Sex before the sexual revolution
Subtitle: intimate life in England 1918-1963
By: Simon Szreter and Kate Fisher
Contributors: Fisher, Kate
Series: Cambridge social and cultural histories -- 16; Cambridge social and cultural histories -- 16.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Cambridge, UK; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 458
ISBN-13: 9780521760041; 9780521149327
Subjects: Sex; Social life and customs; Intimacy (Psychology); Sex role; History
Description: "What did sex mean for ordinary people before the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s? Often pitied by later generations as repressed, unfulfilled and full of moral anxiety, this book provides the first rounded, first-hand account of sexuality in marriage in the early and mid twentieth century. Based on vivid, compelling and frank testimonies from a socially and geographically diverse range of individuals, these award-winning authors look beyond the conventions of silence among the respectable majority to challenge stereotypes of ignorance and inhibition. The book explores a spectrum of sexual experiences, from learning about sex and sexual practices in courtship, to attitudes to the body, marital ideals and birth control, demonstrating that whilst the era's emphasis on silence and strict moral codes could for some be a source of inhibition and dissatisfaction, for many the culture of privacy and innocence was central to fulfilling and pleasurable intimate lives"--Provided by publisher.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 421-444) and indexes.
Table of contents: title: Part I. What was sex?: The facts of life: learning about sex in childhood and youth; Sexual intimacies before marriage; title: Part II. What was love?: Romance and love: finding a partner; Married love: caring and sharing; title: Part III. Exploring sex and love in marriage: Birth control, sex and abstinence; Bodies; Sex, love, duty, pleasure?; The morning after; Conclusion: private lives.