To browse Academia. We explore the world of female and male exotic dancers. Utilizing Hirschi's Bonding theory, we look at gender differences in societal reaction, subcultural ties, and conventional support among dancers in a large metropolitan area. We surveyed 56 respondents from 18 exotic dancing establishments. Female dancers are less likely than male dancers to receive community support for dancing as a way to earn a living.
Female dancers are also less likely than male dancers to recommend this work to a friend. The majority of female respondents dance for a living. Few of our male respondents relied on dancing as their primary source of income. While strong bonds are established within the subculture of exotic dancing, dancers also maintain bonds within mainstream society. In other words, a majority of the dancers had strong conventional ties Hirschi's attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief as measured by education, religion, and supportive family, friends, and significant others.
Exotic dancing can yield high monetary rewards yet ethics discourage many women from pursuing this occupation. Exotic dancers are potentially in danger physically, emotionally and mentally from the distress of coping with compulsive clients, oppression from club owners and managers as well as negotiating a positive identity for oneself.
Some exotic dancing characteristics are young in age, initially perceive power over men, drug use will increase over time and disdain increases towards men. The dancers gain understanding toward marginalization, relationship issues increase with spouse and dancers experiment with lesbianism and bi-sexuality.
Dancers also consider themselves as risk-takers, gain confidence from exotic dancing and possess low-levels of religiosity. Exotic dance is often falsely associated with illegal forms of sexual labour, as well as with "deviance"; thus promoting the view that exotic dancing is somehow pathological.
