Ins uc ions o au ho s, subsc ip ions and u he de ails:
h p://mcs.hipa iap ess.com
Sexual Comme cializa ion and Masculine Rhe o ic:
The P oblem o P os i u ion in Spain
Águeda Gómez1
Sil ia Pé ez1
Rosa Ve dugo2
1) Uni e sidad de Vigo, Spain
2) Uni e sidad de San iago de Compos ela, Spain
Da e o publica ion: Oc obe 21s , 2015
Edi ion pe iod: Oc obe 2015-Feb ua y 2016
To ci e his a icle: Gómez, A.; Pé ez, S. and Ve dugo, R. (2015). Sexual
Comme cializa ion and Masculine Rhe o ic: The P oblem o P os i u ion in
Spain. Masculini ies and Social Change, 4(3), 241-269.doi:
10.17583/MCS.2015.1511
To link his a icle: h p://doi.o g/10.17583/MCS.2015.1511
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE
The e ms and condi ions o use a e ela ed o he Open Jou nal Sys em and
o C ea i e Commons A ibu ion License (CC-BY).
MCS – Masculini ies and Social Change Vol. 4 No. 3 Oc obe 2015
pp. 241-269
2015 Hipa ia P ess
ISSN: 2014-3605
DOI: 10.17583/MCS.1511
Sexual Comme cializa ion and
Masculine Rhe o ic:
The P oblem o P os i u ion in Spain
Sil ia Pé ez, y Agueda Gómez
Uni e sidad de Vigo, Spain
Rosa Ve dugo
Uni e sidad San iago de Compos ela, Spain
Abs ac
This a icle is ocused on he s udy conduc ed on p os i u ion cus ome s in Spain
wi h he pu pose o unde s anding why men pay o sex. In o de o answe his
ques ion, he discou ses o p os i u ion cus ome s we e analyzed h ough semi-
s uc u ed in-dep h in e iews, g oup in e iews and discussion g oups. Wi h he
aim o cohe en ly s uc u ing he ob ained na a ions and classi ying hem in
ca ego ies, he heo e ical amewo k “ ame analysis” was implemen ed. Fou
ypologies o ideal cus ome s we e ob ained: he misogynis ic (ha ed o women);
consume is (e e y hing can be bough and sold); iend (a ec i e hough abusi e);
and c i ical (occasional and epen an ). As a as we a e conce ned, he pu chase o
sex is no p oduced by he sea ch o quali y sex, un and hedonis ic enjoymen , bu
a he o a s a egy o ein o ce masculini y based on an iden i y ocused on
exhibi ion in on o a g oup o pee s.
Keywo ds: Gende , p os i u ion, use s o p os i u ion, ame analysis, heo ies o
masculini y
MCS – Masculini ies and Social Change Vol. 4 No. 3 Oc obe 2015
pp. 241-269
2015 Hipa ia P ess
ISSN: 2014-3605
DOI: 10.17583/MCS.1511
Come cialización Sexual y Re ó ica
Masculina: El P oblema de la
P os i ución en España
Sil ia Pé ez, y Agueda Gómez
Uni e sidad de Vigo, Spain
Rosa Ve dugo
Uni e sidad San iago de Compos ela, Spain
Resumen
Es e a ículo se cen a en el es udio lle ado a cabo en e los clien es de p os i ución
en España con el in de comp ende po qué los homb es pagan po sexo. Pa a
esponde a es a p egun a, se analiza on los discu sos de los clien es de p os i ución
a a és de en e is as en p o undidad semidi igidas, en e is as g upales y g upos
de discusión. Con el obje i o de es uc u a cohe en emen e los ela os ob enidos y
clasi ica los en ca ego ías, se puso en p ác ica el ma co eó ico “ ame analysis”. Se
ob u ie on cua o ipologías de clien es ideales: misógino (odio a las muje es);
consumis a ( odo puede se comp ado y endido); amigo (a ec i o aunque abusa); y
c í ico (ocasional y a epen ido). Desde nues a pe spec i a, la comp a de sexo de
pago no se p oduce po la búsqueda de sexo de calidad, di e sión y dis u e
hedonis a, sino que es una es a egia de e ue zo de una masculinidad con o mada
po una iden idad que gi a en o no a la exhibición en e al g upo de pa es.
Palab as cla e: Géne o, p os i ución, clien es de p os i ución, ame analysis,
eo ías de la masculinidad
MCS – Masculini ies and Social Change, 4(3) 243
he p esen pape wishes o con ibu e o he deba e a ound he
phenomenon o p os i u ion in Spain, analyzing an aspec o his
eali y ha has no been s udied in dep h: he p os i u ion seeke s
o cus ome s1. Due o he complexi y o he concep o p os i u ion
and he me hodological di icul ies o i s quan i ica ion, i is di icul o
p o ide exac igu es o help us unde s and he eal magni ude o he
phenomenon. Acco ding o a UN epo om he yea 2000, a ound 4
million people in he wo ld p ac ice p os i u ion e e y yea , gene a ing a
alue o he so-called “sex indus y” wo h a ound 7 illion US Dolla s pe
yea 2. In he case o Spain, a epo om he yea 2007 ca ied ou by he
“Comisión Mix a de los De echos de la Muje y de la Igualdad de
Opo unidades del Cong eso de los Dipu ados de España” (Mixed
Commi ee o Women’s Righ s and Equali y o Oppo uni ies om
Spanish Pa liamen ) indica ed ha a ound 300,000 emale p os i u es exis ,
while he as majo i y o cus ome s, 99.7%, a e men. Fu he mo e, he
abo emen ioned epo es ima es ha he business o p os i u ion in Spain
c ea es 18 billion eu os pe yea and ha he Spanish expendi u e in
p os i u ion is a ound 50 million pe day3. Ce ainly, his as expendi u e
in p os i u ion se ices is linked o a high numbe o consume s, as
unde s ood by a poll conduc ed by he Cen o de In es igaciones
Sociológicas (CIS) [Cen e o Sociological Resea ch] in 2009, ha
es ima es ha 32.1% o men ha e paid a leas once o ha e sexual
in e cou se.
