The body as commodity: A study in Belo Horizonte’s low-end prostitution zone

Abstract This study aims to identify and analyze the exchange relationships and commercial dynamics surrounding the body and its symbolic transformation within a low-end prostitution zone in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The conceptual framework addresses two main themes: first, the consumption of the body as a commodity; second, the notions of price, value, and exchange in the context of prostitution. The qualitative research involved 39 in-depth interviews, with the data analyzed through discourse analysis, resulting in two overarching discourses: social precariousness and productive efficiency. The former facilitates the commodification of the prostitute’s body, sold at negotiable prices depending on additional services, much like any other product. However, price differs from value, which is personal and laden with symbolism. Visual, auditory, and tactile elements, whether related to the body itself or taboo objects, play a role in this market, where negotiation and purchase precede consumption, implying temporary use and disposal.