The Rebellious Sixties. A Sexual Revolution

Ensayo , 2021 , 7 Páginas , Calificación: 1,7

Sociología - Relaciones y Familia

This essay discusses the pill's influence on the sixties women movements.
Although conventional contraceptive methods such as the condom or the diaphragm already existed, no product struck as quickly and as successfully as the birth control pill. Within the first three years after the introduction of the pill in 1961, around half a million women were attracted to the contraceptive (Cook 2004). The fact that the prescription of the pill was linked to several conditions makes its success all the more impressive.

Contents

The Sexual Revolution

Bibliography

The Sexual Revolution

Although conventional contraceptive methods such as the condom or the diaphragm already existed, no product struck as quickly and as successfully as the birth control pill. Within the first three years after the introduction of the pill in 1961, around half a million women were attracted to the contraceptive (Cook 2004, 268). The fact that the prescription of the pill was linked to several conditions makes its success all the more impressive.
First, many gynaecologists, at the time mostly male, refused to dispense the hormone preparation, which made access to contraception much more difficult. Second, when the pill was first introduced, only married or engaged women were allowed to request it (ibid, 272). The reason for this was the prevailing conservative attitude towards coitus; sex was socially accepted when it took place within the bounds of marriage and for the purpose of reproduction. However, outside of the domestic bedroom, it was rarely talked about. But in the 1960s, when many sectors of society were in turmoil and undergoing change, many people' s attitude towards sex changed as well. In the following it is argued that the pill was the determining factor in the sexual revolution in the 1960s.

An undeniable advantage of the pill is that it allows for concrete planning of the family and the timing of the desire to have children. By specifically planning pregnancies, it became easier for women to pursue and develop a career. This results in a better financial situation for women and a big step towards independence and emancipation. For couples, the introduction of the pill meant not having to worry about being pregnant every time they had sex. A study from the 1960s, when the pill was not yet widely available to everyone, shows that a large proportion of families with many children (4 or more) were not actually aiming to become an extended family and that family planning was actually completed much earlier (ibid, 265). Of course, this does not mean that couples could not use contraception in other ways. As previously mentioned, both condoms and diaphragms already existed. However, the technological production of condoms was not comparable to that of today. Until the 1960s, condoms in Europe were made of rubber, which was usually more unyielding than latex and could often trigger strong reactions in both men and women due to the high chemical mixture (Cook 2005, 112). The use of diaphragms also failed due to handling. In the first half of the 20th century, it was still relatively uncommon to get an extensive anatomical examination from a gynaecologist (Cook 2004, 273). This resulted in uncertainties or even unawareness in the use of this contraception. The most common form of contraception, or rather the most common attempt at contraception (besides the slowly developing condom) was the method of withdrawal (ibid, 274). This technique describes the retraction of the male before insemination can occur. It goes without saying that this type of contraception is probably one of the least safe. The above examples show that for a long period of time contraception was the responsibility of the man or rather the husband. The possibility of female-controlled contraception created new scope within the context of sexual development.

Another argument for the pill's influence on changing sexual behaviour is that safe contraception allowed sex to serve pleasure rather than reproduction. In the early 1960s, it was still frowned upon in Britain to have extramarital sex. Women who became pregnant from these relationships had to endure social degradation and sanctions (ibid, 282). The pill enabled women to have sexual self-determination and it was easier to have unmarried relationships that would not result in a child. Statistics showed that in the early 1960s - before the introduction of the pill - there was a huge influx of underage pregnant women who were unmarried and had no intention of marrying (Montagu 1968, 482). This fact proves that premarital sex occurred more frequently and, insofar as it was consensual, served pure pleasure and lust. The liberal protest movement of the pupils and students of 1968 resulted, among other things, in alternative ways of life but also and above all in an incipient open-mindedness. This also had an effect on the openness in matters of sex; a slowly increasing removal of taboos on the subject followed. The opening of sexual morality away from marital procreation and towards nascent feminism has resulted in a shifting image of sexual education. For many centuries, women were subordinate to men and existed solely to serve and satisfy him. Through the shift in roles and the separation of sex, love and marriage and the safe contraception with the pill, it became possible for women to enjoy an extensive love life. Certainly known is the Free Love movement, which gained more and more followers in the context of the 68-revolutions. Issues of this movement were, for example, feminism and the free choice of sexual partners, which was only possible by taking the safest contraceptive method of all time - the birth control pill. And thus, we approach the most important argument of this paper.