The con as ed ise o sex pu chasing is p oducing ad e se e ec s wi h a
clea impac in p os i u ion: The inc ease o sex a icking. The igh
agains sex a icking became pa o he poli ical agenda o he Uni ed
Na ions on he yea 2000 whe e, h ough he Pale mo P o ocol, he
de ini ion was s ablished and inco po a ed o he legisla ion o he s a e
membe s (Spain inco po a ed i la e and incomple e). The wo k o he
social mo emen s, o e all eminis s, agains sex a icking a bo h
in e na ional and na ional le els, we e he key o his success: Coali ion
Agains T a icking in Women, Human Righ s Wa ch, ECPAT
In e na ional, S op he a ik, Glogal Alliance Agains T a ic in Women,
e c. In Spain exis wo big ac ion pla o ms: Fo o Social con a la T a a
(b ings oge he NGOs, public adminis a ion and expe s) and RECT (Red
Española con a la T a a: ACCEM, Médicos del Mundo, APRAMP, CEAR,
T
244 Rosa Ve dugo – The P oblem o P os i u ion in Spain
Fede ación de Muje es P og esis as, Women´s Link Wo ldwide, Muje es en
zonas de co lic o, Sa e he child en, e c.).
This a icle p esen s ele an esul s o he in es iga ion “Consumo de
p os i ución en España: clien es y muje es” [P os i u ion consump ion in
Spain: cus ome s and women], inanced by he Ins i u o de la Muje del
Gobie no de España [Women’s Ins i u e o he Go e nmen o Spain]
du ing 2011-20134. The s udy will be di ided in o ou sec ions: in he i s
one a ou is aken h ough he p e ious s udies conduc ed on his opic, in
he second, he heo e ical and me hodological bases ha ha e inspi ed his
esea ch a e exposed. The hi d sec ion, epicen e o his pape , ackles he
s udy o he cus ome s’ na a ions and in he las sec ion he achie ed
esul s and he e lec ions on he same a e p esen ed.
Sex Cus ome s in Scien i ic Li e a u e
The in es iga ions ha analyze, and in some cases classi y, p os i u ion
cus ome s a e ela i ely ecen and highly desc ip i e, since in gene al hey
do no s udy in dep h he easons o he consump ion o p os i u ion. A an
in e na ional le el, he pionee au ho on his opic is he Swedish
sociologis S en-Axel Manson, who s udied he p os i u ion phenomenon
om he poin o iew o men and pa onage since he decade o 1970. In
1984 Manson published Faceless sexuali y. The buye o sex, hough he is
bes known o his wo k: Men’s p ac ices in p os i u ion: he case o
Sweden published in 2001. In his book, Manson di ides he cus ome s o
p os i u ion in o ou g oups. The i s g oup is composed o men ha
nou ish he “di y who e” an asy. The second g oup is o med by hose ha
sha e he idea ha ce ain kinds o sex canno be expe ienced wi h a non-
p os i u e woman. In he hi d g oup a e hose ha , due o hei ea ,
shyness, ad anced age o physical o men al disabili ies, u n o p os i u ion
and he las g oup is composed mainly o young men ha ha e a ision o
sexual oles de ined by images p oduced in oday’s socie y ha a e
massi ely dis ibu ed h ough po nog aphy, ad e ising and leisu e shows
(Manson, 2001, quo ed in Gómez & Pé ez, 2013).
The e is ano he signi ican esea ch s udy conduc ed in F ance by he
Mou emen du Nid (NDT) whe e a ypology o p os i u ion cus ome s is
ca ied ou . This s udy, headed by Claudine Lega dinie and Saíd
MCS – Masculini ies and Social Change, 4(3) 245
Bouamama, was concluded in 2006 wi h he book Les clien s de la
p os i u ion, l’enquê e. In his book, i e ypes o cus ome we e iden i ied.
The i s ypology comp ises 75% o he cases, men ha jus i y hei
condi ion as a p oduc de i ed om hei own sexual, social and a ec i e
sho ages. The second ypology is o med by hose ha jus i y he
consump ion o hese se ices by appealing o he ea , mis us and ha ed
ha women inspi e in hem. The hi d ca ego y includes he “commodi y
consume s” ha in oke hei condi ion as “buye s”. The ou h ca ego y
comp ises hose ha pay in o de o a oid he p oblems associa ed wi h
e e y a ec i e ela ion. Las ly, he i h ypology is o med by men
addic ed o sex (Lega dinie & Bouamama 2006, quo ed in Gómez & Pé ez,
2013).
