World War II (1939-1945)

The 1940’s continued on the more liberalized ideal towards sex: that it didn’t just have to be for reproductive purposes (eNotes, 2011).  The Kinsey Reports, which I will go into more detail in the Fifties, showed America a more realistic depiction of the sexual behavior that was occurring (Johnson, 1997).  Sex was seen more as as a pleasurable activity; we see this as it had a stronger presence in movies and magazines, as well as with the growing popularity of contraception that began to take off in the 1930’s (eNotes, 2011).

References:

eNotes.  (2011).  1940’s Lifestyles and Social Trends.  Retrieved from http://www.enotes.com/1940-lifestyles-social-trends-american-decades/sex-sexuality

Johnson, P. (1997).  A history of the american people.  New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.