A plethora of institutional and cultural shifts saw New Zealand in the 1960s and 70s start to become more permissive and liberal in its attitudes towards sex. From the advent of the contraceptive Pill and its eager reception early on, to the birth of New Zealand Homosexual Law Reform Society and subsequent political and social shifts surrounding homophobia, the two decades served as a pivotal time in sparking a change in language, discourse, narratives and ideology surrounding sexuality in New Zealand. Most pertinent were the changes within the state, medicine, and the law that caused multiple changes within society towards more liberal cultural attitudes, at an interactional level. In this essay I will argue that three things caused an attitudinal …show more content…
Evidence of the fact that the decades were only a beginning of more permissive attitudes can be seen in things like the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association (NZBMA), which regarded birth control as something that did not have a place within public discussion, instead seeing it as something that should be relegated to between a husband and wife. This viewpoint reflected the qualms of older, conservative members of society, influenced by the church and traditional values. In 1966, the Health Department sent a notice to all Medical Officers of Health stating that it was ‘not considered that family planning should be included as a necessary of desirable part of new Zealand’s public health programme.’ This shows the reluctance of institutions for family planning to be a ‘medical’ issue, harking back to the days where NZFPA were chastised by the medical community for their family planning efforts. Though the Pill was eventually accepted in medicine, it should be noted that it was a slow process and prejudices against contraception and female bodily autonomy did exist. The Pill also received, interestingly, a lukewarm reception from NZFPA and female doctors. However, this was more due to a wariness about the side effects of long term use rather than from conservative sexual …show more content…
Chris Brickell notes that the beginnings of the movement and eradication of homophobia at an institutional, interactional and ideological level began with changing the social narratives. The law and medicine were pivotal in changing ideology and discourses surrounding homosexuality, and allowing for a more liberal society. The role of psychiatry and medicine in influencing cultural perceptions of non-normative sexualities is marked, and this was particularly seen in the birth of the Gay Liberation Movement in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Pritchard notes that, ‘The very discourse of medicine that had created a category of person – the homosexual – and consigned it to the realm of perversity and abnormality, where it could be probed and studied, became a tool for the assertion of gay rights.’ The cultural climate allowed for medicine and psychiatry to be used for the betterment of the cause, as sexology and Kinsey’s work were coming to the fore during the 1960s and 70s, and in western countries across the world, sexual liberation was being worked towards. The change in New Zealand consciousness from repressed, restrained views toward sex and sexuality to ones of expression and liberation came with changing the narrative and language used in everyday life surrounding sex. The global context of gay liberation is key in understanding the
"A free race cannot be born" and no woman can call herself free who does not own and control her body. No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother"(Sanger A 35). Margaret Sanger (1870-1966)said this in one of her many controversial papers. The name of Margaret Sanger and the issue of birth control have virtually become synonymous. Birth control and the work of Sanger have done a great deal to change the role of woman in society, relationships between men and woman, and the family. The development and spread of knowledge of birth control gave women sexual freedom for the first time, gave them an individual identity in society and a chance to work without fearing they were contributing to the moral decline of society by leaving children at home. If birth control and Sanger did so much good to change the role of women in society why was birth control so controversial?
In today’s practice there are several options to consider for contraception. Multiple different birth control pills, intrauterine devices, vaginal rings, implants, and injections are viable options. The development of the first oral contraceptive A male non-hormonal contraceptive polymer is in the process of gaining approval which will empower men to have equal say and responsibility in preventing pregnancies outside of the use of prophylactics. The impact of Margaret Sanger’s activism is reflected outside of birth control measures in today’s medical practice. Sexually transmitted diseases and infections have been a serious problem for a significant amount of time. However, the efforts of Margaret Sanger along with others has impacted how society approaches sexual education and testing. Programs such as Planned Parenthood and the general acceptance of birth control measures have changed the nursing process greatly and in general, the way we live
Subsequently, the provided documents on the birth control movement did show the push and pull factors of the complicated and multifaceted debate. Americas push towards industrial growth, and technology demanded that the subsequent progressive reforms were needed for a society ushering in a new era. At the same time, fear and reluctance to abandon tradition and religious custom acted as the pulling factor. The birth control debate was a complicated and heavily charged debate teemed in religious, social, political, and racial rhetoric. Historical documents help shed new light on the things taken for granted today, even the most seemingly innocuous things like birth control were fought for, so that men and women today could be in charge of their own destinies.
When legally introduced to society in 1960, the Pill stirred up a long period of controversy. The availability of the Pill had great impact on women’s health, social life, laws, religion, family, relationships, morality and sexuality. Initially conceived to be highly effective and safe, the Pill left many women with side effects – few which led to several fatalities. Before the Pill was created, many women postponed sex due to the social norm and fear of becoming pregnant before marriage. Families grew large and it was typical for a woman to have multiple children caused by the lack of birth control. Due to regulations, such as the Comstock laws, many people supported the prohibition of the Pill and other family planning practices. However, many women believed in the right to control their own body when it came to procreation. Despite the controversies, the Pill left lasting impacts, such as by opening society to the sexual revolution and...
