Sample About The American Sexual Revolution

The Coming-Out of the Century: The American Sexual Revolution of the 60s

Introduction

It’s hard to imagine what the Western world would look like today without several of the shifts in social consciousness which took place in the mid-20th century, most notably the rise of counterculture and the liberalization of Western society’s views on romantic relationships, family and sex. In contrast to the strict “traditional” values of the 40s and 50s, namely the propagation of heterosexuality and monogamy, the dramatic social phenomena of the 1960s may indeed be called a “revolution”.

The Evolution of Sexual Liberation: From the Early 20th Century to the 1960s

Some sources (Thurber & White, 1929) suggest that the sexual liberation of the 60s, 70s and 80s was merely the conclusion of a larger-scale social shift that started as early as the 1920s with the emergence of a new wave of thinkers like Sigmund Freud, Wilhelm Reich, Alfred Kinsey, and D H. Lawrence, as well as, culturally speaking, Ernest Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, and Edna St. Vincent Millay. The conviction that the repression of sexual energy was in fact a bad thing that led to problems with relationships and families rather than “strengthening” them had indeed been a popular concept since the beginning of the 20th century. This, however, was not enough at the time, and the morality of the Christian tradition persisted in Western society for a few more decades. The actual paradigm shift took place around the 50s and 60s, influenced not only by the new way of thinking about sex and sexuality, but by other important events and discoveries, from the legalization of abortion to the wide application of penicillin (which helped to eradicate syphilis), from the rise of permissive thinking in society to the introduction of the birth control pill.

The Rise of Playboy: A Reflection of Changing Attitudes Toward Sexuality

New business opportunities appeared and were instantly explored, most notably with the foundation and rise of Playboy magazine, targeted at males between the ages of 21 and 45. Featuring interviews, short tales and cartoons united by a “Playboy philosophy”, the magazine was most notable for the inclusion of “playmates”, half-naked female models in provocative poses, gaining Playboy its instant and loud success. As the magazine’s popularity grew further, its founder. Hugh Hefner, decided to venture further. Thus, the first Playboy club was opened in Chicago, then another and another. Growing in numbers throughout the 60s, these private men’s clubs offered relaxation opportunities to their members, who were serviced by Playboy Bunnies. This high-grade and legally operating business, unimaginable a couple of decades prior, clearly represented the changes taking place in the perception of erotic imagery, sexuality, and sex in Western world.

The Sexual Revolution: Social Transformation and Shifting Norms

It’s clear the need for such changes had been there long before: That’s why the event is commonly called a “revolution” or “a time of coming-out” (Allyn, 2001).  Influenced and backed up by modern psychology, business, and culture, all looking to explore their newly obtained freedoms, Western society quickly underwent a major reconstruction and reinvention of values, including a rise in activity related to the women’s rights movements and gay rights movements. Many themes previously considered taboo were now the subject of literature, films, and TV discussions (Maurice Isserman, 2012).

On the other hand, divorce rates increased dramatically and marriage rates decreased significantly during this time period, accompanied by a major rise in the popularity of casual sex between unmarried adults: The number of young unmarried Americans more than doubled during the 60s, rising from 4.3 million to 9.7 million. Both men and women were now in a constant search for new forms of relationships like open marriages, swinging, and communal sex. Premarital sex and casual sex between married adults also grew very popular.

Conclusion

The most important effects the sexual revolution had on society were, perhaps, the normalization of contraception (something that had been omitted from discussions and even frowned upon in the years prior), the legalization of abortion, and, indirectly, a major improvement in obstetrics, greatly reducing the number of deaths amongst women during childbirth, as well as an overall growth in tolerance and liberal thinking towards gay relationships, women’s rights, and sexual freedom.

The sexual revolution waned in the 70s and 80s with the mass commercialization of sex, disillusionment with counterculture, and the growing AIDS scare.

References

Thurber, James, White, E.B. Is Sex Necessary? Or Why You Feel The Way You Do, Harper Perennial, 1929

Allyn, David. Make Love, Not War: The Sexual Revolution, an Unfettered History, Taylor & Francis, 2001

Isserman, Maurice. America Divided, Oxford University Press