"Have their ever been societies where lots of women are completely fine with prostitution -- maybe so fine with it that the bottom drops out of the market?"

Yes, there have been such societies. Even now, sexually permissive societies may still have prostitution but the hourly wages are not out of line with the cost of other labor.

"But if we start imagining how society could be different, let's go with one where sex really isn't special. If someone asks you for sex, it's rude not to have sex with them, just as today it's rude not to say "hello" when someone greets you. No need for a private place, just do it wherever you are. And why not the little kids too?"

There have been societies like this, too. Due to STDs they only seem to work at this extreme when the society has a good degree of isolation from others, but they did work for cultures which, taking into account their time and low population, were comparatively technologically advanced.




Baldur