Holland, Janet; Ramazanoglu, Caroline; Sharpe, Sue and Thomson, Rachel
(2000).
| DOI (Digital Object Identifier) Link: | http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1080/14681990050109827 |
|---|---|
| Google Scholar: | Look up in Google Scholar |
Abstract
In their first (hetero)sexual experience, young people are enticed into the gendered practices, meanings and power relations of heterosexuality. This paper draws on findings from two primarily qualitative studies of young people's sexual practices and understandings: the Women, Risk and AIDS Project and the Men, Risk and AIDS Project. The paper suggest that for young men, first (hetero)sex is an empowering moment through which agency and identity are confirmed. For young women the moment of first (hetero)sex is more complicated, and their ambivalent responses to it are primarily concerned with managing loss. By exploring and contrasting young people's accounts of their first sexual experiences and the meanings that virginity hold for them, the paper reveals the asymmetry of desire, agency and control within (hetero)sex. The paper concludes by considering the implication of these findings for practice.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
|---|---|
| Copyright Holders: | 2000 Routledge |
| ISSN: | 1468-1994 |
| Academic Unit/Department: | Health and Social Care > Health and Social Care |
| Interdisciplinary Research Centre: | Centre for Citizenship, Identities and Governance (CCIG) Centre for Research in Education and Educational Technology (CREET) |
| Item ID: | 19628 |
| Depositing User: | Katy Gagg |
| Date Deposited: | 26 Jan 2010 09:49 |
| Last Modified: | 06 Jun 2012 08:58 |
| URI: | http://oro.open.ac.uk/id/eprint/19628 |
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