Howe e , in mos in es iga ions he main causes ha men pu o wa d
o demand his ype o se ice a e analyzed wi hou elabo a ing a ypology
o p os i u ion cus ome s. In his ega d, Anne Allison, p o esso o cul u al
an h opology in he Uni ed S a es, analyzed p os i u ion consump ion in
Japanese clubs by Japanese businessmen in he book Nigh wo k: Sexuali y,
Pleasu e, and Co po a e Masculini y in a Tokyo Hos ess Club. One o he
conclusions o his in es iga ion is ha his consump ion does no always
co espond o a pa icula e o ic in e es , bu o a g ea ex en is a masculine
g oup membe ship i ual and is inc easingly used as o ganized leisu e
be ween a g oup o pee s, as well as a pa ia chal manda e, a way o
demons a ing be o e he g oup o pee s ha hey a e “ ully men” (Allison,
1994).
A di e en pe spec i e is o e ed by he book Sex Ma ke s, w i en by
he economics p o esso s Guis a, Di Tommaso and S om. In hei esea ch,
hey explo e he supply and demand o p os i u ion and conclude ha he
as majo i y o men use i each ime hey eel exci ed abou he idea o i
being illici , abou he ansg ession and because hey hink ha , he woman
p os i u es he sel o pleasu e, no o money (Guis a, Di Tommaso and
S om 2008).
The sociabili y, he need o domina ion and un a e some o he easons
ha a e highligh ed in o he s udies. One o he easons sus ained by he
p os i u ion cus ome s, sociabili y, is included in he esea ch conduc ed in
B azil by Elisiane Pasini, whe e he cus ome is de ined as a “ egula ” man
(Pasini, 2000). The need o domina ion is emphasized in a pape on
246 Rosa Ve dugo – The P oblem o P os i u ion in Spain
Finnish cus ome s published by Anne-Ma ia Ma ila, whe e he demand
o p os i u ion is ela ed o he gene al powe s uc u es (economic, social,
cul u al, local and global) and o he necessi y o domina ion (Ma ila,
2003)5. The un eeling and he desi e o y di e en sexual expe iences is
p esen in he book Men who buy sex. Who hey buy and wha hey know,
om he au ho s Melissa Fa ley, Julie Bindel and Jacqueline M. Golding. In
his book, c ea ed om 103 in e iews wi h p os i u ion cus ome s in
England, 54% o he polled men asse ed ha he main mo i e o
pu chasing sex was no he absence o sexual pa ne s bu he need o
ecei e immedia e sa is ac ion, en e ainmen and pleasu e as well as
“ a ie y o women” (Faley, Bindel & Golding, 2009).
Pe e Szil, a psycho he apis specialized in sexual educa ion, associa es
p os i u ion wi h domina ion and masculine socializa ion in a published
pape in 2004 i led Men, po nog aphy and p os i u ion6. In his wo k, Szil
asse s ha : “P os i u ion ins i u ionalizes he mos basic assump ions o
masculine domina ion as social o de o e en as ci ilizing o de (...) his
sex g an s hem he igh o ule hei en i onmen , he space, he ime o
o he s and, in i s place, o he women. This igh ex ends as well o he
body and he sexuali y o women” (Szil, 2004).
In Spain, ou coun y, he i s pape ha analyzes p os i u ion cus ome s
in Spain was w i en by José Luis Solana Ruiz, who published in 2002 he
a icle “P os i u ion o immig an women in he p o ince o Có doba”
whe e he dis inguishes wo ypes o Spanish cus ome s acco ding o hei
ela ionship wi h he p os i u es: he objec i ie s and he pe sonalize s
(Solana, 2002).
In 2003, Ma ía José Ba ahona Gomá iz and Luis M. Ga cía Vicen e
published a book i led “An app oach o he eminine p os i u ion cus ome
in he Au onomous Communi y o Mad id” ocused on p os i u ion
cus ome s om Mad id. F om 15 in e iews wi h Spanish cus ome s, hey
ex ac ed i e easons o paying o sexual se ices: a ec i e sexual
in e cou ses, he necessi y o mo e equen and a ied sexual ela ions, he
exe cised powe due o paying o sexual se ices, he desi e o sa is y
sexual an asies and, las ly, he sea ch o un, especially as a male g oup
expe ience (Ba ahona & Ga cía, 2003).
Ra ael López Insaus i and Da id Ba ingo Ezque a published in 2007
he a icle “Ci y and he e osexual p os i u ion in Spain: he poin o iew o
MCS – Masculini ies and Social Change, 4(3) 247
he male “cus ome ”. F om 12 in e iews wi h di e en ypologies o
consume s, he au ho s es ablished six di e en cus ome ca ego ies: men
ha had di icul ies in e ac ing wi h women; men ha wen in g oups o
ha e un; ma ied men ha wan ed o ha e ex ama i al a ai s as a mino
in ideli y, men ha had ma i al p oblems and we e sea ching in he
paymen o sexual se ices o ce ain e enge; men o whom paymen o
sexual se ices a ose as an elemen o hei wo k o business en i onmen
and las ly, young men ha pay o sexual se ices because i implies less
complica ion and e o (López & Ba ingo, 2007).
