Historical Context: The Kinsey Report

Alfred Kinsey, also known as the father of sexology; interest in sexuality began in 1938 when the Association of Women Students petitioned the university to offer a new course on marriage. Kinsey then coordinated the new course and even though it was popular Kinsey soon realized there was not much information on marriage and human sexuality. He started by interviewing his students for data but he quickly began interviewing more students outside of the university and in other cities. (1)
In 1941, Kinsey began researching the problems of sex after he was given a grant for research; and in 1948 he published a book “Sexual Behavior in the Human Male” which is more commonly known as the Kinsey report. This book was very popular as it tackled many hot-button sex-related topics many were to afraid to ask such as, homosexuality, extramarital sexuality, oral sex, masturbation, prostitution, and bisexuality. Kinsey focused on six different outlets to sexual orgasm: petting, nocturnal dreams, masturbation, heterosexual coitus, homosexual behaviors, and bestiality. He then related these forms of sexuality to socioeconomic variables such as education, age, marital status, occupation, and religion. (1)
Many were shocked to hear the results of his research, mainly when they heard the results of the women interviewed. In the study it stated that women were sexual human beings who respond to sexual situations; because the old myth was that women only engaged in sex for reproduction. Half the women interviewed admitted to having premarital sex and one-quarter to extra marital sex. (1)
Kinsey also presented shocking research on homosexuality. Kinsey found that a third of American males and 13% of females have had at least one same-sex orgasm experience by the age of 45. Moreover, 10% of males admitted to being predominantly homosexual for at least 3 years and 4% of white males considered themselves exclusively homosexual. These findings offered a new insight in the homosexual community and refuted the notion that homosexuality and heterosexuality are exclusive behaviors. (1)
Finally, Kinsey noted that a person’s sexuality could change over a period of time. Also he concluded that masturbation was widespread. He found 90% of males and 62% of females engaged in this behavior. Although the Kinsey report did mainly focus on upper-middle class whites, it did serve as a landmark of the study of sexuality in the United States and more relaxed attitudes towards sexuality. Kinsey’s findings are what began the sexual revelation. (1)

1. Stanley, Liz. Sex Surveyed 1949-1994. Taylor&Francis, 1995