Sexual Revolution
From Encyclopedia of Sex and Sexuality
A rapid change in sexual mores took hold in Western societies during the 1960s and 1970s. Often described by the media as “the sexual revolution,” it reflected an increase in sexual activity among unmarried persons and changes in the traditional moral standards of marriage. For some people, what had once been secretive and marriage-threatening—cheating on one’s spouse—became more open and even justifiable. Social commentators have attributed most of the changes in sexual behavior to the widespread use of oral contraceptives, eliminating fear of pregnancy; the growing legalization of abortion; increased nudity in the arts, particularly the stage and cinema; and much freer availability of sexual materials.
However, when examining data on changes in sexual behavior beginning in the 1960s, it appears that the term sexual revolution is somewhat misleading. It is true that more unmarried young men and women engaged in sex; that college dorms went co-ed; that many young couples lived together instead of dating; that some couples openly advocated what many had formerly done in private; and that women acknowledged their sexuality more openly. But social critics and sociologists today see all this not as a “revolution” but rather as an evolutionary trend that still continues, with the central theme of increasing the individual’s freedom and choices and the curtailment of government interference in interpersonal sexual behavior.
It has been argued that radical change did not take place in sexual behavior but rather, in sexual semantics. Many sexual activities in which people have probably always engaged were now viewed as legitimate and acceptable, rather than as immoral and perverted. Indeed, if there is any sense to be made out of this period, it is that it reflected people’s wishes to be seen as moral in the physical expression of their love and biological urges. That is, the traditional moral code condemning sexual expression outside of heterosexual, monogamous, marital relationships was being challenged.
The trend toward curtailing repression of human sexuality continues with the gay rights movement, the women’s movement, the pro-choice movement, and many other struggles for respect of individual choice in sexuality. This evolutionary process is still going on.
