Posted by HornyMike on March 25, 2001 at 21:15:17:
In Reply to: stakeholders, accountability posted by TJResearcher on March 25, 2001 at 20:10:43:
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I frankly am one of those who thinks your project represents little more than a collosal waste of talent (what I presume to be yours) and probably tax money (which I presume to be mine). I don't say that out of any mean-spiritedness, not at all. I think you're a nice gal. I just don't think anyone could possibly have a use for any conclusions you could draw, especially having seen your questions. Again i say, who cares if a bunch of jerks like us are having sex down there? Now true, maybe I have only seen one aspect of your research, and maybe there's more to it, but I doubt it. And dressing it up with fancy language won't change what it is. Relevant stakeholders? Are those the hookers? See, this is why too much college can be a bad thing. It's time to get a job. I filled out the first half of your "survey" in December, and then just dropped it because I felt the questions had no possible research purpose. You are not going to change the Mexican government, nor the government of Tijuana. Prostitution is "tolerated" only because the governments in Mexico don't acknowledge it exists. They know it's there, they don't want to hear about it. And they are not likely to be taking counsel from a gringa from Yale with a thesis project. When they get other plans for that area of the city, they will run the hookers out quick enough. You are also not the first one to know these things. As I'm sure you know, there are unions of hookers down there, and they plead (usually unsuccessfully) for improved working conditions. They are a hell of a lot more versed in how to move the system than you could ever be, as an outsider, and an American one at that. Your goals regarding educating workers re STDs is not a bad idea. Some of these girls could use some instruction. The necessity of using a condom is universally known. But maybe the girls could use some instruction regarding spotting STDs or parasites so as to avoid clients with these problems. That might actually be worth it. Girls having condomless sex are doing it because they think the guy is clean, not because they don't know about condoms or can't afford one. And condoms don't eliminate the risks anyway. You say training is already in place. Why not design a program to show to these women, and then do it? You could bring it to those already providing the training, and they should be happy to incorporate it. But condoms too expensive? That's really silly, isn't it? If she's getting paid $30-50 for sex, is 50 cents for a condom too much? excellent U.S. mark condoms cost .50, in the U.S. Or why not work with hookers in the U.S.? Why not seek to legalize prostitution in the U.S.? That would help a lot more women (and men) that really need it. But no, it's more fun to live in TJ on someone else's dime pretending you're doing important work for the "relevant stakeholders," isn't it? Plus, the weather's a hell of a lot better than New Haven. And you get to speak spanish too. If your goal is really to improve the lot of these women, it might be more effective to go to the union for advice. Do you think they don't know all this stuff already? But the way I see it, do Mexican hookers need a yuppie from Yale coming out to tell them about condoms, or anything else? I doubt it. I think they already know those things. I think the local government will resent the apparent arrogance of someone from a foreign country trying to lecture them about things they don't want to hear about, and the girls will likely regard you as a strange but unnecessary curiosity. I think if you really had these "help the women" goals, why not go to the interior of Mexico where these issues are far more relevant and work with those women? Mexico City has a fairly significant problem with hookers, and their clients are not Americans that can afford high prices. Hookers in other Mexican cities are even worse off. And Mexico is not at all the poorest country in latin america. Why not go to Guatemala and help those hookers? They might need some advice and condoms. But the TJ hooker is really the cream of the crop in MX and is the least in need of help. So it's not that I'm trying to insult you, I'm really not. But don't be insulted, just ask yourself if I don't have a point. It's just that your stated goals and your actions don't line up. At best, you seem to be a naive person with good intentions kinda living off the university system and patting yourself on the back for how smart you are, and for how much you care about those poor stupid ignorant mexican hookers, who (thank God!) finally have a Yalie coming down to help. It's time to get a job.
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