Sexual revolution
A broad social movement challenging traditional norms of sexuality in the West.
Quick Facts: Who was Sexual revolution?
- Subject:
- Sexual revolution
- Known for:
- A broad social movement challenging traditional norms of sexuality in the West.
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- 2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives
Origins & Early Life
The sexual revolution, also known as the sexual liberation, was a social movement that challenged traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and interpersonal relationships throughout the Western world from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. Sexual liberation included increased acceptance of sexual intercourse outside of traditional heterosexual, monogamous relationships, primarily marriage. The legalization of "the pill" as well as other forms of contraception, public nudity, pornography, premarital sex, homosexuality, masturbation, alternative forms of sexuality, and abortion all followed. The term "first sexual revolution" is used by scholars to describe different periods of significant change in Western sexual norms, including the Christianization of Roman sexuality, the decline of Victorian morals, and the cultural shifts of the Roaring Twenties. Sexual revolution most commonly refers to the mid-20th century, when advances in contraception, medicine, and social movements led to widespread changes in attitudes and behaviors around sex.
Pivotal Works & Achievements
The sexual revolution was influenced by Freud's theory of unconscious drives and psychosexual development, Mead's ethnographic work on adolescent sexuality in Samoa, Unwin's cross-cultural studies, and the research of Kinsey and later Masters and Johnson, all of which challenged traditional beliefs about human sexuality. The widespread availability of contraception from the early 20th century onward empowered individuals with reproductive choice, spurred legal and cultural shifts such as Griswold v. Connecticut, and influenced later landmark rulings on privacy, abortion, and LGBTQ+ rights. "Free love" is a related social movement advocating for the separation of the state from sexual matters like marriage and birth control, emphasizing personal freedom in relationships, though it faced decline in the 1980s due to the AIDS crisis. By the 1970s, premarital and non-marital sex had become increasingly accepted in the United States due to the rise of birth control, later marriages, declining stigma around divorce, and the normalization of casual and non-monogamous sexual relationships. Several other periods in Western culture have been called the "first sexual revolution", to which the 1960s revolution would be the second (or later).
Enduring Legacy & Impact
The term "sexual revolution" itself has been used since at least the late 1920s. The term appeared as early as 1929; the book Is Sex Necessary? Or, Why You Feel the Way You Do by James Thurber and E. B. White, has a chapter titled "The Sexual Revolution: Being a Rather Complete Survey of the Entire Sexual Scene". According to Konstantin Dushenko, the term was in use in Soviet Russia in 1925. When speaking of the sexual revolution, historians make a distinction between the first and the second sexual revolution.
Chronological Milestones & Life Events
Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Sexual revolution
True or False: “The sexual revolution was solely confined to the period between 1960 and 1970.”
Answer (FALSE ❌): Scholars identify multiple periods of change, including 'first' revolutions in Ancient Rome, the Enlightenment, and the Roaring Twenties.
Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines
- Abdel Halim Hafez — Historical peer (Born in 1929) (1929): Iconic Egyptian singer and actor, known as 'The Brown-Skinned Nightingale'.
- Adrienne Rich — Historical peer (Born in 1929) (1929): Influential American poet, essayist, and leading voice in feminist literary discourse.
- Albert Bandura — Historical peer (Born in 1925) (1925): Pioneering psychologist known for Social Cognitive Theory and self-efficacy.
- Alexander Shulgin — Historical peer (Born in 1925) (1925): Pioneering biochemist known for synthesizing and exploring over 200 psychoactive compounds.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sexual revolution
Who was Sexual revolution and what are their primary contributions?
A broad social movement challenging traditional norms of sexuality in the West. Origins & Early Life: The sexual revolution, also known as the sexual liberation, was a social movement that challenged traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and interpersonal relationships throughout the Western world from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. Sexual liberation included increased acceptance of sexual intercourse outside of traditional heterosexual, monogamous relationships, primarily marriage. The legalization of "the pill" as well as other forms of contraception, public nudity, pornography, premarital sex, homosexuality, masturbation, alternative forms of sexuality, and abortion all followed. The term "first sexual revolution" is used by scholars to describe different periods of significant change in Western sexual norms, including the Christianization of Roman sexuality, the decline of Victorian morals, and the cultural shifts of the Roaring Twenties. Sexual revolution most commonly refers to the mid-20th century, when advances in contraception, medicine, and social movements led to widespread changes in attitudes and behaviors around sex.
Where can I read more verified chronological archives on Sexual revolution?
Explore verified primary sources, interactive timelines, and contemporary figures in the 2Day Chrono-Wiki encyclopedia or review the original entry on Wikipedia.
Source: Wikipedia