Abstract
This Independent Study Project examines the history of 20th century American sex education. The first chapter examines the first several decades of the 1900s, looking at how the Roaring 20s and the Great Depression affect trends in sex education and American sexuality at large, through official government sponsored sex education materials and privately published etiquette manuals, as examples. Chapter 2 examines post-war and mid-century America’s sex education practices and the consumption of entertainment media related to sexuality as sites of sexual liberalization. Chapter 3 examines the sexual revolution, the rise of conservatism and controversy over sex education, and the AIDS epidemic as contributors and detractors to the development of formal sex education programs and informal sexual learning publications. Overall, sex education underwent significant change over the course of the 20th century, closely mimicking trends in the larger history of sexualities.
Advisor
Holt, Katherine
Department
History
Recommended Citation
Liles, Kassidy X., "Sex Education, Sexuality and Morals: The Failures of Sex Education Across the 20th Century" (2026). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 13287.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/13287
Disciplines
Arts and Humanities | Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | History
Keywords
Sex Education, Sexual Learning, the Sexual Revolution, Family Life Education, Social Hygiene, Sexuality
Publication Date
2026
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2026 Kassidy X. Liles