The Future of Sex Education

THE FUTURE OF SEX EDUCATION


In 1970 the Federal Commission on Obscenity and Pornography made its official report to the President and Congress recommending "that a massive sex education effort be launched. ... It should be aimed at achieving an acceptance of sex as a normal and natural part of life and of oneself as a sexual being. It should not aim for orthodoxy; rather it should be designed to allow for a pluralism of values. It should be based on facts and encompass not only biological and physiological information, but also social, psychological and religious information. ... It should be aimed, as appropriate, to all segments of our society, adults as well as children and adolescents."


These few sentences very well describe the goals and methods of modern sex educators and provide sensible guidelines for the future. It is now widely agreed, for example, that sex education has to be positive rather than negative as it so often was in the past. People must learn to accept rather than reject their sexuality. Furthermore, it is clear that in our present secular culture sex education, like any other education, cannot afford to be dogmatic. It is equally obvious that it must involve more than the biological "facts of life" or a description of "genital plumbing". Indeed, sex education today has to go well beyond the narrow subject of reproduction to include a discussion of sexual feelings and fantasies, pleasures, beliefs, superstitions, and dysfunctions. It must further discuss sexual attitudes in different societies and historical periods, erotic art, sex legislation and, indeed, "sexual politics". Finally, it cannot be restricted to children, but must address itself to the whole population.


After all, education, properly understood, is a life-long process. Human beings can learn as long as they are alive. And they learn not only as solitary private citizens—families, communities, professional groups, political parties, and even entire nations can change their sexual attitudes as a result of sex education. They can adopt healthier lifestyles, more sensible moral standards, and a greater sexual tolerance. This, in turn, can contribute to a greater degree of individual and collective happiness.


There is no doubt that much of our present sexual misery springs from simple ignorance. Some sexual and social problems even are the result of outright misinformation. People who misunderstand normal bodily functions and elementary human behavior often fall victim to crippling inhibitions or fears which poison all of their relationships. Great sex educators have always realized this, and even many doctors have acted upon this insight in their clinical practice. Thus, we have seen earlier in this book how in recent years the medical model of sexual deviance has, in many instances, been supplanted or even replaced by a learning model. Physicians and psychiatrists have developed new special kinds of therapy that can best be described as forms of education. Psychoanalysis, for example, can be explained as an autobiographical method, an educational process in which the analysand, under the subtle guidance of the analyst, educates himself about his own life history. (For details see "Conformity and Deviance, Healthy-Sick.")


The various modern, more specific "sex therapies" can also be characterized as forms of education. Masters' and Johnson's treatment of sexual dysfunctions, for instance, combines factual information with practical exercises which help men and women to learn or relearn satisfying sexual behavior. Similarly, the "Sexual Attitude Restructuring" program developed by the National Sex Forum educates the participants about their own attitudes and thus shows them the way to greater understanding and personal sexual fulfillment. All of these and many similar developments support our earlier contention: Sex education is more than just theoretical instruction about the sex organs, their function, and their use. Instead, it combines both theory and practice in a never-ending process of developing all mental and physical human capacities. In short, sex education in the full sense of the term is education of the whole person as a sexual being.


It follows from these observations that conscious sex education should begin at the time of birth. Infants have to become familiar with their own bodily responses, they must learn to receive and express affection, and they must be helped to develop the appropriate self-identification as male or female. At the same time, however, care must be taken not to force them into obsolete, narrow gender roles. Sexual stereotyping of this kind is unfair to children and may well prevent them from realizing their full human potential. Needless to say, no information on any subject should be withheld from children if they show interest in it. This also applies to the subject of sex. Private, personal matters should remain private, but otherwise no holds need be barred. Anything covered in the present book, for example, can be discussed with children, if the right tone is found, and if the language is adjusted to their level of comprehension.


Since sex education is necessarily concerned with moral values, it is, of course, the primary privilege and responsibility of parents. Nevertheless, just as in any other field of study, schools can make a very important contribution by imparting some broader biological, psychological, legal, historical, and cultural knowledge. Thus, they may prove to children that a dispassionate, academic approach to sex (as to many other controversial subjects) has its own advantages. This, in turn, might eventually have a wholesome influence on the level of public discussion.


However, the transmission of sexual knowledge need not be confined to the home and the schools. Churches, youth organizations, the Red Cross, Planned Parenthood, public libraries, museums, and zoological gardens can also offer special programs dealing with the various aspects of human and animal sexuality. Publishers could provide more and better books, pamphlets, magazines, comics, and record albums for the sex education of children. Film producers could make entertaining, but nevertheless educational films about sex for the whole family or specifically for youth audiences. Television stations could create special sex education programs for various age groups. The possibilities seem endless and, at this date, have scarcely been perceived, much less exhausted. The daily press, as well as students' newspapers, could devote more space to the sexual problems of the young and even feature regular sex education departments. Certain contraceptives could be made available much more freely in public vending machines, and they could be accompanied by leaflets with detailed information about contraception and venereal disease. Such information could also be routinely included in every package of menstrual napkins or tampons.


