Documenting Intimate Matters: Primary Sources for a History of Sexuality in America - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0226257479 ISBN 13: 9780226257471

Publisher: University of Chicago Press, 2012

Synopsis

Over time, sexuality in America has changed dramatically. Frequently redefined and often subject to different systems of regulation, it has been used as a means of control; it has been a way to understand ourselves and others; and it has been at the center of fierce political storms, including some of the most crucial changes in civil rights in the last decade. Edited by Thomas A. Foster, Documenting Intimate Matters features seventy-two documents that collectively highlight the broad diversity inherent in the history of American sexuality.

Complementing the third edition of Intimate Matters, by John D’Emilio and Estelle B. Freedman—often hailed as the definitive survey of sexual history in America—the multiple narratives presented by these documents reveal the complexity of this subject in US history. The historical moments captured in this volume will show that, contrary to popular misconception, the history of sexuality is not a simple story of increased freedoms and sexual liberation, but an ongoing struggle between change and continuity.

About this title

About the Author

Thomas A. Foster is associate professor of history and chair of the department of history at DePaul University. He is the author of Sex and the Eighteenth-Century Man: Massachusetts and the History of Sexuality in America and the editor of Long before Stonewall: Histories of Same-Sex Sexuality in Early America and New Men: Manliness in Early America.

Review

“The history of sexuality is a continuing endeavor. There is still much that has not yet been written about, and interpretations of key topics will inevitably change over time. Studying these documents and reading some of the historical literature can put you on the road to contributing to this exciting and intriguing intellectual endeavor.”
(John D’Emilio and Estelle Freedman, from the Foreword authors of Intimate Matters)

“Documenting Intimate Matters is economical, thorough, and timely, including documents from early to very recent American history. It is sure to be a popular and valued companion to courses on the history of sexuality and gender in the United States.” (Regina Kunzel University of Minnesota)

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0226257479
• ISBN 13: 9780226257471
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256
• Editor: Foster Thomas A.