“When a motherhood becomes the fruit of a deep yearning, not the result of ignorance or accident, its children will become the foundation of a new race." (Margaret Sanger, 1) Margaret Sanger, known as the founder of birth control, declared this powerful statement. It is reality that the rights that are customary for women in the twentieth century have been the product of the arduous physical and mental work of many courageous women. These individuals fought for the right for women to be respected in both mind and body by bestowing on them the rights to protect their femininity and to gain the equivalent respect given to men. A remarkable woman named Margaret Sanger is the individual who incredibly contributed to the feministic revolution that took place in the 1920’s. Her legacy of making the right to use birth control legal for woman is a precedent in history for the foundation of the equal rights battle that is still being fought today. By giving control back to the women in their sexuality, Margaret Sanger also restored confidence in those women who felt that their lives revolved around pregnancy. She has become an influential icon to women all around the world who enjoy the security of birth control that gives them the freedom in their sexuality on a daily bases.
In the past decades, the struggle for gay rights in the Unites States has taken many forms. Previously, homosexuality was viewed as immoral. Many people also viewed it as pathologic because the American Psychiatric Association classified it as a psychiatric disorder. As a result, many people remained in ‘the closet’ because they were afraid of losing their jobs or being discriminated against in the society. According to David Allyn, though most gays could pass in the heterosexual world, they tended to live in fear and lies because they could not look towards their families for support. At the same time, openly gay establishments were often shut down to keep openly gay people under close scrutiny (Allyn 146). But since the 1960s, people have dedicated themselves in fighting for
Overall, birth control in the 1950s faced a surplus of regulations and opposition due to gender roles in the patriarchal society that was present at the time.
Hey there grandson! I’ve noticed a lot of unusual and crazy event taking place in our society, and most of these events can be confusing to understand. I am writing you to insure that when you get older and go through society as an American citizen, you can fully understand the nation that you came from and form an economic and political opinion about your nation. And what better way to give you advice about your future than to reflect on part of our nation’s past.
There is many decades that people would call the Decade of change but the 1960’s is the decade that changed the most. The 60’s was a very crazy and wild time because of the historical events that happened. Everyone was starting to experiment with LSD and Other kinds of drugs. There was also a huge surge of musical history that had happened in the 60’s that changed the History of music forever. The 60’s is what I like to call the best decade in history. The 60’s is the decade of change because of the political, technological, and Musical advances that happened in America. The music industry went from poor to the number one hit in America. The technology went from nothing to systems that would change the world, and last but not least America went from a place where blacks were not accepted to everyone getting along. It is crazy to see how the 60’s changed the history of America.
The 1960s and 1970s was an influential time in history, especially in the music industry. Between these two decades many new music genres were created and legends that are still praised today were born. There are many similarities in the type of music that was listened to at these times but each decade is different and unique in their own way.
The female birth control pill became available to the public in 1961. During that time period the acceptance of women sexuality was becoming more common; however, critics felt that the pill promoted unnecessary female sexual behavior. The fact that a woman could partake in casual sex without worrying about becoming pregnant was an issue amongst many people in society. Although premarital sex was not completely shunned as it was a couple decades previous to that time, many still felt as if a woman should not enjoy multiple sexual relationships. Women were expected to only act or feel sexually toward one man who she was in a serious relationship with. With that being said, the grounds for accepting the use of female contraceptive...
Milstein, Susan A. Taking Sides Clashing Views in Human Sexuality. Ed. William J. Taverner and Ryan W. McKee. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print.
"People and Events: The Pill and the Sexual Revolution." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 12 May 2014.
Gender and sexuality can be comprehended through social science. Social science is “the study of human society and of individual relationships in and to society” (free dictionary, 2009). The study of social science deals with different aspects of society such as politics, economics, and the social aspects of society. Gender identity is closely interlinked with social science as it is based on an identity of an individual in the society. Sexuality is “the condition of being characterized and distinguished by sex” (free dictionary, 2009). There are different gender identities such as male, female, gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual that exists all around the world. There is inequality in gender identities and dominance of a male regardless of which sexuality they fall under. The males are superior over the females and gays superior over the lesbians, however it different depending on the place and circumstances. This paper will look at the gender roles and stereotypes, social policy, and homosexuality from a modern and a traditional society perspective. The three different areas will be compared by the two different societies to understand how much changes has occurred and whether or not anything has really changed. In general a traditional society is more conservative where as a modern society is fundamentally liberal. This is to say that a traditional society lists certain roles depending on the gender and there are stereotypes that are connected with the genders. One must obey the one that is dominant and make decisions. On the other hand, a modern society is lenient, It accepts the individual’s identity and sexuality. There is no inequality and everyone in the society is to be seen as individuals not a part of a family unit...
... decades ago. This book is one that will allow the reader to view many aspects of sexuality from a social standpoint, and apply it to certain social attitudes in our society today, these attitudes can range from the acceptance of lesbian and gays, and the common sight of sex before marriage and women equality. The new era of sexuality has taken a definite "transformation" as Giddens puts it, and as a society we are living in the world of change in which we must adapt, by accepting our society as a changing society, and not be naive and think all the rules of sexuality from our parents time our still in existence now.