|
|
|||
|
||||
OverviewIn this witty and provocative study of sex and marriage manuals, M.E. Melody and Linda M. Peterson reveal that permissiveness, prohibition, and, tellingly, persuasion and enforcement-from sermons and hellfire to mutilation and electroshock-have informed popular sex education over the past hundred and twenty years. From the late Victorian obsession with masturbation and hygiene, to the ""if it feels good, do it"" ethos of The Joy of Sex, America's disposition to sex has evolved from a general squeamishness to a veritable cult of mutual orgasm. But despite the recent emphasis on ""voluptuous pleasure,"" the basic power dynamic underlying the discourse on sex has been remarkably resistant to change. The authors reveal that, even as sexual behavior changed during periods of upheaval, the prescriptive literature on sex has remained traditional at its core, promoting sex within marriage for the purpose of reproduction. A cross-generational account of the major constructions of masculinity and femininity from 1880 to the present day, Teaching America About Sex serves up a lucid and entertaining reading of the twentieth century's vexed relationship with sex. Full Product DetailsAuthor: M. E. Melody , Linda M. PetersonPublisher: New York University Press Imprint: New York University Press Dimensions: Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 22.90cm Weight: 0.540kg ISBN: 9780814755327ISBN 10: 0814755321 Pages: 296 Publication Date: 01 May 1999 Audience: Professional and scholarly , General/trade , Professional & Vocational , General Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Manufactured on demand We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier. Table of ContentsReviews<p> A well-executed interdisciplinary work combining the theoretical and the empirical in ways that benefit the understanding of both. - The Law and Politics Book Review , Author InformationM.E. Melody is Professor of Political Science at Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. Linda M. Peterson is Professor of Psychology and Coordinator of Women's Studies at Barry University. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |