Intimate Matters: A History of Sexuality in America

I recognize how difficult it could be to write a book about sexuality and not have it seem lurid or sensational. Unfortunately, this book seems too determined to let everyone know it is a scholarly text, and the prose is overly dry and formal. in some places, it feels more like a college paper that ballooned into a book, with many chapters starting with a "this is what this chapter will cover" beginning and ending with a "this is what this chapter has covered" conclusion. There is some fascinating but of data here along with some well documented accounts of sexuality hundreds of years ago, but it's something of a slog to get through.

A very thorough historical assessment of sexuality in what can be known about practice and the view of sexuality in American culture from the beginnings of colonization to the present day.

The author does not fall into the trap of considering any type of movement or expectation as a given, as if views and perspectives about sexuality are heading toward a particular end. He assesses changes and reactions to changes; moments of "liberation," and moments of "withdrawal." And yet there is a general trajectory toward greater understanding and a higher social profile of sexuality and its practices over time.

The author also does well at looking at the various attitudes which existed among different classes and ethnic groups while not neglecting show more the overall picture that at least a few in America wanted to present about what appropriate sexuality looked like.

Fully researched and documented and a useful resource if one is interested in understanding the various contours of the views and arguments regarding human sexuality in American culture. show less