The Hite Report: A Nationwide Study of Female Sexuality
by Shere Hite
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A reproduction of the classic text, unavailable now for more than a decade, with a new introduction by the author. The Hite Report, first published in 1976, was a sexual revolution in six hundred pages. To answer sensitive questions dealing with the most intimate details of women's sexuality, Hite's innovation was simple: she asked women, a lot of them, everything--and published the results. One hundred thousand women, ages fourteen to seventy-eight, were asked what they do and don't like show more about sex; how orgasm really feels, with and without intercourse; how it feels not to have an orgasm during sex; the importance of clitoral stimulation and masturbation; and to name the greatest pleasures and frustrations of their sexual lives, among many other questions. The Hite Report declares that orgasm is easy and strong for women, given the right stimulation; that most women have orgasm most easily during masturbation or clitoral stimulation by hand; that sex as we define it is a cultural institution, not a biological one; and that attitudes must change to include the stimulation women desire. show lessTags
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anonymous user Also a study of female sexuality.
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This work is a compilation of personal anecdotes (self - reports) about sexuality from women in the USA, but falls far short of anything like a sociological study. When published back in 1976, the book became a bestseller, because of its frank, first-hand accounts, and the feminist perspective through which the author interpreted them. However, the book's pretensions to sociological analysis were quickly dispelled by criticisms of the author's methods and simplistic non-quantitative approach.
Author Shere Hite lacked expertise in social science and statistics, two essential disciplines in any serious analysis of human behavior. As a result, while Ms. Hite’s book presented many interesting individual stories, they did not permit show more generalizations to US women as a whole. One major criticism focused on the unscientific methods that the author used in soliciting responses. Surveys were printed in various women’s magazines, and sent via direct mailings sponsored by N.O.W. (the National Organization of Women). From ~100,000 mailed surveys, 3000 responses were received, about 1800 of which were used in the book. The minuscule rate of return (less than 3%) and the way respondents were selected meant that responses were not representative of the US population of women. (Likewise, nothing prevented individuals from responding more than once.) A second problem was that three discrepant surveys were used over the course of the study, hampering any compilation of the data. A third was that no serious attempt was made to quantify the results, much less to analyze them according to such variables as ethnicity, age, and level of experience.
In the > 36 years since this work’s publication, it has been superseded by more extensive surveys that have used quantitative and analytical approaches. Any remaining interest that Ms. Hite’s book holds comes from the individual stories and anecdotes with which women may identify and from which men may learn. show less
Author Shere Hite lacked expertise in social science and statistics, two essential disciplines in any serious analysis of human behavior. As a result, while Ms. Hite’s book presented many interesting individual stories, they did not permit show more generalizations to US women as a whole. One major criticism focused on the unscientific methods that the author used in soliciting responses. Surveys were printed in various women’s magazines, and sent via direct mailings sponsored by N.O.W. (the National Organization of Women). From ~100,000 mailed surveys, 3000 responses were received, about 1800 of which were used in the book. The minuscule rate of return (less than 3%) and the way respondents were selected meant that responses were not representative of the US population of women. (Likewise, nothing prevented individuals from responding more than once.) A second problem was that three discrepant surveys were used over the course of the study, hampering any compilation of the data. A third was that no serious attempt was made to quantify the results, much less to analyze them according to such variables as ethnicity, age, and level of experience.
In the > 36 years since this work’s publication, it has been superseded by more extensive surveys that have used quantitative and analytical approaches. Any remaining interest that Ms. Hite’s book holds comes from the individual stories and anecdotes with which women may identify and from which men may learn. show less
There are many books that are based on surveys. The researcher often publishes their findings based on their interpretation, spending more time describing their findings instead of just showing the reader. Hite took those surveys and published them, actually SHOWING readers what women are saying about their sexuality. Ergo, this is a book essentially written by women, for women. That isn't to say there weren't any male contributors, or to say that men should not read this book. There were men who played a roll in piecing this book together, and it would be beneficial for men to read it. I would advise decent men to keep a thicker skin while reading this, because it is a no-holds-barred publication.
