The New Sexuality
I’ve been writing this post in my head for the last two months. I’m sure when I’m finished I’ll still have missed something.
Sexuality, or more specifically, the way Society views, accepts, deals with and interacts with sexuality, is in a state of constant flux. Society is at times open, accepting, and lenient. Other times it’s rejecting, conservative, and hateful. In history, Society tends to move back between these two extremes, in an oscillating pattern. However, the extremity of either max also changes.
In the 1920s, people were sexually open. Not to the degree they are today, but they were open, condoms were invented. In the 1930s as the great depression came to bear, and through the 1940s, sexuality started to swing back towards the conservative. There was the baby boom, but it occurred mostly between married couples. In the 1950s, an extreme conservative side was seen with the rise of the nuclear family. In the 1960s and 1970s, an extreme sexual freedom was seen. Abortion and Birth Control pills came into effect and common usage.
I believe we are back in a swing towards the moderate. Sexually, we are becoming more reserved. At the same time though, it is not the conservative marriage only sexuality of previous eras. We are finding a new sexual freedom, not just in a reckless way reminiscent of the 1960s and 1970s, but altogether finding a new sexuality, with a new maturity.
In the ancient era, the Greeks and Romans experienced something similar. Romans were in a love/hate relationship with sex as they switched between being extremely liberal about sex and extremely conservative. At one point, the Romans were very sexual, in their writings and paintings and art. At another point, romantic and erotic poets were being exiled by the emperor himself. The extreme points of these societies only continued to grow apart. Things only got crazier. These societies were all destroyed in one way or another.
In the 1800’s, Society was extremely conservative. To see a lady’s ankles was considered risqué if not plain scandalous. Womens rights were restricted. At the same time, Doctors began to believe sexual frustration could cause physical illness, and vibrators began to be used for medical treatment.
In our modern society, anyone can purchase sex toys anonymously through the internet. Married couples using toys aren’t considered sinful or wrong, just playful. People starting and having families outside of marriage is becoming more and more common. The median age at which people begin to have sex has dropped significantly since the 1950s.
Blogs, such as http://art-or-porn.tumblr.com have become more and more common. Pornography and art are starting to intersect. Sexuality is commonplace on the internet, in our media, and so on.
How our Society treats sexuality is changing. I believe it’s a more moderate, mature path, and ultimately for the good. You may disagree. But without doubt, our Society is altering it’s opinion and treatment of Sex.
