Not My Kid: What Parents Believe about the Sex Lives of Their Teenagers
“Beautifully written, engaging, and insightful,Not My Kid advances our critical understanding of the complex tensions, contradictions, and paradoxes parents decipher as they make sense of the sex lives of their adolescent children. Sinikka Elliott invites readers to think critically about the revealing stories of parenting and family life that give life to this relevant book, and the emerging implications for the future of sex education programs and debates in an increasingly diverse and technological society.”-Gloria González-López,author ofErotic Journeys: Mexican Immigrants and Their Sex Lives“Not My Kidis an engaging and incisive contribution to contemporary debates over youth and sexuality education. As Elliott debunks prevailing myths about parents, kids, and ‘the talk’ about sex, a new picture emerges in which parents navigate and contribute to a broad social context characterized by ambivalence, anxiety, and persistent inequalities. Elliott helps readers appreciate the need for social policies that confront the culture of fear surrounding young people’s sexuality and bolster parents’ efforts to support their children’s development as sexual beings.”-Jessica Fields,author ofRisky Lessons: Sex Education and Social Inequality"The book's prescriptive argument in seeking social and cultural change is well made and convincing."-Choice,"[This book] brings a mirror to our society, an image that we need to closely examine and see if we like what we see."-Sacramento Book Review,"Highly readable and accessibly written,Not My Kidis suitable for a wide range of audiences, including undergraduate students and general readers. Elliott makes extensive use of her informants’ own words and stories throughout the book, enhancing its appeal...Not My Kidpromises to be an excellent resource in courses on human sexuality, gender, families, and social problems, as well as introductory sociology."-Sex Roles,