Sex and the Love Life by the American author William J. Fielding is a non-fictional book published in 1927 in New York. It deals with the contemporary understanding of

sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...

and its relation to the love life in many fields of life. The book consists of 14 chapters and a glossary in which all biological, sexual and medical terms that are discussed in the book itself are defined and explained. The first chapter gives an introduction to different conceptions of the function of sex and mentions cultural influences on these conceptions. Chapter Two deals with the Development of the Love Life and focuses especially on the sex life of the child. Besides that, ''Man’s and Woman’s Sexual Nature'' are described in Chapter three and four respectively, whereby biological aspects of the male and female reproductive systems are elaborated on in detail. In the fifth chapter the author gives advice about the P''reparation of Marriage'' and in the sixth Chapter ''Sex Hygiene in Marriage'' is the topic. Hygiene is not referring solely to personal hygiene but rather to how sexual intercourse can be used to improve marital happiness and satisfaction. ''Women’s Love Rights'' are presented in the following chapter (chapter 8) in which the (at that time) novel notion is described which says that women also have the right to enjoy sexuality. In chapter nine the ''Birth Control in Relation to the Love Life'' is being addressed and Chapter nine gives information about ''The Hygiene in Pregnancy'' (again not referring solely to personal hygiene). Chapter 10 deals with ''The Menopause'' and its symptoms. The following two chapters (11 and 12) present different kinds of ''Sexual Disorders of Women and Men'', respectively and Chapter 13 depicts ''

Venereal Diseases Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are Transmission (medicine), spread by Human sexual activity, sexual activity, especi ...

'' that are being transmitted by

sexual intercourse Sexual intercourse (or coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion and thrusting of the penis into the vagina for sexual pleasure or reproduction.Sexual intercourse most commonly means penile–vaginal penetrat ...

. The last Chapter 14 gives information on the relationship between ''The Parent and the Child'' with special focus on

sex education Sex education, also known as sexual education, sexuality education or sex ed, is the instruction of issues relating to human sexuality, including emotional relations and responsibilities, human sexual anatomy, Human sexual activity, sexual acti ...

Structure

A detailed table of contents is present on the first few pages of the book. Important keywords that come up during the chapter are also mentioned alongside the table of contents. The exact outline appears also at the beginning of each chapter respectively. Although the chapters do indeed contain sub-headings, they are not reflected exclusively in the outline at the beginning of the chapter (reference to image). The nine-page glossary (reference to image) at the end of the book gives approximately 180 short definitions of different loan words that may not be familiar to a reader that has no expertise in medicine or biology (ordered alphabetically). Following the glossary, an index is contained at the very end.

Content

Chapter 2: Development of the Love Life

In chapter 2 of his book, Fielding describes the Development of the Love Life in successive stages from

childhood A child (plural, : children) is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers ...

up until

adolescence Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the t ...

in which the child firstly expresses auto-erotic feelings towards itself. In later development these feelings shift towards a significant other person, usually in the family until the erotic attachment is transferred upon someone outside the family and according to Fielding, usually someone of the opposite sex. It is pronounced that these erotic feelings in the beginning of childhood appear unconsciously and that they are expressed in the pleasure of sucking or rubbing own body parts. Later on, memories of those sexual desires will not be present due to repression. Fielding advises to encourage

sublimation Sublimation or sublimate may refer to: * ''Sublimation'' (album), by Canvas Solaris, 2004 * Sublimation (phase transition), directly from the solid to the gas phase * Sublimation (psychology), a mature type of defense mechanism * Sublimate of mer ...

in children to channel their sexual energy “to outlets that have cultural and social value”. It is the context of

where Fielding quotes

Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts in ...

whose opinion was very influential in the 1920s and which can be clearly seen throughout the whole book. Another example would be Fielding's explanation of how adolescents start to become attracted to the opposite sex. According to him, boys will be attracted to women because “the mother is identified with the good things and comforts of life “ and “a woman tends to marry a man resembling her father” because “the girl child shows a disposition to discriminate in expressing her affections in favour of the father”. The last part of this second chapter depicts so-called Aberrations of the Love-Life in which, besides fetichism, anti-fetiches,

exhibitionism Exhibitionism is the act of exposing in a public or semi-public context one's intimate parts – for example, the breasts, genitals or buttocks. The practice may arise from a desire or compulsion to expose themselves in such a manner to group ...

sadism and masochism Sadomasochism ( ) is the giving and receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation. Practitioners of sadomasochism may seek sexual pleasure from their acts. While the terms sadist and masochist refer ...

, masochism and

hermaphroditism In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes. Many taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrates) do not have separ ...

