at risk for HIV: Differences between private and commercial partners in sexual behaviour and condom use’ AIDS, 3(8): 525–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, D. (1998/9) ‘men@exploitation.com’, Trouble & Strife, 38: 21–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Junge, G. (2002) ‘Bareback sex, risk, and eroticism: Anthropological themes (re-) surfacing in the post-AIDS era’, in E. Lewin and W. L. Leap (eds) Out in Theory: The Eergence of Lesbian and Gay Anthropology. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press, pp. 186–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katsulis, Y. (2009) Sex Work and the City: The Social Geography of Health and Safety in Tijuana, Mexico. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katsulis, Y. (2010) ‘“Living like a king”: Conspicuous consumption, virtual communities, and the social construction of paid sexual encounters by US sex tourists’, Men and Masculinities, 13(2): 210–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katsulis, Y., Durfee, A., Lopez, V. and Robillard, A. (2014) ‘Predictors of workplace violence among female sex workers in Tijuana, Mexico’, Violence against Women (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Katsulis, Y., Durfee, A., Lopez, V. and Robillard, A. (2010) ‘Female sex workers and the social context of workplace violence in Tijuana, Mexico’, Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 24(3): 344–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kendall, L. (2002) Hanging Out in the Virtual Pub: Masculinities and Relationships Online. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kimmel, M. S. (1996) Manhood in America: A Cultural History. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marquet, N. and Bajos, J. (2000) ‘Research on HIV sexual risk: Social relations- based approach in a cross-cultural perspective’, Social Science and Medicine, 50(11): 1533–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mendoza, C. (2013) ‘Beyond sex tourism: Gay tourists and male sex workers in Puerto Vallarta (Western Mexico)’, International Journal of Tourism Research, 15(2):122–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, G. (2011) ‘Turbo Consumers™ in paradise: Tourism, civil rights, and Brazil’s gay sex industry’, American Ethnologist, 38(4): 666–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris, M., Pramualratana, A., Podhisita, C. and Wawer, M. J. (1995) ‘The relational determinants of condom use with commercial sex partners in Thailand’, AIDS, 9(5): 507–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morse, E. V., Simon, P. M., Balson, P. M. and Osofsky, H. J. (1992) ‘Sexual behavior patterns of customers of male street prostitutes’, Archive of Sexual Behavior, 21(4): 347–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mullings, B. (2000) ‘Fantasy tours: Exploring the global consumption of Caribbean sex tourism’ in M Gottdeiner (ed.) New Forms of Consumption: Consumers, Culture, and Commodification. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield, pp. 227–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagel, J. (2003) Race, Ethnicity, and Sexuality: Intimate Intersections, Forbidden Frontiers. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oriel, J. (2005) ‘Sexual pleasure as a human right: Harmful or helpful to women in the context of HIV/AIDS?’, Women’s Studies International Forum, 28(5): 392–404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Outwater, A., Nkya, L. and Lwihula, G. (2000) ‘Patterns of partnership and condom use in two communities of female sex workers in Tanzania’, AIDS Care, 11(4): 46–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, R. (1997) ‘Migration, sexual subcultures and HIV/AIDS in Brazil’ in G. Herdt (ed.) Sexual Cultures and Migration in the Era of AIDS. Oxford: Clarendon Press, pp. 55–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker, R. G. (1999) Beneath the Equator: Cultures of Desire, Male Homosexuality, and Emerging Gay Communities in Brazil. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parsons, J. T. and Halkitis, P. N. (2002) ‘Sexual and drug-using practices of HIV-positive men who frequent public and commercial sex environments’, AIDS Care, 14(6): 815–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phua, V. C. (2009) ‘The love that binds: Transnational relationships in sex work’, Sexuality & Culture, 13(2): 91–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plumridge, E. W., Chetwynd, S. J., Reed, A. and Gifford, S. F. (1996) ‘Patrons of the sex industry: Perceptions of risk’, AIDS Care, 8(4): 405–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rivers-Moore, M. (2012) ‘Almighty gringos: Masculinity and value in sex tourism’, Sexualities, 15(7): 850–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sanders, T. (2008a) ‘Male sexual scripts: Intimacy, sexuality and pleasure in the purchase of commercial sex’, Sociology, 42: 400–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sanders, T. (2008b) Paying for Pleasure: Men Who Buy Sex. Devon, UK: Willan Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seabrook, J. (1996) Travels in the Skin Trade: Tourism and the Sex Industry. London: Pluto Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shernoff, M. (2005) Without Condoms: Unprotected Sex, Gay Men, and Barebacking. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sobo, E. J. (1995) Choosing Unsafe Sex: AIDS Risk Denial among Disadvantaged Women. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soothill, K. and Sanders, T. (2005) ‘The geographical mobility, preferences and pleasures of prolific punters: A demonstration study of the activities of prostitutes’ clients’, Sociological Research On-Line, 10(1). Available at: http://www.socresonline.org.uk/10/1/soothill.html.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tabrizi, S. N., Skov, S. and Chandeying, V. (2000) ‘Prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among clients of female commercial sex workers in Thailand’, Sexually Transmitted Disease, 27(6): 358–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, J. S. (2006) ‘Female sex tourism: A contradiction in terms?’ Feminist Review, 83: 42–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Törnqvist, M. (2012) ‘Troubling romance tourism: Sex, gender and class inside the Argentinean tango clubs’, Feminist Review, 102: 21–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • USGSA (2013) ‘Fact Sheet’ (San Ysidro Land Port of Entry). Available at: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/105703 (accessed 16 Oct 2013).

    Google Scholar 

  • USDOT (2013) Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, based on data from the Department of Homeland Security, US Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations. Available at: http://transborder.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/TBDR_BC/TBDR_BC_Index.html (accessed 16 Oct 2013).

    Google Scholar 

  • Waddell, C. D. (1996) ‘Female sex work, non-work sex and HIV in Perth’, Australian Journal of Social Issues, 31(4): 410–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, L. (2001) Anxiety in a Risk Society. London: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, S., Lyons, L. and Ford, M. (2008) ‘It’s about bang for your buck, bro: Singaporean men’s online conversations about sex in Batam, Indonesia’, Asian Studies Review, 32(1): 77–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Worm, A. M., Lauritzen, E. and Jensen, J. P. (1997) ‘Markers of sexually transmitted diseases in seminal fluid of male clients of female sex workers’, Genitourinary Medicine, 73(4): 284–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xantidis, L. and McCabe, M. P. (2000) ‘Personality characteristics of male clients of female commercial sex workers in Australia’, Archives of Sexual Behavior, 29(2): 165–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zierler, S. and Krieger, N. (1998) ‘HIV infection in women: Social inequalities as determinants of risk’, Critical Public Health, 8(1): 13–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Yasmina Katsulis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Conventry University, UK

    Thomas Thurnell-Read (Senior Lecturer in Sociology) (Senior Lecturer in Sociology)

  2. Newcastle University, UK

    Mark Casey (Lecturer in Sociology) (Lecturer in Sociology)

Copyright information

© 2015 Yasmina Katsulis

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Katsulis, Y. (2015). Risky Business: How Gender, Race, and Culture Influence the Culture of Risk-Taking among Sex Tourists. In: Thurnell-Read, T., Casey, M. (eds) Men, Masculinities, Travel and Tourism. Genders and Sexualities in the Social Sciences. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137341464_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation