So I guess I take a more macro-level view here: strip clubs, regardless of the psychological imputations of the participants, clearly reinforce social stratification in a number of ways.
1. To put it bluntly, sex is made a commodity. This commodification--like the commodification of any human needs--is a crucial component of capitalism, and thus reinforces economic inequalities.
2. Stripping celebrates youth; there is a pretty rigid appearance "script" a stripper needs to follow to make decent money. --A perpetuation of age stratification.
3. The fact that women can make way more money doing stripping than doing most other kinds of work (e.g., teaching) reinforces gender stereotypes: women are prized sexual objects, and their worth is tied to their sexual attractiveness rather than other human (stereotypically male) qualities like intellect. --A perpetuation of gender stratification.
Like most social activities in our society, strip clubs reinforce existing social structure and existing forms of social stratification, regardless of the intent of the participants.
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Yes, this is precisely right as I see things.
And there's something else to consider...
For years, a friend has said the apparently growing popularity of both pr0n and strip clubs is an index of the alienation and loneliness of our society -- which capital exploits for profit.
There are exceptions of course, but I believe most loyal and hungry consumers of the simulacrum of attention strip club patrons receive (and it's the attention they want from my observation -- not simply to be desired, but to receive the attention of attractive women) suffer from the lack of a satisfying sexual/romatic life and seek to fill this gap through the commodities of rented company or, in the case of pr0n, re-playable sexual imagery.
Loneliness. This is the portion of the story nearly everyone forgets or ignores -- focusing on the sexier topic of power and powerlessness.
DRM