In 2010, Ma ía José Ba ahona Goma iz published he book “Es udio
sob e la in o mación, opinión y ac i ud de los habi an es de Ála a an e el
enómeno de la p os i ución y una ap oximación al pe il del clien e de
p os i ución emenina”. The esea ch was conduc ed h ough he
comple ion o 452 ques ionnai es dis ibu ed in Ála a o people o e 18
yea s o age. 16.6% o men admi ed ha hey had paid o sex a some
poin in hei li es. Fu he mo e, 30% o hose polled did no answe his
ques ion, which leads he au ho o hink ha hey ha e been p os i u ion
cus ome s bu did no wan o admi i (Ba ahona, 2010).
Also in 2010, Ca men Meneses Falcón analyzed, in he a icle “Fac o es
mo i acionales en una mues a de homb es españoles que pagan po
se icios sexuales”, he easons ha men ha e o paying o sex. A e
conduc ing 138 in e iews, ou een easons o paying o sex we e
ex ac ed. The h ee whe e cus ome s ag eed he mos we e: o be able o
choose di e en women (56.5%), hinking ha paying o sex c ea es ewe
p oblems (46.6%) and ha ing as and impe sonal sex (41.3%). Wi h he
easons o e ed by he cus ome s, Meneses explains a ac analysis wi h he
me hod “Ex ac ion o p incipal componen s” and ob ained six ac o s ha
could explain 80% o he a iance: company, necessi y, en e ainmen , isk,
domina ion and speed (Meneses, 2010).
In 2012, En ique Ja ie Díez Gu ié ez published “El papel de los
homb es en la p os i ución”. In his a icle i is asse ed ha he numbe o
men seeking o p os i u es o domina e hem is inc easing, mo e han hose
who sea ch o sexual sa is ac ion because hey ha e expe imen ed a loss o
powe and adi ional masculini y and hey a e no capable o c ea ing
ela ionships o ecip oci y and espec o women (Díez, 2012).
248 Rosa Ve dugo – The P oblem o P os i u ion in Spain
Gómez and Pé ez published in 2009 he book P os i ución: clien es e ou os
homes, ocused on young men and he consump ion o p os i u ion in
Galicia, Spain. In his s udy, 17 in e iews wi h cus ome s we e conduc ed,
5 wi h discussion g oups o masculinized collec i es, 6 wi h emale
p os i u es, 2 wi h anssexual p os i u es, 3 wi h owne s and manage s o
p os i u ion clubs, 1 wi h a wo ke o hese clubs and 3 wi h social se ices
echnicians ha wo k wi h emale p os i u es (Gómez & Pé ez, 2009).
A e wa ds, his in es iga ion was expanded o he Spanish e i o y du ing
he pe iod 2010-13, and in his a icle we will p esen he mos ele an
esul s om his esea ch.
Is impo an o indica e ha exis s an in e na ional men mo emen in
a ou o he aboli ion o p os i u ion shaped by academicians (Luis
Bonino, Pe e Szil, Se gio Sinaí, Michael Kau man, He nando Muñoz, e c)
and ou -s anding ac i is s nea o he eminis mo emen s (Colec i o de
Va ones An ipa ia cales, Gendes, Kolec i o Po o o, Na ional O ganiza ion
o Men Agains Sexism o USA, Eu opean Men P o eminis Ne wo k,
Hommes con e le Pa ia ca , e c). In ou coun y his mo emen
ma e ializes in he "Red de homb es po la abolición de la p os i ución” and
i includes he men mo emen o equali y among whom p o essionals
s ands ou . And és Mon e o (psychologis ), E ick Pescado (sociologis ),
Hila io Sáez (sociologis ), and associa ions as AHIGE, Homb es po la
Igualdad, S op Machismo, Homb es Abolicionis as o He e odoxia.
F om he di e en in es iga ions we ha e analyzed, p os i u ion se ice
consump ion by men is de i ed om a speci ic way o unde s anding he
concep o “being a man”.
Masculine Discou ses on P os i u ion: The Cus ome s
In o de o analyze he na a ions ob ained om he in e iews wi h
p os i u ion cus ome s, he “ ame analysis” heo e ical amewo k was
chosen (Ge ha ds, 1995; Go man, 1974) wi h he aim o cohe en ly
s uc u ing hei na a ions and classi ying hem in ca ego ies in o de o
imp o e use and unde s anding o he same. This analy ic ca ego y, he
“ ame”, s ems om he “symbolic in e ac ionism” o Go man, cu en ly
unde s ood as a main elemen o analyzing he c ea ion o social agen s’
iden i y and i s “pe o mance”. The objec i e is he analysis o he
MCS – Masculini ies and Social Change, 4(3) 255
a ound he e? Yes, he e is one he e, le ’s go and ha e a d ink...”
(Fa m machine y salespe son, 25 yea s old, single, Pon e ada, 2012).
Thei unc i ical and con o mis a i ude owa ds p os i u ion culmina es
in a p oposal o legaliza ion and egula ion o his ac i i y:
“I hey a e he e, hey should a leas ha e he igh o social secu i y
and ha so o hing, shouldn’ hey? Wo k is wo k” (cons uc ion
wo ke , p ima y s udies, 28 yea s old, ma ied, Ou ense, 2012).