A life-changing book. Women are not all alike. One size does not fit all (so to speak). If you're a woman who is having trouble telling your partner what you really want in the way of physical stimulation, this will help. If you feel like only you could do this weird thing to get off, you'll find out you're not alone. If you're a straight man, you'll find there's a lot of variety out there. Gay men can give the book a pass.
Did anyone actually read this for statistics, in an objective, academic way? Or was it not just a very legitimate purchase of a really dirty book? (It was for me!)
The most informative source for the truth about female sexuality, I guess, but then that is only a guess.
Where are the female reviews?????
Where are the female reviews?????
Un regard révolutionnaire des femmes, libéré des diktats de la société. Même si le sexe est aujourd'hui largement mis en image, les médias véhiculent des clichés dans lesquels les femmes ont bien du mal à se reconnaître. Grâce à une enquête menée auprès de milliers de femmes, Shere Hite établit un panorama sans précédent de la sexualité féminine. Quels sont les fantasmes des femmes ? Comment parviennent-elles à l'orgasme ? Devenu ouvrage de référence en la matière, Le rapport Hite s'est vendu à près de 35 millions d'exemplaires dans le monde.
Jun 7, 2011French
Librería 3. Estante 5
Jul 30, 2019Spanish
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Shere Hite was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri on November 2, 1942. She was an American-born German sex educator, researcher, and a feminist. She was a graduate of the University of Florida with a master's degree in history. Her work has focused primarily on female sexuality. She is best known for her book The Hite Report: A Nationwide Study of show more Female Sexuality, published in 1976. It challenged the sexual status quo and defied male dominance. She renounced her U. S. citizenship in 1995 as a result of being highly criticized personally and for her work. She lived in Europe and eventually settled in north London. Her books include Sexual Honesty, by Women, For Women (1974); The Hite Report on Female Sexuality (1976, 2004); The Hite Report on Male Sexuality (1981); Women and Love: A Cultural Revolution in Progress (The Hite Report on Love, Passion, and Emotional Violence) (1987); Fliegen mit Jupiter (English: Flying with Jupiter) (1993); The Hite Report on the Family: Growing Up Under Patriarchy (1994); The Hite Report on Shere Hite: Voice of a Daughter in Exile (2000) (autobiography); The Shere Hite Reader: New and Selected Writings on Sex, Globalization and Private Life (2006). Shere Hite died on September 9, 2020 at the age of 77 in Tottenham, London, England. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Hite Report – Das sexuelle Erleben der Frau
- Original title
- The Hite Report. A Nationwide Study of Female Sexuality
- Original publication date
- 1976
- Dedication*
- Dieses Buch widme ich uns, zur Selbstbestätigung und Feier
- First words
- Women have come a long way in the last half of the twentieth century, from a time when the existence of the female orgasm was doubted and when women were effectively owned as property in marriage to landmark victories as the ... (show all)1995 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Women, signed by 140 countries, which proclaims a woman's autonomy over her own body.
- Quotations
- ...researches must stop telling women what they SHOULD feel sexually, and start asking them what they DO feel sexually. (pg 51)
"Probably one of the most offensive statements I've seen in this regard in a long, long time is your question, 'Do most men masturbate you?' To some extent, my difficulty with that is that I give a negative connotation to m... (show all)asturbation when compared with intercourse; that is, I would rather have intercourse than masturbation. I take masturbation to mean what I do to myself, alone. Intercourse is what I do with another person, regardless of what takes place. To call vaginal stimulation of the penis intercourse, and to call manual stimulation of the clitoris masturbation insults me and makes me angry." (pg. 53) - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Her upcoming book, The Shere Hite Reader, will also be published by Seven Stories Press.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Sexuality and Gender Studies, General Nonfiction, Sociology
- DDC/MDS
- 306.7 — Society, Government, and Culture Social sciences, sociology & anthropology Social Behavior - Dating, Marriage, Divorce Sexual relations
- LCC
- HQ29 .H57 — Social sciences The family. Marriage, Women and Sexuality The Family. Marriage. Women Sexual life Sexual behavior and attitudes. Sexuality
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 689
- Popularity
- 41,326
- Reviews
- 7
- Rating
- (3.63)
- Languages
- 12 — Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian (Bokmål), Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 29
- ASINs
- 22
