ABSTRACT
Male sex work has a history as long as female sex work, and there is evidence of male Sumerians and Greeks selling sex to other men (Dover, 1978). However, female sex work has received more attention from researchers; so much so that as an institution, sex work is often viewed as a female occupation. In patriarchal societies, where service labour is largely undertaken by women, men who provide services to other men are often seen as doing female tasks (Carrier, 1985). Indeed, one of the characteristics most associated with femininity in Costa Rica is that of sexually servicing the man (Kashak and Sharrat, 1985). This is one reason why it is important to analyze the nature of male sex work, particularly that undertaken by men who see themselves as ‘men’ and who beyond the sex work context are largely heterosexual. This chapter focuses upon a group of such men working in a casa or brothel in San José, the capital city of Costa Rica. The aim is to offer insight into the self-understandings and social practices of such men, and the kinds of sexual culture that emerge in these conditions.