The cus ome s belonging o his ypology adop an opinion ha is sexis
and con a y o gende equali y policies, e en exp essing an inc edulous
a i ude owa ds male iolence agains women:
(Rega ding gende equali y) “I hink ha his is a mo ie ha le
winged go e nmen s in en ed o gene a e wo k...posi ions, o gene a e
posi ions because, hones ly, we’ll ne e be equals because you can’
dis inguish be ween wo hings ha a e equal, bu you can dis inguish
a man om a woman pe ec ly” (Wo ke om he ho el and es au an
indus y, seconda y s udies, 53 yea s old, single, Ou ense, 2012).
Misogynis cus ome s see in p os i u ion an en i onmen whe e hey can
main ain hei posi ion o masculine powe ha , acco ding o hem, has
been e oded by gende equali y policies:
(On p os i u ion) “Some hing hey sell and we buy (...) bu is like a
powe ela ion; wha I mean is ha I pay so you do as I wan , igh ?
(...) Powe h ough money (...) by ha ing his eeling o powe , maybe
is used o ake ou a lo o us a ion...” (Ma ial a s eache , 50 yea s
old, di o ced and in a ela ionship, A Co uña, 2011).
Consume Cus ome
F om ou esea ch, we ha e ob ained a hegemonic discou se o common
places om young people, an explici ly non-sexis discou se ha is c i ical
wi h he chau inis male inhe i ance om he pas . They a e young men,
gene ally su icien ly educa ed and well in o med, ha sha e hedonis ic
consump ion e hics and ha e a weak and dependen economic base, since
256 Rosa Ve dugo – The P oblem o P os i u ion in Spain
mos o hem s ill li e wi h hei amilies. They conside ha nowadays
people ha e mo e eedom in all so s o ela ionships, including sexual
in e cou se. They hink ha he s e eo ype o women ha only seek lo e
and men ha only seek sex is me ging. Fo hem, bo h gende s look o he
same:
“The e’s always his p ejudice: ha men only go o ha , I mean, sex;
and ha women seek he a ec i e pa , bu I hink ha is only a
p ejudice, he u h be old” (GD2, s uden s, economics, Co doba,
2011).
They hink o women as equals. In hei opinion, bo h gende s a e ac i e
in all ields (social, labo and sexual), al hough hey ecognize ha women
a e s ill su e ing om some disc imina ion and inequali y:
“The u h is ha I hink ha hings a e way be e han some yea s
ago, al hough we can ind some di e ences, especially in he
employmen sphe e. In he emaining a eas, sexuali y o socie y, I
hink ha he e a e ew di e ences be ween men and women”
(adminis a ion wo ke , oca ional aining, 29 yea s old, unma ied
and in a ela ionship, Ou ense, 2012).
Ne e heless, hey do ecognize ha sexual eedom is s ill mo e
se e ely punished o women han o men, some hing ha hey conside
un ai :
“Yes, ha is s ill p esen : i a man picks up many gi ls he is a
champion, ye a woman ha has sex wi h se e al guys is a who e. I
don’ know how long his will las , bu i is indeed un ai ; bu i ’s
some hing oo ed in socie y and i ’s e y di icul o elimina e i ”
(GD2, economics s uden s, Co doba, 2011).
The consume cus ome senses he exis ence o women ha a e sexually
exploi ed agains hei will, which is a si ua ion ha hey esol e om a
consume is pe spec i e, “buying wha is being sold”, as a consume o
clo hes manu ac u ed by labo and child exploi a ion:
MCS – Masculini ies and Social Change, 4(3) 257
“Mos o hem (women in p os i u ion) a e exploi ed, I hink...
women, look, hey a e in a si ua ion ha I don’ hink hey would be i
hey could choose (...) bu no, I don’ hink i ’s w ong” (ci il se an ,
eache , 35 yea s old, single, Ou ense, 2012).
Some cus ome s wi hin his ypology appea o de end gende equali y,
which leads hem o c i icize chau inis male a i udes. Howe e , his
de ense is mo e heo y han p ac ice because hei eedom and igh s as
consume s a e abo e o he kinds o conside a ions o an e hical o
ideological na u e:
“I hink ha he e should be gende equali y, bu I don’ hink i is
some hing ha can be easily app ecia ed in oday’s socie y (...). A
case in poin , a home my wi e is s ill he one ha has he bu den o
he household, I’m emba assed abou ha and I y o gain g ound bu
she is way mo e o ganized han I am and I wish I was like he ”
(seconda y educa ion eache , 43 yea s old, ma ied, Ou ense, 2012).
Among hese young men, a non-sexis , less chau inis ic ision is sha ed
in compa ison o p e ious gene a ions bu , pa adoxically, his pe spec i e
on gende equali y is no applied in he p os i u ion ield. A con adic o y
s ance is obse ed: hey sea ch o equal women o be hei pa ne s...
