Reviews for Teaching Sex

The average rating for Teaching Sex based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-05-28 00:00:00 Leonard Conway This book is very comprehensive, very academic, and very well-researched. It's not a "fun" read unless you're invested in the subject matter. Because I am invested in the history of sex education and, more broadly, of discussions around sexuality in the public sphere, I found this to be an excellent resource. As Moran outlines, the project of sex education in the United States has largely been one of middle-class, white reformers with moralist intent. In a few instances, Moran explains how sexual behaviors and moral codes can differ greatly based on race, class, and social context, but I don't think that point gets the attention it deserves. The statistics about sexual behavior and knowledge among white, middle-class Americans is the central story, while the same statistics among Black Americans, Latinx Americans, etc., are treated as a footnote. I would love to see this same story of sex education told in a way that includes statistics and perspectives from various social locations - that would make it a definite 5 star for me. I would also love to see this same depth of analysis on the Internet age and the first two decades of the twenty-first century, as the book is 20 years old and could only analyze up to the 90's. All in all, I'm glad I found a copy of this and read to the end, even if it took me several weeks!

Review # 2 was written on 2010-04-06 00:00:00 Donald Peck Can get a bit dry, but a great resource about the history of sex education in the US. Discusses discourse surrounding who to teach, what, when, and the stake that each has had since 1900. Pretty interesting read.