History of Human Sexuality in Western Culture

By: Sarah Findley, Chelsea Mageland, and Gabriella Pastor

Our website, The History of Human Sexuality in Western Culture, will attempt to explain how Western society’s views of sexuality have changed over the years.  We will argue that throughout history, the purpose of intercourse and expectations of gender roles has been largely influenced by changes in Western society. We believe the cause of this change can be accredited to society’s views on what is or isn’t acceptable.  We have broken down the history of human sexuality into three main time periods: Pre-20th Century, Early 20th Century, and Mid to Late 20th Century.  The Zeitgeists of each time period are reflected by the changes in religion, medical advances, and politics, all of which influenced the development of human sexuality in Western culture.