History podcast

The sexual revolution in the 1960s and 1970s challenged conventional views of sexuality and had an impact on feminism. It gave women the confidence to speak up about their sexual desires and brought awareness to sexual health and contraception. However, there was disagreement between feminists and conservatives about the morality of sexual behaviors. Accessibility to contraception, especially for lower-class individuals, was a major issue, with poverty and religious beliefs playing a role. The conversation also touched on teen pregnancy care and the differing perspectives of men and women, as well as adults and teenagers. The discussion raised questions about the accessibility of care and what can be done to make it available to all genders and age groups, particularly those from minority backgrounds. Today we're going to talk about the sexual revolution and its impact. Because let's be honest, you probably don't know that much about this important period in history and its relationship to feminism. Okay, let's dive into it. First up, what is the sexual revolution? How did it start? Why did it happen? You're about to know it all. The sexual revolution was a social movement that challenged conventional views of sexuality throughout the 1960s and 1970s. It has now evolved to help contribute to the feminist movement. Okay, that's a lot. Let's unpack that. First off, the connections to feminism. The sexual revolution gave women the confidence they needed to speak up about their sexual wants and desires, bringing awareness to sexual health and contraception while changing the conservative view to create a more sex-positive nature. In the eyes of feminism, the sexual revolution was seen as an empowerment to women's sexuality. But in the eyes of conservatives, the revolution was just an invitation of promiscuity and was seen as an assault on the traditional values of America. Between feminists and conservatives, the disagreement regarding the morality of sexual behaviors was seen as controversial. This little squabble quickly turned into a much bigger and national squabble, if I must. Around this time, the birth control pill was becoming widely accessible, adding to the boiling pot of controversy. Wait, let's talk about that for a second. How many of you guys listening in know the origin of the pill? It was an essential topic and piece of a puzzle that helped get us to the progression of sexuality that we have achieved in today's society. Let's circle back. With teen pregnancy being added to the mix, conversations surrounding accessibility became more and more arduous. Okay, well, that's a lot. There are a lot of reasons contraception was inaccessible. Well, one of the main contributors is the morality aspect of it. The traditional side of America thought giving minors access to the pill was an invitation for shenanigans. This begs the question, should America be in control of women's autonomy regardless of age, and does sexual awareness lead to sexual behaviors? When speaking about negative effects regarding minorities in pregnancy, poverty and religion were common contributors. But how does religion connect to minorities who are pregnant? Well, Orthodox Jews and heavily involved Christians may avoid using contraceptives as a whole. And some religions believe sex before marriage is a sin. So with that logic, most individuals only give birth well into adulthood, in average circumstances, of course. Wow, that's so interesting. Another aspect in talking about negative impacts on minorities is poverty. We want to lead this talk into a discussion question. How do men versus women's point of view differ when it comes to teen pregnancy care? And how does it differ from adults versus teenagers? So because of lower class individuals not having access to contraception, this begs the question, how should this care be accessible? How does this differ between men and women? Or how does this differ between adults versus teenagers? Because social or economic status is not the underlying factor if it should be accessible or not. And what can people change to make it accessible to all the different minorities out there and all the different genders and age groups? Play! Poverty is one of the biggest minorities that's affected by the lack of accessibility to contraception because of the inability to afford it. Like, are you really going to choose condoms over apples? No. Yeah, they have a survival mindset. And that encompasses a lot of people, like millions of people. We're going to start a conversation with two of our fellow peers. I'm Tama, I'm a female, I'm 16 years old, and I'm not pregnant. I'm Tama, I'm male, I'm also 16, and I'm not pregnant. So Tama, what do you value when it comes to accessibility to teen pregnancy care? Do you think it should be accessible across the board? I think women, no matter how old they are, should be able to have teen pregnancy care because you never know what the reason was for them getting pregnant. And I think it's very necessary for them to have this, to get the care they want if they're seeking it, and to have a lot of support. If you were a teen father tomorrow, how would you feel about it? I would end up making sure financially that she's supported. No teen pregnancy, period. Supported in like what way? We'll make sure the baby is cared for and they have both financial means. Okay, so, why do you guys think boys tend to leave the teen mall? I think it's not because they hate the top. I think they leave because they don't have the support of the mother or the child, while also balancing the school and what would their family think if they didn't know. I think communication is key. I think they're not scared, and I think they can get out of it easier because the mother has to be there, but in their mind they see it as an option. Do you think it's okay for the mom to make this decision for both of them? I think ultimately, yes, but I think there should still be a conversation between the two people. Because if they want both of them to be involved, then everyone should be involved. How does your individual religion affect your views regarding sex? I don't know what my religion says about people like me. I have no clue what they view on like, like... I don't have a religion. I'm atheist, so it has no effect. What needs to be changed? I don't know. I'll totally say every state that is red does not support teen pregnancy. Part 2 coming soon, guys. Bye! Hello, my name is Rafael. I'm 14 and currently I'm not pregnant. My name is Luca. I'm 15 and I'm currently not pregnant.