Sexual Revolution 1960-1980

The sexual revolution (1960-1980) also known as the time of sexual liberation marked a period that involved the rejection of typical gender roles. It was a social movement that challenged what individuals had previously seen as sexual (Crooks 2011).
Before the sexual revolution of the 1960’s throughout the 1980’s, sex was an exciting adventure, done between two persons that every individual looked forward to. It was not done loosely or lawlessly but as a way of expression ones love and affection. The issues of sex were discussed privately and women were taught to preserve their virginity until marriage.
Before the sexual revolution, the family was close and their time spent together was of great importance. Loose and lawless sexual

behaviors were not permitted and sex was a taboo word that was hardly ever mentioned. Males and females dated with the hope of selecting a partner for marriage. Women were expected to remain virgins until marriage and homosexuality was illegal.
The Issues of Sex Among The Middle and Working Class Families
Women in middle class families were provided with manuals that have been passed down from mothers to their daughters. They were taught how to pet their fiancé without the fear of accidentally becoming pregnant, in other words, they were taught how to preserve their virginity. In the working class family, sex was a taboo word that was hardly ever mentioned. Girls were taught to hide or ignore the issues of sex hoping that they will not get involved and become pregnant.
Although it was more likely that working class girls were more prone to becoming pregnant before marriage, it did not mean therefore, that middleclass girls were not having sex and getting pregnant as well. They were afforded the opportunity of secret abortions since they had to means to do so. Middleclass girls had better educational opportunities which was necessary to help them make sense of birth controls and the manuals that were handed down to them. They had to live up to the standards of their parents and society. Men from the middleclass had sexual intercourse with women from the lower-class and sometimes even with prostitutes. They often preserved and marry women within their class. Samuel Hynes describe this as, “there were nice girls in our lives, too. Being middleclass is more than a social station, it’s kind of destiny.”
Sex Before The Sexual Revolution (1950’s)
Sex was very common among persons before marriage; it was neither done nor spoken of publicly because of the negative connotations associated with it. People, who eventually got married but have had sex before marriage, still worry years after that someone may have found out that they were sexually active before marriage. “I was afraid that someone might have learned that we had intercourse before marriage and I’d be disgraces” (Bailey 1994, p 112).
The consequence of having sex before marriage was devastating. Before the 1960’s in colleges and universities in America, if students were caught having sex before marriage they were expelled from school. Gay men also stood the chance of imprisonment if caught since homosexuality during this period was illegal. Although that did not stop people from having sex, they were still fearful of getting caught and having to suffer the consequence. Students in universities and colleges climbed into windows signed out of libraries and checked in into motels and were engaged in every form of sexual behaviors done by married couples.

Structural and Ideological Systems
Sexual and ideological systems were implemented to control people’s sexual behaviors. The structural system was less stressful and more convenient. It was created with the hope of limiting sex before marriage. Parents set curfews and encouraged their children to go out with friends and their friend’s boyfriend or girlfriend. They believed that if this was done then personal space would be invaded and teenagers will not get the privacy that they needed to have sex.
Collages limited visiting hours among students and allowed securities to patrol the streets during the night in search of students who broke might be thinking of breaking the laws.

However, the rule against time was applied only to women, since they believed that the safety of women were of paramount importance, “at the University of Michigan in 1962, the student handbook devoted nine of its fifteen pages to rules for women. Curfews varied by the night of the week, by the student’s year in college, and even, in some places, by her grade point average” (Bailey 1994, p.117). They kept track of the time that these women left the campus and when they returned. There were not many rules against men since men are most times deemed as being double-standard or physically able to protect and take care of them self.
Students were also prohibited to use vehicles to go out on dates or movies. Although measures were put in place to prevent sex on all levels, students found creative ways to break the law. Students did not care where they had sex as long as they were not caught or seen by anyone. One student commented that the issue was not transportation but privacy, “We wouldn’t care if the cars had no wheels, just as long as they had doors” (Bailey 1994,

p117).
The ideological system as a way of controlling sex was more efficient and prevalent.

It concentrated on the biological differences of men and women. Bailey argues that men are more aggressive towards sex than women, “women are the limit setters and men the aggressors” (Bailey 1994, p.118). Women have the ability to say when they want sex based on biological make-up, while men cannot and rarely go a few days without wanting to have sex. Women can set limits on sex because of its immediate consequence which is pregnancy. Having an abortion was against the law, it was expensive and risky and women feared the chance of having one.
Women were also concerned about their value which can determine whether or not they got married. Women who gave sex to any or every man can lose her value as being too loose and “easy to get.” During the period before the sexual revolution, the socioeconomic status of a woman depended on the type of job that her husband had. Girls and women, who went too far to seduce a man, risk the opportunity of finding a man of high status husband in the future. Men valued women who were virgins hence a teen advisors asked, “Who wants second hand goods.”
Sex After The Sexual

Revolution
The sexual revolution came about from the pressures between the public and private behaviors of individuals. It was the tension between what was supposed to be done and what was being done, sex before marriage was the issue. The culture of the overt and covert was damaged beyond repair. These challenges that took place in America in the 60s were know as revolutionary since it was closely related to the sexual behaviors of young people. The mass media portrayed the views that young people were revolting against the laws that prohibited them from making choices and having sex as they desired. Although the sexual revolution was not entirely tied to young people only, it was the intersection of youth and sex that was alarming. What stood out most was the fact that the population of youths, who revolted against cultural norms and values, were the middleclass youths who grew up in families were sex was discussed and where they were taught that the consequence of sex could destroy their entire future.
During the 20th century, the sexualization of the American culture took up much speed. Sexual images were displayed publicly and sexual behaviors were no longer hidden. People started accepting the sexual roles of men and women in society. In the 1960s and 1970s young people started shacking up and relationships were crated based on love and commitment. Their hope was after moving in together they may soon get married and start a family of their own.
Kinsey, a biologist, carried out research and published magazines on sexual behaviors among the public and private life, this was also known as the “Kinsey’s Reports.” Many persons were shocked to learn of the number of persons that were engaged in sex before marriage. Kinsey found that even if 80 to 89 percent of his sample did not condone sex before marriage, 50 percent of women who were involved in the sample, did have sex before they got married. 61 percent of men who went to collages and 84 percent of men who only got up to high school have also had before marriage. One third of the married women in the sample were involved in petting with more than ten different men and half of the persons who were married were engaged in oral sex. The research also showed that 37 percent of men from the survey were involved in homosexuality at some point in their life.

Conclusion
The sexual revolution allowed people to express their sexual freedom by liberating them from the shackles of sexuality. People are sexual beings and should be given the right to explore they sexuality when they feel the need to, without having to feel guilty or fearful. The sexual revolution also brought about a change in the way people approach sex, relationships and family life. Women are treated by men like possessions such as money, vehicles and other material objects. Family life has disintegrated and is now more widespread than before.
The sexual revolution in the United States significantly changed people’s attitudes and behaviors towards sex in general. This lead to an increase risk in unprotected sex, teenage pregnancies, STDs and physical and emotional abuse.