Everyday sex in 1970s Britain
This thesis explores how public understandings of âeveryday sexâ - or the sexual practices and preferences deemed appropriate to âordinaryâ men and women â were reshaped during the 1970s. Using the development of the Durex condom brand, the extension of the welfare state to include family planning services, and the enormous popularity of Alex Comfortâs The Joy of Sex as case studies, it draws upon a wide range of sources in order to provide a critical history of Britainâs âsexual revolutionâ or sexual liberalisation. Overall, it argues that liberalisation was a process limited in scope, exclusionary in form and frequently chaotic in imposition. Following work on the formation and governance (or self-governance) of the âliberalâ subject, and the characterisation of modern society as the ârule of freedomâ, the thesis identifies attempts to define a strictly-bounded liberal heterosexual subject as a key development of the period. This gendered (and frequently classed) subject would freely consume sexual commodities (like Durex condoms), freely use state family planning services, and freely improve his or her sexual talents. As the thesis shows, this new freedom brought with it new pressures
Mechen, B. D.
Everyday sex in 1970s Britain. This thesis explores how public understandings of âeveryday sexâ - or the sexual practices and preferences deemed appropriate to âordinaryâ men and women â were reshaped during the 1970s. Using the development of the Durex condom brand, the extension of the welfare state to include family planning services, and the enormous popularity of Alex Comfortâs The Joy of Sex as case studies, it draws upon a wide range of sources in order to provide a critical history of Britainâs âsexual revolutionâ or sexual liberalisation. Overall, it argues that liberalisation was a process limited in scope, exclusionary in form and frequently chaotic in imposition. Following work on the formation and governance (or self-governance) of the âliberalâ subject, and the characterisation of modern society as the ârule of freedomâ, the thesis identifies attempts to define a strictly-bounded liberal heterosexual subject as a key development of the period. This gendered (and frequently classed) subject would freely consume sexual commodities (like Durex condoms), freely use state family planning services, and freely improve his or her sexual talents. As the thesis shows, this new freedom brought with it new pressures
britain explores public understanding everyday sex sexual practice preference deem appropriate ordinary men_woman reshape using development brand extension welfare_state include family planning service enormous popularity sex case_study draw_upon wide_range_source order_provide critical_history britain sexual revolution sexual overall argue process limit_scope exclusionary form frequently chaotic imposition following work formation governance self governance liberal subject characterisation modern_society rule freedom identifies attempt_define strictly bounded liberal heterosexual subject key development period gendered frequently class subject would freely consume sexual commodity like freely use state family planning service freely improve sexual talent show new freedom bring_new pressure