Sex Work between Agency and Control

Abstract

This review examines Histories of Prostitution in Central, East-Central, and South Eastern Europe, a notable volume that reframes prostitution not as a sensationalist topic, but as a nuanced historical phenomenon. The contributors emphasize the agency of sex workers while addressing systemic constraints shaped by gender, class, medicine, and state control. Drawing on diverse sources and methodologies, the collection spans the 19th century to the Cold War, revealing how sex work intersected with evolving notions of morality, surveillance, and public health. De-spite minor editorial inconsistencies, the volume is praised for its scholarly depth, interdisciplinary rigor, and contribution to European gender history.