Sex In The Western World

Jean-Louis Flandrin was Professor Emeritus at the University of Paris-VIII and Head of Research at the Ecole des hautes etudes en sciences sociale.

• Why study the history of sexuality? Part 1 Love: civilization and feelings; love and love affairs in the 16th century; the "Creantailles" rite in Troyes between the 15th and 17th centuries; love and marriage in the 18th century. Part 2 Sexual morality and marital relations: the Christian doctrine of marriage; contraception, marriage and sexual relations in the Christian West; man and wife in the marriage bed. Part 3 The child and procreation: childhood and society; attitudes towards young children and sexual behaviour; ancient and modern adages concerning the child within the family; the young woman in ancient French proverbs. Part 4 The sex lives of single people: late marriages and sex lives; repression and change in the sex lives of young people; family and illicit love in England.