“Look, in my case, he ideal woman, he physical appea ance... O
cou se I ha e o like he bu she should sha e my ideas and my way o
being, because she can be a beau y bu i nobody can s and he … his
is essen ial (…) you should be able o speak o he abou any ma e ”
(ci il se an , eache , 35 yea s old, Ou ense, 2012)
And, a he same ime, hey sea ch o p os i u es and ea hem as
commodi ies, jus as ano he consump ion p oduc , a McSex consump ion,
quick, ugal, wi h sca ce quali y and wi hou commi men . This way hey
can concilia e non-sexis opinions wi h he pu chase o sex: he ield o
p os i u ion is ano he consump ion ma ke o hem.
This me can ilis poin o iew complemen s i sel wi h a alue sys em
whe e indi idualis hedonism and he sea ch o sa is ac ion a e d i ing
hei li es:
258 Rosa Ve dugo – The P oblem o P os i u ion in Spain
(Sexual in e cou se) “I was usually he same, hey we e al eady doing
hei job, hey a e p o essionals, hey a e like (…) because hey wo k
o you o eel ho ny” ( eache , 35 yea s old, single, Ou ense, 2012).
I is equen o sex consump ion o be done due o social ma e s,
ying o emula e a g oup o iends. This las eason is ela ed o a ype o
masculine guild subcul u e ha ein o ces he union o he g oup h ough
common complici y, ansg ession and un be ween iends because, in he
end, i is he g oup ha con e s you masculine iden i y (Connell, 1996)9:
“Once I knew ha a a s ag pa y he e we e hings ela ed o
p os i u ion bu I didn’ in e ene ega ding ouching he woman o
ega ding he hings ha could ha e happened du ing ha nigh (…)
(Seconda y school eache , 43 yea s old, ma ied, Ou ense, 2012).
In many cases, hese g oup p ac ices occu he i s ime as an ini ia ion o
“become a man”:
“I was in g oup celeb a ions (…) I suppose we we e going o un
(…) bu o cou se I wasn’ he e o sexual easons, some iends o
mine we e, I suppose, bu no me, and no o an asy ei he (…) i
was o un (…) i was like gi ing he “macho” a gi l when he has o
become a man (…) I do emembe i now as an ini ia ion i ual”
(seconda y school eache , 43 yea s old, ma ied, Ou ense, 2012).
In some o hei na a ions he e is ce ain sel -c i icism wi h hei pas as
cus ome s: hey pa icipa ed because o “young oolishness”:
“We we e going a ound once o wice pe yea (…) ha was o some
yea s, I don’ know, ou o i e… p e-adul gibbe ish, ha ha ha
(seconda y educa ion eache , ma ied, Ou ense, 2012).
The union o his non-sexis pa ial poin o iew which a he same ime
is me can ilis and consume is ends in a posi ion a o ing he legaliza ion
and egula ion o p os i u ion, g an ing, abo e all, “quali y”, because
hygienic and sani a y con ols o he sold “p oduc ” will be pe o med.
MCS – Masculini ies and Social Change, 4(3) 259
In a ee ma ke socie y, his ac i i y should be egula ed in o de o
gua an ee he igh condi ions o de elop he ac i i y as well as
gua an eeing minimal secu i y condi ions ega ding hygiene and
ma e ial sa e y o cus ome s and o he p os i u es” (manage o a
compu e shop, 34 yea s old, single, Ou ense, 2012).
F iend Cus ome
In his ypology a e hose men ha adop a “kind” a i ude when pu chasing
sex. These cus ome s a e able o humanize p os i u es and “empa hize” wi h
hem. Fo hem, women ha p ac ice p os i u ion do so mainly because hey
ha e no o he op ion:
“I ’s sad ha he e a e women ha ha e o do his, bu , in gene al, i
hey do i , i is hei las eso and his is absolu ely be e han
s ealing (…)” (RENFE employee (s a e-owned company ha ope a es
Spanish eigh and passenge ains)p ima y educa ion, 45 yea s old,
widowed, Ou ense, 2011).
They hink ha hei good p ac ices as lo e s make a di e ence be ween
hem and o he cus ome s, because hey know how o gi e sa is ac ion o
p os i u es. This is why hey ha e an image o hemsel es as luxu y
cus ome s, because hey achie e ha he p os i u es o ge abou hei
economic bene i s o he sake o enjoying hei ime wi h hem, because
hey ea hem well and gi e hem sa is ac ion. This a i ude d i es hem, in
some cases, o es ablish emo ional bonds ha ec ea e he ies a ising om
a si ua ion o “casual li ing” o he beginning o a lo e ela ionship.
“Some lo ed i , e en, well, you know? They gi e you hei elephone
numbe and say “call me so we can go ou oge he ” and I don’ know,
his happened o me se e al imes and one e en ell a li le in lo e
wi h me (…)” (ma ial a s eache , 50 yea s old, di o ced and in a
ela ionship, A Co uña, 2011).
In he “p os i u ion” con ex he e is a ce ain “d ama iza ion” by women
li ing and, du ing he sexual in e cou se, making he cus ome belie e ha
he possesses wonde ul quali ies ha gi e hem sa is ac ion and o gasms,
260 Rosa Ve dugo – The P oblem o P os i u ion in Spain
bu e e y hing is p e end and d ama ized in o de o make he cus ome o
eel good, as an “excellen lo e ”.
“E en hough he cus ome belie es i and I can ouch o i by wha I
ha e lis ened o, he woman is ge ing laid o money, no o
a ec ion, no o lo e, no e en o he sex and maybe i ’s disgus ing
o he (in e iew wi h a social echnician, P oyec o É gue e Mulle ,
Ou ense, 2011).
