Presentation of this Special Issue

It may be possible to trace the origins of the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s back to Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theories, changes in the social structure (in particular with respect to women working at home and outside the home), and, later, to the ready availability of contraceptives. This revolution brought about changes not only in the sexual behavior of men and women of all ages, but also in the characteristics and stability of families. It also resulted in a more open attitude toward sex in society as a whole and in mass media in particular. Copyright 1994 by The Policy Studies Organization.