The Habitus of Covert Prostitution in the Songo Tourism Area

This study is motivated by strong indications of the misuse of rental houses (villas) as sites for prostitution activities in the Songo Tourism Area (STA). The operations are so discreetly organized that they may be classified as covert prostitution. This raises two key questions: how is such prostitution continuously reproduced by its participants, and how are the underlying symbiotic relationships maintained among the involved parties? Utilizing the interactive analysis technique proposed by Huberman, Miles, and Sadana, supported by Bourdieu’s theory of habitus, this study identifies three major findings: (1) an adaptive social environment, an acculturative cultural setting, and a pragmatic economic context have collectively nurtured and shaped the accommodative attitudes of the Songo community toward covert prostitution practices in the tourism area; (2) the social constructions among the actors involved in covert prostitution serve as foundational capital for the continued reproduction of their enterprise; and (3) the positions held by each actor within the covert prostitution network determine the roles they assume and the opportunities afforded by the social, cultural, and economic environment to ensure the sustainability of their operations. Keywords: Songo tourism area, covert prostitution, reproduction, symbiotic relations. DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/15-3-02 Publication date: July 30th 2025