The Sexual Revolution: A Political Process Theory Perspective

The Sexual Revolution: A Political Process Theory Perspective Presented by Courtney Bourn

AIMS AND GOALS Closely aligned with the women’s liberation and LGBT movements of the mid to late 20th century, the sexual revolution sought to fight for sexual freedoms in a time when traditional roles and ideas on gender and sex controlled society.

AIMS AND GOALS REDEFINE SEX

Sex as reproduction within marriage → Sex for pleasure

NUDITY

Fight against ideas about modesty and wanting to express one’s body freely.

SEX OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE

PORNOGRAPHY

SEX EDUCATION

SEX WITHOUT PREGNANCY

Allow pornography and adult films to be shown and produced.

Create an open discussion about sex and educate people about their bodies.

Normalize sex outside of marriage and with persons other than spouse

Be able to have sex freely without becoming pregnant

GOALS ALLIED WITH LGBT/WOMEN’S MVMTS

LGBT

Freedom to be homosexual and experiment with same-sex relations.

FEMINISM

Women were main targets for sex-negativity. Allow women to have sexual/bodily autonomy.

REASONS FOR EMERGENCE POLITICAL OPPORTUNITIES

COGNITIVE LIBERATION

Many laws in the US prevented people from sexual freedom in their personal and public lives. This fueled to movement to fight against laws that constrained sexual freedoms became less powerful (laws regarding pornography, sodomy, etc). Some laws allowing for sexual freedoms in the United States also were enacted.

People were embracing countercultures during the Vietnam War that went against the grain of traditional lifestyles.

People were wanting to break the chains of society’s ideals on sexuality and embrace a sexually free life.

PRECURSORS SEX BEFORE THE REVOLUTION ●

The nuclear family is established

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Sex is not talked or taught about in schools

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Abstinence only until marriage

MEDICAL MIRACLES AND EARLY SEXOLOGY

ALFRED KINSEY

Researched sexual experiences and published these findings in the Kinsey Reports (1948 on men, 1953 on women)

WILHELM REICH

Freudian researcher coined the term “sexual revolution” and psychoanalyzed the orgasm

PENICILLIN FOR STDs

After the discovery of penicillin in 1928, it was soon used as cures for STIs such as gonorrhea and syphilis.

STRATEGIES AND TACTICS

01 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Research sexuality and pleasure in psychology, biology, and other scientific fields.

04 JOURNALISM Went from manifestos written to journalism in the media to display opinions.

02 ORGANIZATIONS

05 TRANSGRESSIVE ACTION

03 PROTESTS AND MARCHES

06 REPRESENTATION IN THE MEDIA

Organizations turn saying into doing. Collective action to create change, both ideological and legal.

Formed public grievances to show the public their opinions and passion

Public transgressions, such as nude-ins, filthy speech, or just doing things to make political statements.

Sexual ideas were conveyed in the media, which could be anything from TV to pornography.

“FREE LOVE” POLYAMORY, ORGIES, AND SWINGERS - OH MY! ●

“Swinging” was popular among married couples

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People preached the idea of “free love”

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Interracial marriage becoming legal in 1967

PLEASURE FOR THE PEOPLE

MASTERS AND JOHNSON

Researched sexual pleasure. Released “Human Sexual Response” (1966) and “Human Sexual Inadequacy” (1970).

SEX AND THE SINGLE GIRL

Published in 1962 by Helen Gurley Brown on women’s financial and sexual independence.

Told everyone women have sex too.

THE JOY OF SEX

Widely popular book on sexual techniques for the everyday person

PORNOGRAPHY AND PLAYBOY As pornography became legalized and popularized, many adult-oriented companies came to power, most notably Hugh Hefner’s “Playboy”. Many adult films were released and Rated “X” films were all the rage.

CRAZY FOR CONTRACEPTION

THE CONTRACEPTIVE PILL

The birth control pill was approved by the FDA in 1960 and allowed women to have sex without fear of pregnancy.

CONTRACEPTION LEGALIZED

For married women in 1965 (Griswold v.

Connecticut), unmarried in 1972 (Eisenstadt v.

Baird)

CONDOMS

Condoms become widely available as safe sex becomes important when AIDS epidemic arises

OPPONENTS OF THE MOVEMENT RADICAL FEMINISTS Pornography as the objectification and exploitation of women.

Anti-monogamous ideals only benefit men ●

BDSM and sex work = violent and exploitative for women

CONSERVATIVES Porngraphy is immoral and corrupts the minds of children Extra and pre-marital sex is a sin and immoral. Sex = only for marital reproduction Overall demise of the religious, biblical definition of marriage and sex

FAILURES, SUCCESSES, AND THE DEMISE While the sexual revolution can be regarded as successful in shifting societal ideas on sexuality, the 1980s brought a demise to these sexual liberties.

With the AIDs crisis rising, people started fearing sex. Also, with the Reagan adminstration coming into office, conservatism was on the rise in the US and traditional ideas on sex prevailed. While regulations on people’s sex lives loosened, there was still much to go.

TIMELINE

Griswold v.

Connecticut rules that married couples can access contraception

First Kinsey Report is published

1948

1960

FDA approves the birth control pill

1965

1966

Masters and Johnson publish “Human Sexual Response”

TIMELINE Laws banning interracial marriage barred unconstitutional (Loving v.

Virginia); Summer of Love in San Francisco

1967

Roe v. Wade

1972

Eisenstadt v. Baird; Deep Throat released; The Joy of Sex

1973

1981

Discovery of AIDS; Reagan inaugurated into office

REFERENCES Week 3 Lecture Slide 36 Sex: The Revolution. Directed by Hart Perry & Richard Lowe. Perry Films, 2008. VH1.

“Ideas, Ideals, and Ideology” by Myra Marx Ferree and Beth B. Hess (Ch. 2, pp. 25-52 in Controversy and Coalition: The New Feminist Movement Across Four Decades of Change, esp. “The Basis of Social Movements,” pp. 25-32) Smith, Tom W. “A Report: The Sexual Revolution?” The Public Opinion Quarterly, vol. 54, no. 3, 1990, pp. 415–435.

JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2749376. Accessed 2 Dec. 2020.