Sex-education: A series of lectures concerning knowledge of sex in its relation to human lifeBigelow, Maurice A. (Maurice Alpheus)
Science
Sex-education: A series of lectures concerning knowledge of sex in its relation to human life
Bigelow, Maurice A. (Maurice Alpheus)
Sex instruction
With regard to prostitution, it seems important that girls should know
the essential facts recommended in the lecture concerning boys. The
"unprotected" girl of low-grade environment will often need some of
this knowledge before she is fourteen (and in some cases, even twelve)
years old. On the other hand, the average "protected" girl need not
know until several years later. It seems possible that too early
familiarity with the existence of sexual vice might tend to make some
young women accept it as part of the established order of things; and,
hence, the girl whose environment is protective and whose moral
training has been complete will be perfectly safe without knowledge of
vice and will be more likely to take an opposition attitude if she
learns the facts concerning prostitution when she is approaching
maturity. Even then the essential information should be given in such
a way that the young woman will see the gravity of the social situation
and, at the same time, not develop a spirit of sex hostility. Here,
again, I must recommend Louise Creighton's "Social Disease and How to
Fight It" as not only pointing out the nature of the great evil, but
also recognizing that the existing situation can never be improved
except by the sympathetic cooperation of the best men and women.
[Sidenote: Dancing.]
With regard to dancing, young girls should be taught that certain forms
of this exercise are not approved by the most refined people. Before
maturity, they should not know the physiological reason for this
disapproval. In fact, I know many men and women who think it best that
most women, even mature, should not have their attention called to the
sexual dangers of dancing. For my part, I cannot see how women with
such ignorance can cooperate with the best men in reducing the admitted
dangers to a minimum.
[Sidenote: Dress.]
With regard to dress as a sexual problem, some mothers think they can
handle the problem with their young daughters by emphasizing modesty
and without further explanation; but the drawing power of fashions is
so great that most young women are quick to revise their ideas of
modesty to suit the latest style. Is it too much to hope that large
numbers of young women would accept such facts as were stated in the
lecture for young men (Sec. 36), and would be sincere enough to dress so
that their attractiveness may appeal more to the aesthetic and less to
the physical natures of men?
[Sidenote: Merely a man's views.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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