Sex Before the Sexual Revolution: Intimate Life in England 1918–1963

Cambridge Social and Cultural Histories #16

by Simon Szreter, Kate Fisher

What did sex mean for ordinary people before the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, who were often pitied by later generations as repressed, unfulfilled and full of moral anxiety? This book provides the first rounded, first-hand account of sexuality in marriage in the early and mid-twentieth century. These award-winning authors look beyond conventions of silence among the respectable majority to challenge stereotypes of ignorance and inhibition. Based on vivid, compelling and frank testimonies from a socially and geographically diverse range of individuals, the book explores a spectrum of sexual experiences, from learning about sex and sexual practices in courtship, to attitudes to the body, marital ideals and birth control. It demonstrates that while the era’s emphasis on silence and strict moral codes could for some be a source of inhibition and dissatisfaction, for many the culture of privacy and innocence was central to fulfilling and pleasurable intimate lives.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Sexuality, Oral History

466 pages, Paperback

First published October 14, 2010

About the author

Simon Szreter is Professor of History and Public Policy at St John's College, Cambridge, England.

Research Interests

History and Public Policy, especially in relation to comparative demographic, social and economic change. Current research includes the study of qualitative and quantitative sources on the history of fertility decline in Britain, including a new project on the venereal diseases and fertility decline; the history of mortality public health and politics; and the comparative history of identity registration systems in world history. I am a long-term honorary research associate of the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure; and currently with several colleagues in the Dept of History and Philosophy of Science, Classics and Physiology, I am an award-holder of the 5-year Wellcome Strategic Award, 2009-14, to the University of Cambridge on the Theme of 'Generation to Reproduction', which has a number of funded doctoral scholarships attached to it.

Reviews

[Zen Cho]

Quite enlightening, and interesting to read about how people conceptualized sex and intimacy in that period. Had surprisingly personal application. Interesting facts: central heating not widespread in UK till 1970s; no baths in working class houses so you'd use either a metal tub or go to a public bath; interviewees when asked about attractiveness talked about hair, skin, cleanliness (linked to status) and clothes, but not about the body in the way people think about it now. Is the body a commodity now in a way that it wasn't then? Hmm.

[Gramarye]

A deeply interesting book of comparative social research on working- and middle-class (and Home Counties vs northern England) attitudes and perceptions of love, sex, married life, and emotional compatibility in the years from the end of World War I to the advent of the sexual revolution. The elderly respondents to the researchers' queries provide a truly revealing perspective on past generations' understanding of marital relations and physical love -- one that is far from 'repressed' or 'Victorian' or 'frigid', but rather treasures the private beauty and deep, indescribable joy that can come from intimate relationships, often to the point where mere words would be too inadequate or crude to express such concepts.

[megs]

Read for a uni assignment.
Took so long to get through and really repetitive.

[Mara]

If you are interested in gender study, this is a very interesting essay on life in England before the Sixties. The interviewees' stories are great in joy or sadness.
The nation intimate life is a surprise, particularly men's lives and expectations.

My only complaint is that is still really difficult to read non fiction on a kindle. Publishers should really learn from their past mistakes (remember the beginning of CD-ROMs?). Media are different and content should be made according to different rules. In this case it would have been simple to insert a link to "next/previous chapter" o "skip notes" at the end of each chapter.
Navigation is not limited to the seas. :)

[James Bosanquet]

Worthwhile and intereting, I guess this is not my favourite oral history as I thought it too much commentry between the narratives and the authors where critiquing the subjects to quite a level.

Nevertheless it is an enjoyable and interesting read. For the genre, Weevils in the Flour is better though!

[Steelwhisper]

Quite a resource!