The greatest success of the sexual revulsion, which is mainly the result of the pill’s introduction, is the emancipation of women and female sexuality. The pill helped women achieve sexual autonomy and self-fulfilment for the first time from time immemorial. Where previously restraint out of fear of getting pregnant was the order of the day, experimentation and letting go were the most fulfilling effects of the pill for many women (Cook 2005, 120). Since the pill is taken orally, which can easily be portrayed and demonstrated, media representation in newspapers and on television was common (ibid). Such presence increased the prominence of the contraceptive and at the same time caused the topic of sex to become prominent and thus popular to some extent. The more open approach in the media meant that the female body became more socially acceptable and more often the subject of discussion - and not in a pornographic sense. This was accompanied by further effects of the pill. Women benefited from a regular cycle, which allowed them to determine fertile and less fertile days and to time and postpone their periods completely, if necessary. In addition, the pill often caused women to experience less pain at the time of their period or actual ovulation (Montagu 1968, 481). This in turn meant that women could be more relaxed and enjoy themselves and their newfound sexual freedom even more. Apart from the physical advantage, the pill broke through the curtain of psychological restraint and made it possible that women and men could or should be sexually equal. Of course, we know that reality is often different up to the present day, and yet the upheaval between subordinate wife and self-determined single was enormous.

The biggest shortcoming of the birth control pill is the fact that, indeed, it very safely prevents pregnancy, but not sexually transmitted diseases (hereafter: STD). Diseases such as HIV, chlamydia, or syphilis, for example, are transmitted through direct contact in which bodily fluids are exchanged between sexual partners. Some of these diseases showed symptoms immediately and could be treated quickly. Other STDs, for example HIV, were often not noticed and thus always transmitted. There was and is no complete cure. Especially in an era representing free love and sexual autonomy, the risk of transmitting and receiving STDs was particularly high.

Statistics show, however, that there was no significant increase in STDs, instead a boom in this regard only occurred in the 1980s and this was by no means due to the “Summer of Love” (cf. Field & Hughes 2015). On the contrary, in the context of newfound sexual openness, this also became a more frequent subject of adolescent schooling. Sex education in schools adapted to the circumstances. Although sexual education in schools has existed since the 1920s, it mostly consisted of instructions on how to be a good and proper wife. The schools used animal and plant metaphors to explain coitus until well into the 1960s. There was little to no introduction to physical anatomy and contraceptive methods (Zimmerman 2016, 80). The revolutions of 1968 did not stop at the classroom. In the 1970s, British teachers began to follow the example of West German education and included reformed sex education in the curriculum (ibid, 96). Although the open treatment of sex and gender caused discomfort for many Conservatives, who even withdrew their children from class, sex education was made compulsory for every British schoolchild by an Act of Parliament (ibid). From this, it can be seen that with increased risk of STDs, it has been countered using extensive educational campaigns in the UK.

According to Montagu (1968, 480), the invention of the pill was one of the main events of the 20th century and almost on a par with the invention of fire. In the context of the sexual revolution of the 1960s, it was the most determining factor. Thanks to the birth control pill, women were able to decide themselves when and whether it was time for them to have children and start a family. Thanks to the precise control and high security, this resulted in more liberality in the everyday life of women in the 1960s, for example, by giving them greater opportunities to build a career and independently earn money. Additionally, it allowed sex to no longer be seen as a tool for reproduction, but opened up new dimensions of pleasure. Since sex has always happened outside of marriages, even if it was not welcomed, the risk of unwanted pregnancy was lower, which in turn made it easier for women to have sex. The pill had the greatest influence on the emancipation of women. In the course of the sexual revolution, taboos were overtaken. In addition, entrenched role models gradually dissolved as society changed. As a result of the greatest possible sexual autonomy for women, they were now almost equal to men when it comes to sexual practise. Even though the pill is currently being heavily debated again in terms of how much it benefits and harms women, it was undeniably the first lifestyle medication in history and helped millions of women achieve sexual empowerment.

Bibliography

Cook, Hera (2004). "The English Sexual Revolution”, The Long Sexual Revolution: English Women, Sex and Contraception 1800 – 1975. Oxford: OUP.

Cook, Hera (2005). “The English Sexual Revolution: Technology and Social Change.” History Workshop Journal 59: 109-128.

Field, Nigel & Hughes, Gwenda (2015). “The epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections in the UK: impact of behavior, services and interventions”. Future Medicine. Accessed 17 Jan. 2021 at: https://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/full/10.2217/fmb.14.110.

Montagu, Ashley (1968). “The Pill, the Sexual Revolution, and the Schools.” The Phi Deltan Kappan 49, 9: 480-484.

Zimmerman, Jonathan (2016). Too Hot to Handle: A Global History of Sex Education. Princeton/Oxford: PUP.

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• Universidad: Dresden Technical University
• Calificación: 1,7
• Autor: Anna Jeschke (Autor)
• Año de publicación: 2021
• Páginas: 7
• No. de catálogo: V1239703
• ISBN (PDF): 9783346649065
• Idioma: Inglés
• Etiqueta: rebellious, sixties, sexual, revolution