Prostitution in the Greek Cinema of the 1950s and 1960s: From Regulation to Socialization of Desire
Prostitution in the Greek Cinema of the 1950s and 1960s: From Regulation to Socialization of Desire

Summary/Abstract: Cinema is not only a medium of entertainment, but it also has the power to reproduce, express, and shape ideas, ideologies, trends, needs, and concerns of a society at a certain time. The aim of this paper is to study the cinematographic representation of prostitution during the 1950s and 1960s in Greece, and to explore in which ways the films with this specific theme on the one hand are undertaking to shape a national female identity based on moral purity and on the other, to respond to the requirements of the social ethics and norms of the Greek society of that period. More precisely, it will be revealed to what extent the viewing of prostitution-related films contributed to the effort on the part of a post-war society to regulate and ‘socialize’ the sexual desire, preserve the family institution, and maintain social stability. The harlot-themed movies between 1950 and 1960 managed to meet various and diverse expectations, create normative models of social behavior, and morally ‘educate’ families, adults, and youth. The theme will be approached from a sociological perspective and will be based on three major theories on the social dimension of prostitution: functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interaction.

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