E en hough sexual necessi ies appea among he mo i a ions decla ed
o pu chasing sex, o he mo i a ions a e abundan as well, o example,
co e ing a ec i e aspec s, he sea ch o ce ain human wa m h, company
o iendship:
“A e being ma ied o mo e han 20 yea s and wi hou any child en,
on one side I need o eel a ec ion, I do ha e some a ec i e
necessi ies and I can co e hem, a leas empo a ily, his way”
(RENFE employee, p ima y s udies, 45 yea s old, widowed, Ou ense,
2011).
Some imes hey e en ecognize ha consuming p os i u ion is no a
decision ha makes hem p oud. The iend cus ome o en a gues ha he
consump ion is p oduced in si ua ions o mee ings, pa ies wi h iends o
colleagues:
“I ha e gone o ha e a d ink bu I didn’ consumed, bu ( akes b ea h)
bu his happens when we dine ou , you go o ha e dinne wi h some
iends “le ’s go he e, le ’s go he e!” and I don’ like i , I don’ like
o go ups ai s, I don’ like i bu I do go and I ha e un, I ha e some
d inks, I pay some d inks o he gi ls… bu I don’ like o go
ups ai s” (unemployed, seconda y educa ion, 47 yea s old, di o ced,
Ba badás, 2012).
This ype o cus ome usually suppo s egula o y posi ions ega ding
p os i u ion, bu conside ha i s egula ion is complex::
“The egula iza ion o his ac i i y, including medical inspec ions,
would educe he equency o hese e ec s, ha may each he amily
MCS – Masculini ies and Social Change, 4(3) 261
o he men ha use hese se ices, ha ing, as consequences, he
in ec ion o sexually ansmi ed diseases” (doc o , di o ced, Ou ense,
2011) C i ical Cus ome
The na a i e ypology o he c i ical o epen an cus ome is less abundan
among he in e iewed cus ome s up o now. They hold a c i ical poin o
iew, whe e he exis ence o gende inequali y and injus ices su e ed by
women in a pa ia chal and capi alis en i onmen a e ecognized. Fo
hem, his inequali y agg a a es in as much as we descend he socio-
economical scale, he o igin and legal s a us o women inside p os i u ion.
This is he eason why he c i ical cus ome conside s ha women in
p os i u ion a e one o he mos ulne able social g oups. Acco ding o
hem, women p ac ice p os i u ion because o necessi y, being, some imes,
ic ims o ma ias ha exis in he p os i u ion ield:
I: “Wha is you opinion abou p os i u ion?” A: “I ’s a e y
complica ed job, he e is no legisla ion, i mo es a lo o money, he e
a e ma ias in ol ed and some o hese women a e ensla ed and
su e ing om agg essions, ex o ions, blackmail...” (Insu ance
in e media y, 48 yea s old, ma ied, Ou ense, 2011).
The c i ical cus ome conside s ha he e a e a la ge numbe o
p i ileges in ended o men and, besides, ha he e is g ea e con ol o e
he emo ional and sexual li e o women:
I: Wha was he eeling you had om he women in he e, engaged in
p os i u ion? A:”Pu !! A ha momen I didn’ hink abou i bu I
did a e ... Wha a shi y li e!!! Basically hey a e ensla ed he e, I
was imp essed by some o hem wi h ma ks on hei aces, some sca s
and I did link i , o su e i was some a icking, hey mus be ea ed
wo se han i hey we e dogs because some o hem had sca s”
(ca pen e , 28 yea s old, in a ela ionship, A Pob a do Ca amiñal,
2011).
They asse ha he easons o he consump ion o sex a e no he ones
ha men usually alk abou , bu a he o he easons ela ed o he powe
si ua ion ha hey ha e in he p os i u ion con ex a e hidden because in his
262 Rosa Ve dugo – The P oblem o P os i u ion in Spain
con ex hey can elie e hei daily us a ions h ough he humilia ion and
abuse o hese women.
“I you eel in e io , he e you ha e an oppo uni y o eel supe io
and o do wha you eally wan (...) We wen ups ai s, some guys and
some gi ls and I didn’ like i because I el a ole o supe io i y, ha
you wan o be mo e, igh ? Abuse in i sel , some supe io i y...”
(Ca pen e , 28 yea s old, in a ela ionship, A Pob a do Ca amiñal,
2011).
The cus ome s belonging o his ypology de elop a discou se whe e
ano he mo i a ion o men ha pu chase sex ema ked: he inc ease o he
comme cializa ion o human ela ionships, which p o okes he sea ch o
sex and a ec ion in sepa a e ways.
“I imagine ha his is some hing beyond pu e and simple sex and ha
he e would be people only in e es ed in ge ing laid, bu I do conside
ha ano he s o y is (...) looking o someone o do a blow-job o 15
eu o, s op, inished... hen people look o ha , hose i e o en
minu es and he guy go elie ” (salesman, 50 yea s old, ma ied,
San iago de Compos ela, 2012).
