The Making of Sexual and Scientific Revolutions

H. L. Minton reviews the effects of two books by A. C. Kinsey et al ( Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, see record 1948-01530-000, and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female, see record 1954-05526-000) on American society, focusing on public, social, and scientific opinion at the time of their publication. Beyond the immediate impact of the publication of the Kinsey volumes, the substance of Kinsey's collaborative effort had a profound effect on American culture and scientific practice. This is assessed by examining the volumes from three vantage points: assumptions about sexuality, methodology, and ethics and politics. Minton suggests that Kinsey's courage and fortitude in producing these two volumes served as a significant contribution to the feminist and gay and lesbian movements. His innovative sampling and interview approaches anticipated the participatory research movement in the social sciences. Minton also indicates that Kinsey's determination to have an inclusive sample representing the diversity of sexual practices may have been a more accurate portrayal of what people do than the National Opinion Research Center's more recent sex survey based on randomized sampling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)