14min
In her book, The Case Against Sexual Revolution, Louise Perry questions one of the most important achievements in the history of women’s rights: sexual liberation. Perry uses examples and analysis to highlight the contradictions and question a phenomenon which, in her opinion, is not all it is hyped up to be.
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Analysis and key concepts
01.
It would be wrong to think that the outcomes of the female sexual revolution have all been positive
02.
Modern women are more emancipated than ever, but we must not forget that their sexual freedom brought on other forms of submission
03.
The theory of sexual violence being linked to power dynamics is only part of the problem, and doesn’t take into account the biological differences between men and women
04.
Women can also have casual sex, but the behaviour does not come as naturally to them as it does to men
05.
Liberal feminism endorses porn in the name of sexual liberation but the violent and toxic dynamics which prevail in the industry are often overlooked
06.
The institution of marriage has always been criticised by feminists, but is actually a formula for a life of stability and consistency
07.
Quotes
08.
Take-home message
The launch of the contraceptive pill in the 1960’s was a true revolution in every sense of the word. It allowed women to finally take back control of their bodies and their sexuality. Thanks to this new pill, women no longer had to fear getting pregnant and possibly having to undergo the emotional and physical pain of an abortion. For women all over the world, this was liberation, and this very concept of freedom is what the author takes up in the book. From the moment the pill became available, a message was conveyed to women that their freedom comes first, that they were free to have sex as and when they pleased, to show their body however they liked, and could enjoy a much broader sense of physical and sexual freedom.
It seemed that they had finally been given permission to experience their sexuality without denying themselves any experiences and without any restrictions, which, of course, is positive. There is however, a downside to this, which cannot be ignored. Women’s sexual freedom has been used by the capitalist system to turn sex into a commodity. This new culture, in which women are completely free, has brought about a new mindset, that fits in perfectly with our disposable consumer society, in which everything is to be used, and then discarded. Sexuality is no longer a value, but a commodity, to be used, quick and easy, and without giving it too much thought.
Many women have successfully adopted this new philosophy, while others have struggled with it, however, and have felt obliged to adopt a superficial attitude towards sex that really did not fit with their beliefs. In the book, we learn about a girl who agreed to a sexual relationship because she felt pressured into thinking that sex should be taken lightly, like any other aspect of our lives. Although she herself felt differently, she felt pressure from society not to take sex so seriously. So the author poses the question: although it represents an important step in the development of modern society, are we sure that this sexual liberation really has freed everyone?
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The author
Louise Perry is a writer and activist who currently lives in London. She is a columnist for the New Statesman and a features writer for the Daily Mail. Perry also works as a press officer for We Can’t Consent To This, an association which fights to overturn the normalisation of violence against women, documenting cases in which UK women have been killed, and defendants have claimed in court that they died as a result of “rough sex.”
Edition
Publishing house:
Polity Pr
Year:
2022
Pages:
200
ISBN:
978-1509549993