Female Adolescent Sexuality in the United States, 1850–1965 – eBook

Description

Female Adolescent Sexuality in the United States, 1850–1965, (PDF) presents an in-depth exploration of the complex history surrounding female adolescent sexuality in the United States, spanning from the mid-nineteenth century through the early 1960s. This insightful ebook delves into the perceptions held by adults regarding female adolescents and juxtaposes these views with the lived experiences of young women. It investigates the evolving landscape of what girls knew—or believed they understood—about sexuality during different historical epochs.

The text covers a wide array of topics, including girls’ definitions of love and romance, their sexual experiences, and the prevailing beauty standards that influenced their identities. It also scrutinizes the role of popular culture in shaping female adolescent sexuality and examines how adults both reacted to and attempted to guide girls’ interests in sexual matters. The work highlights the societal shifts that led to the transformation in perceptions of girls from being seen primarily as innocent and asexual to being viewed—sometimes with trepidation—as inherently sexual beings.

In significant detail, the book outlines the trajectory of female adolescents during this transformative period, shedding light on the adult anxieties, societal expectations, and cultural fascinations that surrounded their sexual behaviors. Readers will gain a nuanced understanding of the dialogues between girls and their environments, as well as the differing experiences based on racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Reviews

“In this comprehensive synthesis of adolescent girls’ sexuality in the US, Ann Kordas is especially adept at including experiences of girls of color into an overarching narrative. Drawing on examples from popular culture and also girls’ own actions and writings, this is a must-read for historians of sexuality and girlhood.” — Nicholas L. Syrett, author of American Child Bride: A History of Minors and Marriage in the United States

“In this engaging study, Ann Kordas skillfully traces the ways in which meanings and experiences of female adolescent sexuality took shape in association with larger currents of economic, social, and cultural change from the middle of the nineteenth century to the early 1960s. Kordas establishes that there was no shortage of expert advice, parental anxiety, and cultural fascination regarding girls’ sexual behavior during this 100-year period. She also listens attentively to the rich and varied voices of girls themselves, providing fresh insight into what girls from diverse backgrounds thought, desired, felt, and experienced when navigating a romantic and sexual terrain marked by ever-shifting measures of pleasure and danger, constraint and possibility.” — Crista DeLuzio, Southern Methodist University

NOTE: This product includes the ebook, Female Adolescent Sexuality in the United States, 1850–1965 in PDF format. Please note that no access codes are provided.