Figu e 1. Diag am wi h he ou ypologies o p os i u ion cus ome s
MCS – Masculini ies and Social Change, 4(3) 263
Final Re lec ions
In con empo a y wes e n socie ies, mass consump ion o p os i u ion
se ices by male popula ion is one o he mos signi ican indica o s o a
way o unde s anding, li ing and eeling sexuali y, is a glimpse o he
egula o y s anda d o a ec ions and sexuali y o ou his o ic ime.
Con a y o expec a ions, p os i u ion has acqui ed an unsuspec ed and
unp edic able ele ance in he con ex o sexual libe a ion ha seemed o
indica e a g adual disappea ance. P os i u ion has expanded and di e si ied,
u ning in o an ac i i y legi imized by he pos -capi alis sys em i sel , in a
con ex o exploi a ion ha is e e mo e s anda dized. F om a ou a ound
all exis ing scien i ic li e a u e and a ound he empi ical esea ch, his
a icle on p os i u ion in Spain has ocused on he s udy o he p os i u ion
cus ome , ying o unde s and why men, he main consume s o
p os i u ion in Spain, pay o sex.
All speci ic discou ses, h ough he di e en cus ome ypologies, ha e
answe ed hese; why, how, when, how much, wi h whom, e c. is he
pu chase o sex p oduced wi h he aim o cla i ying he easons and causes
o he high consump ion o his se ice in Spain. In gene al, he ou
ypologies sha e a cul u e p os i u ion and po n –e o ic, besides use
p os i u ion as an “ini ia ion i e” owa ds he ea i ma ion o a masculini y
cha ac e ized by i s na cissism and accumula i e sexuali y. Taking in o
accoun he esul s o o he esea ches as well as he analysis o he
discou ses o in e iewed cus ome s, he exis ence o a masculine
subcul u e in a po n-capi alis con ex can be deduced. This subcul u e ixes
he mos adi ional pa ia chal alues and has as iden i y base male
chau inism and he exe cise o a ype o masculini y whe e equen
encoun e s wi h women h ough he “use o phallus” is decisi e o sel
ecogni ion and o show o in on o he g oup o pee s (Gómez & Pé ez,
2013).
The ypologies ob ained in his esea ch ha e a high deg ee o
coincidence wi h o he simila s udies done in his ield. . In ac , we can
ind in all he ypologies wo g oups o cus ome s. The i s g oup is
composed o hose men ha seek in p os i u ion he sa is ac ion o needs
ou side he sex sphe e, as domina ion, expe imen isks o company,
iden i ying in some o hem he cus ome s’ subg oup “misogynis ” and
264 Rosa Ve dugo – The P oblem o P os i u ion in Spain
“ iend” (Lega dinie & Bouamama, 2006 quo ed in Gómez & Pé ez,
2013). The second g oup o cus ome s is o med by hose men ha demand
sex as a ca ego y o leisu e, as a leisu e ac i i y. Eme ges as well in some
he subg oup o young men, who use he consume is logic in hei
discu si e na a ions (Gómez & Pé ez, 2013). In he es o esea ches is
no ca ied ou a ypology o cus ome s bu some o hese mo i a ions
eme ge in he discou ses o p os i u ion cus ome s: o sa is y a need o
domina ion (Ma ila, 2003; Díez, 2012), socialize h ough p os i u ion
(Allison, 1994; Pasini, 2000; López & Ba ingo, 2007) o inc ease he
equency and/o he a ie y o sexual encoun e s (Fa ley, Bindel &
Golding, 2009).
Ne e heless, in ou esea ch we ha e gone u he , conduc ing a
cha ac e iza ion o cus ome s in each ypology. In he misogynis cus ome
ypology he e is a p e alence o men wi h a lowe educa ion le el ha
iden i y hemsel es wi h igh -winged poli ics. A he o he end, among
men wi h he c i ical cus ome ypology, a e hose who ha e a highe
educa ional backg ound and de ine hemsel es le wing o ien ed10.
The analyzed indi iduals displayed hei pa icula “emic” pe spec i e
abou he easons, causes and opinions ela ed o p os i u ion consump ion
bu i is om hei “e ic” pe spec i e whe e he o al dimension can be
in e p e ed. Th ough he “ ame analysis” heo e ical pe spec i e used, and
om sociological meanings, an unde s anding o his social eali y has been
eached.
In he end, his scien i ic esea ch iden i ies a se o ex a-sexual causes
ela ed o paymen o sex: he sea ch o dominance, en e ainmen ,
a ec ion, sociabili y, desi e o consump ion o new “commodi ies”, e c.
(Lega dinie & Bouamama, 2006; Szil, 2004; Ba ahona, 2010; Ba ahona e
al., 2003; López & Ba ingo, 2007; Meneses, 2010). In no case ha e we
ound discou ses om lo e s o pleasu e o pleasu e as a magni icen and
anscenden ac . The causes and mo i a ions a e di e en and om ou
poin o iew, a e ela ed o he building o a dominan and pa ia chal
masculini y ha is s ill hegemonic in ou socie y. As a as we a e
conce ned, he pu chase o sex (jus i ied by he a i ma ion o he sea ch o
quali y sex, un and hedonis ic pleasu e, e c.) answe s o a pa ia chal
manda e and o a s a egy, no necessa ily conscious, o o ein o cemen o
a masculini y c ea ed by an iden i y de o ed o exhibi ion in on o a