Obviously, some elements in this continuous educational campaign would focus on reproduction in all of its aspects, but others would also emphasize the emotional aspect of sex and talk about the pleasure that can be part of sexual activity. Indeed, the capacity for such pleasure should be carefully nourished. Unfortunately, today any attempt to do so still meets with a great deal of public resistance. We have discussed the sexual experiences of young people elsewhere in this book, and we have seen that in our society few adults encourage or even condone such experiences. Under the circumstances, the practical side of early sex education is likely to remain neglected for a long time to come. Still, it should be clear to everyone that the lack of practice is a serious flaw in any educational program. After all, nobody expects students to learn dancing only by listening to lectures or reading books. Neither can they learn to drive an automobile just by studying a description of it. In short, sex education as it exists and is being advocated today is still handicapped by some very fundamental restrictions imposed on no other educational discipline. Even where students are given enough information, they are never permitted to put the content of their lessons to any concrete test. They cannot prove themselves in actual situations with real sexual partners, accumulate and sort out their own impressions, or learn by trial and error. These curious limitations give all official attempts at sex education a peculiar aura of unreality, if not insincerity, and undermine the credibility of even the most competent educator.


Of course, unofficially many young people do engage in sexual intercourse and thus try to gain some practical knowledge. However, because they must do so without adult approval, their experiences are not always as pleasant, rewarding, or instructive as they might otherwise be. Moreover, their partners are often of the same age and equally inexperienced and insecure. Many societies past and present have believed that boys and girls should be sexually initiated at puberty by experienced older partners. Yet, the sex laws in most states of the U.S. still take a very dim view of sexual contact between adolescents and adults. (See "Conformity and Deviance, Legal-Illegal.")


By the time they leave high school, many young Americans have some practical sexual experience, however unsatisfactory, and in college they normally find ample sexual opportunities. A growing number of colleges offer courses on human sexuality and also provide birth control services on campus. Young men and women who do not go to college can take advantage of Planned Parenthood and various other public and private sex information and counseling services. Recent years have seen a proliferation of such services, and they help great numbers of people from all levels of society. To give only one striking example: Some physicians have now produced their own sex education films and videotapes and make them available on private monitors in hospital rooms. This is especially appropriate in maternity hospitals, where many women are grateful for the opportunity to watch special explicit programs on childbirth, childcare, contraception, sexual intercourse after delivery, and similar topics.


Another source of adult sex education are the mass media in every form. In particular certain sexually oriented popular magazines have done much to educate the public about sexual techniques, erotic art, legal and philosophical issues related to sex, and the history of sexual customs. These magazines are often officially condemned as "obscene" or "pornographic", but it is only fair to acknowledge that they sometimes contain valuable sexual information in simple language. In many cases they fill a gap left open by more "respectable" publications. This is also true of certain so-called "pornographic" movies. Undoubtedly, many of them are disgusting, exploitative trash, but some of the most graphic "hardcore" films have also been beneficial and educational for timid or inexperienced audiences.


On the other hand, it is often correctly pointed out that much of our contemporary "pornography" paints a highly unrealistic picture of human sexuality and thus can mislead certain naive readers or viewers. Indeed, some sex educators have considered this danger to be serious enough to censor or prohibit the material in question. However, we must remember that for centuries much more harmful misinformation has been found in medical and psychiatric textbooks, encyclopedias, marital guides, police training manuals, catechisms, pastoral letters, and devotional literature. As a matter of fact, even today dangerous sexual misconceptions continue to be spread in certain religious pamphlets which are sold by the millions at church doors all over the country. Some of these booklets may well have a crippling effect on an unsophisticated young mind. Furthermore, they often also foster prejudice and sexual intolerance. By comparison, most "pornography" seems relatively harmless.


In any case, censorship is hardly the answer. In a pluralistic society such as ours, the "best" sexual knowledge can be found only through unhampered research in all directions, and the "proper" sexual values have to emerge from a vigorous public debate in which all opinions are given a hearing.


By and large, this already describes the situation today and is likely to characterize it in the future. Thus, ultimately, we can hope to arrive at a point where "sex" once more ceases to be a titillating or threatening special problem. Instead, it will again become a natural aspect of human life, attracting neither too much nor too little attention. As in former, less repressive ages, sex education will then simply be part of everyone's general education as a human being.

 

[Title Page] [Contents] [Preface] [Introduction] [The Human Body] [Sexual Behavior] [Sex and Society] [The Social Roles] [Conformity & Deviance] [Marriage and Family] [The Oppressed] ["Sexual Revolution"] [Epilogue] [Sexual Slang Glossary] [Sex Education Test] [Picture Credits]