America’s Sexual Transformation: How the Sexual Revolution’s Legacy Is Shaping Our Society, Our Youth, and Our Future

This book explains how the short-lived sexual revolution 50 years ago has led to the current evolution of our sexual values and behaviors and social standards among youth culture, examining topics such as communication technologies and sex, teen pregnancy, and divorce rates in the Bible Belt. Is an increase in sexual activity during adolescence a normal part of the transition to adulthood, or evidence of a societal problem? Why would conservative religious youth become sexually active earlier than their peers and be more likely to have an unintended pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease? How are women continuing to lead our society's sexual transformation? Written by an author whose 40-year career in sexology and university administration provides a uniquely qualified perspective upon both sex research and the changing sexual perceptions of American youth, this comprehensive book is must-read for both parents and policy makers. America's Sexual Transformation traces the philosophical, cultural, and scientific developments responsible for the beginning and end of America's sexual revolution that have now spawned a more substantive sexual transformation. It examines traditional theories and attitudes regarding sex, and demonstrates how the findings of sex research provide entirely new paradigms that should replace outmoded and harmful theories. This groundbreaking book also explains who we are as sexual individuals and how we got to be that way. Features * Chapter notes highlight some of the major sex research studies of the past 50 years * Case studies and personal histories document unusual sexual preferences and how the practice of sex therapy is changing with current communication technologies * A comprehensive index helps readers find salient points easily Highlights * Traces socio-sexual trends from the beginnings of the sexual revolution to the remarkable shifts in values and behavior patterns evident today * Gathers and summarizes some of the most ground-breaking sex studies of the past half-century that are now reshaping American sexuality * Examines and explains why contemporary American young adults are establishing vibrant sexual lives even before they consider themselves fully to be adults * Uses the most recent sex research and theory to tackle the prickly issues of nurture and nature in gender differences, sexual orientation, emotional bonding, and atypical sexual behaviors