Prostitution and Public Policy in the People's Republic of China: An Analysis of the Rehabilitative Ideal

The far-reaching changes that have taken place in mainland China since the end of isolation have served as catalysts for the return of many social problems that were thought to have been controlled or eliminated following the revolution. Of these problems, prostitution and associated activity are sources of particular consternation for the Chinese authorities. The present article analyzes urban prostitution on the mainland (in general and through analysis of prison data from Sichuan Province) and the legal and public security responses to it. Implicit within those responses is a rehabilitative ideal that has deep historical roots in the Chinese philosophy of social control and corrections. Special emphasis is placed upon analysis of this normative philosophy, its application to the process of prostitute reeducation and rehabilitation, and the impact of continued social change on its use.