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Abstract
Prostitution operates as a hidden organized activity relying on covert organizing processes in order to function. This study analyzes how both talk and silence discursively construct prostitution. Data, including prostitution policies and in-depth interviews, revealed that certain participants are marked silent while others are made visible. Results are presented through a metaphor of a masquerade in order to illuminate the complexity of hidden organizing. This metaphor offers a way to examine systematic and pervasive silence(s) within hidden organizing. Implications are offered for theory and research of the discursive construction of hidden organizations.
Notes
1. In order to respect anonymity and confidentiality specific identification of the state has been omitted.