Sexual Revolution

In Risman’s and Schwartz’s article about the sexual revolution, it stated that the sexual revolution has redefined sexual activity as a right of individuals and sexual activity’s sole purpose is no longer for reproduction or even marital intimacy. However, it has been reported that there has been a recent decrease in sexual activity among teens. This may be the result of the success of abstinence education, the positive affect of comprehensive sex education, the cultural backlash against the sexual revolution or the fear of disease. Not only did the percentage of teens engaging in coital sex decreases, but the serious problems that can result from irresponsible teenage sexuality declined. Therefore, there has been fewer teenage mothers and fewer abortions. Girls have been increasingly able to define sex as part of a relationship, which is one of the factors that show that more responsible teenage sexual activity. Additionally, there has been less casual sex that aids more responsible teenage sexual activity.

England’s and Thomas’ article states that there has been a decline of date and an increase in college hook up. Dating has been redefined as activities of couples who have already decided that they are in an exclusive romantic relationship. Instead, many college students have been “hooking up” on campus, and this “hooking up” does not necessarily imply an interest in a relationship, although it may sometimes lead to relationships. Many of these “hook ups” begin at parties and many were the results of alcoholic beverages. About 33% of the relationships began with a traditional first date, but approximately 44% had one or more hook ups first, which sometimes were followed up by dates. Relationships were oftentimes made “official” with the “define the relationship” (DTR) talk. However, many individuals don’t have the talk or may have began the relationship ambiguously. Despite this age of increasing hookups, there is still inequality in the bedroom, where males are reported to have more orgasms than females. Many females have to fake it in order not to hurt the male egos. Additionally, if females hook up too much or have too many partners who know each other or have sex too easily, they may have a bad reputation. Males, on the other hand, may have bad reputations too, but it oftentimes do not last too long. As a result, despite sexual equality in the workforce or in the classroom, females still experience sexual double standard and practices that prioritizes men’s over women’s sexual pleasure.

As a female in college, I can attest to England’s and Thomas’ statement concerning double standards and practices. Many females are deemed as “sluts” if they have too many sexual partners, have sex too easily or hook up too easily. Males, on the other hand, may be deemed as “sluts” but it doesn’t last too long. It is viewed more negatively on females than on males. Furthermore, on average, females who hook up with men do usually have hopes of having a relationship with that male after the hook up. And many of them may be afraid to have that DTR talk because they are scared to look too desperate. And in the point of view of a female, most men that we meet at parties are just looking to have sex, not relationships. However, for some reason, we sill hope that a relationship may evolve after the hookup. Sometimes it does result that way, but most of the times, it doesn’t

Deviation, Capitalism & Homosexuality

Colonial America was very dependent on the labor of children, both in the fields and in the household. Children learned about sexuality primary through observation within the family and moral instruction from parent and church. Only a small number of individuals had access to medical advice literature published in London and reprinted in America during the eighteenth century. Due to the small size of the dwellings, children were able to see and hear sexual activities among adults. Individuals in that time period only regarded that sex as a means to reproduce, not to enjoy.

Depending on the race of the offenders, their treatments may be different. The two main goals of regulating deviance are to help enforce the system of marital reproductive sexuality and to maintain white dominance over blacks. However, there were selective enforcements, which led to more women being punished than men. There was a clear message made to the public, which was: the family provided the only acceptable outlet for sex, with the primary goal of producing legitimate children.

D’Emilio suggested that two relationships between capitalism and the family. First, capitalism continually weakens the foundation of family, making it possible for individuals to live outside the family and for a lesbian and gay male identity to develop. Secondly, it needs to push men and women into families, at least long enough to reproduce the next generation of workers. In the seventeenth-century New England, the family was truly an independent unit of production. They were self-sufficient. However, capitalism began when merchant capitalists began investing through trade in the production of goods and wage labor became more common. As time progresses, wage labor made it possible for individuals to pursue their homosexual desire to coalesce into a personal identity.

I agree with D’Emilio’s suggestions. The previous article mentioned that agricultural production and household work depended on a great amount of child labor. Since capitalism made wage labor more common, then the child labor is no longer the main reason to reproduce. People are free to pursue their sexual identities. I believe that not everyone is homosexual and there are those who are born homosexual, because doctors describe homosexuality to be inherent in a person, a part of his or her nature. Therefore, there will be enough male and female to reproduce for the next generation.