Title: The purity myth
Description: The United States is obsessed with virginity — from the media to schools to government agencies. In The Purity Myth Jessica Valenti argues that the country's intense focus on chastity is damaging to young women. Through in-depth cultural and social analysis, Valenti reveals that powerful messaging on both extremes — ranging from abstinence curriculum to "Girls Gone Wild" infomercials — place a young woman's worth entirely on her sexuality. Morals are therefore linked purely to sexual behavior, rather than values like honesty, kindness, and altruism. Valenti sheds light on the value — and hypocrisy — around the notion that girls remain virgin until they're married by putting into context the historical question of purity, modern abstinence-only education, pornography, and public punishments for those who dare to have sex. The Purity Myth presents a revolutionary argument that girls and women are overly valued for their sexuality, as well as solutions for a future without a damaging emphasis on virginity.
Subjects: Virginity, Social aspects of Virginity, Nonfiction, Young women, Sexual behavior, Women's Studies, Social aspects, Women, sexual behavior, Women, united states, Young women--sexual behavior, Young women--sexual behavior--united states, Virginity--social aspects, Virginity--social aspects--united states, Hq29 .v338 2010, 306.73
Places: United States