, also

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

is being mentioned which would appear due to “abnormal home conditions” and a pre-occupation with the same-sexed parent.

Chapter 9: Birth Control in Relation to the Love Life

This chapter deals mainly with the contemporary misunderstanding of

contraception Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...

in general. All too often it was equalized with

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...

and murder of an

embryo An embryo is an initial stage of development of a multicellular organism. In organisms that reproduce sexually, embryonic development is the part of the life cycle that begins just after fertilization of the female egg cell by the male spe ...

. Fielding begins with enlightening the reader and explains the advantages of contraception, one of which concerning a moral aspect: “a practice which increases marital happiness, which assures people of greater economic security ��and which permits more extensive educational and cultural advantages to the fewer and better children that are born ��is a good practice”. Furthermore, he argues that the fear of

pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ca ...

(as many women experienced at that time) would lead to marital disharmony and that contraceptive methods should be used to establish an unstressed atmosphere between married couples. Fielding also criticizes the church's position towards contraception at that time by saying that “the church ��has been and still is the most powerful influence against the principle of parenthood by choice instead of accident”. The institutional church would be ignorant of the benefits that contraception offers to the people. The position that is still held by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, namely that “Contraception is wrong because it’s a deliberate violation of the design God built into the human race, often referred to as "natural law." The natural law purpose of sex is

procreation Reproduction (or procreation or breeding) is the biological process by which new individual organisms – "offspring" – are produced from their "parent" or parents. Reproduction is a fundamental feature of all known life; each individual org ...

“ is countered by Fielding as well. He states that humans with their increasing knowledge and skills are already compassing the natural laws, for example by “using artificial light and heat, wearing clothes, ��and doing a thousand odd other things that are commonplace and proper in our civilization ut areunnatural”. He concludes that the view of contraceptive methods must change in society so that the physiological, psychological and social benefits of contraception can be experienced by every individual.

The 1920s and Sexuality

The 1920s, also known as the

Roaring Twenties The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the U ...

, depict a time of great economic prosperity after the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, especially in America. Many people were still conservative about the topic of sexuality, especially due to poor knowledge about

and their own bodies but also because sexual intercourse not intended for reproduction was depicted as sinful by the church. However, the role of women changed: within or after

WWI World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

women had to go to work to earn money for their families while their husbands left to join the

army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

which led to a “near-equality in making money”. Women got more and more self-confident and independent which also led to a change in

dating Dating is a stage of romantic relationships in which two individuals engage in an activity together, most often with the intention of evaluating each other's suitability as a partner in a future intimate relationship. It falls into the categor ...

and sexual behaviour, away from

conservatism Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...

and

taboos A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

towards more open-mindedness regarding their sexual behaviour. This shift is also promoted by Fielding in his book “Sex and the Love Life”.

Homosexuality

Homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

in the late 1920s was slowly being more accepted. However, this did not last a long time and “Homosexuals received a level of acceptance that was not seen again until the 1960s”. This acceptance was mainly due to the increasing mentioning of homosexuality in entertaining media such as

films A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

songs A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...

(see also

LGBT History LGBT history dates back to the first recorded instances of same-sex love and sexuality of ancient civilizations, involving the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) peoples and cultures around the world. What survives af ...

). Nevertheless, in the late 1930s homosexuality was made illegal and declared as a

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

. It was not until 1973 where “the

American Psychiatric Association The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the largest psychiatric organization in the world. It has more than 37,000 members are involve ...

removed the diagnosis of “homosexuality” from the second edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)”.

Contraception

In the early 20th century

was increasingly favoured and accepted (see

History of Birth Control The history of birth control, also known as contraception and fertility control, refers to the methods or devices that have been historically used to prevent pregnancy. Planning and provision of birth control is called family planning. In some tim ...

) although it was still subject to the discussion if sexual intercourse was meant solely for

reproduction Reproduction (or procreation or breeding) is the biological process by which new individual organisms – "offspring" – are produced from their "parent" or parents. Reproduction is a fundamental feature of all known life; each individual or ...

or if it was also part of the normal love life between

spouses A spouse is a significant other in a marriage. In certain contexts, it can also apply to a civil union or common-law marriage. Although a spouse is a form of significant other, the latter term also includes non-marital partners who play a social ...

. In his book Sex and the Love Life, Fielding clearly takes a more liberal view and promotes contraceptive methods as they would increase marital happiness and harmony.

References

{{Reflist

External links

* Full text of
Sex and the Love Life
' at HathiTrust Digital Library 1927 non-fiction books Non-fiction books about sexuality Psychology books