Foxy Folklorist: Folklore, Culture, Sex
Intimate Matters: A History of Sexuality in America, Third Edition
This is THE book to read if you want to understand why American attitudes about sex are the way they are. From colonial times through the present, the authors sift through all the historical evidence they can get their hands on to present a coherent, nuanced picture of how sex has been legislated, thought of, and acted out in America. Yes, it’s a lengthy academic study, but it’s not terribly dense. I nerded out and got a copy at Woodhull and asked the author who was present (John D’Emilio) to sign it, but I’m betting you could get a copy from your public or local university library and read the chapters that are most interesting to you.
p.s.: make sure you get the 3rd edition, it’s the most recent one, hence has more recent analysis of historical trends in it
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