Selling Sex Short: The Pornographic and Sexological Construction of Women’s Sexuality in the West

Meagan Tyler

May 2011 · Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Ebook

250

Pages

Eligible

Ratings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More

About this ebook

Pornography and the ‘science of sex’ – sexology – are redefining sexuality in the West today, but is the model of sexuality promoted by these two industries selling sex short? In this, the first book to fully investigate the connections between the industries of pornography and sexology, they are found to promote a very similar type of sexual ideal.

Sex therapists now recommend hard-core pornography to patients and porn stars have become sex-advice ‘experts’ offering bestselling self-help books. With reports of the increasing ‘pornification’ of popular culture and an epidemic of ‘Female Sexual Dysfunction,’ it is more important than ever to understand the influence of pornography and sexology on our sexual lives.

Through a feminist critique of current trends in pornography, in sexological research, and in sex self-help books, it is shown that the type of sex being promoted by these industries closely resembles the model of sex found in systems of prostitution. This is a model in which women are bought and sold and yet it is being held up as an ideal for couples to mimic in their everyday heterosexual relationships. Ultimately, this is an unethical model of sexuality that sells sex short.

About the author

Meagan Tyler is a Lecturer in Sociology at Victoria University, Australia. She has presented her research on women’s sexuality at conferences around the world and her research has been published in Women’s Studies International Forum and Women and Therapy. She is also a member of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women Australia.

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets

Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.

Laptops and computers

You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.

eReaders and other devices

To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.

Report illegal content