Sociology 8th Edition by Margaret Andersen ,Howard Taylor ,Kim Logio

Exercise 3

Teens and Sex: Are Young People Becoming More Sexually Conservative?
Research Question: Several national studies have reported a decline in sexual activity among teens. The percentage of sexually active teens has dropped from the early 1990s, rates of teen pregnancy have fallen, teens are having fewer abortions, and the rate of sexually transmitted diseases among teens has declined. Does this herald a growth in sexual conservatism among young people and the success of policies encouraging sexual abstinence?
Research Method: Sociologists Barbara Risman and Pepper Schwartz based their research on a synthesis of all of the national studies on teen sexuality, as well as data from research organizations on the prevalence of teen sexuality.
research findings: Most of the change in teen sex activity is attributable to changes in behavior of boys, not girls. The number of high school boys who are virgins has increased. Girls' behavior has not changed significantly, except among African American girls, whose rates of sexual activity have declined, nearly matching those of White and Hispanic girls. Risman and Schwartz conclude that sexual behavior of boys is then becoming more like girls, the implication being that boys and girls are likely to begin their sexual lives within the context of romantic relationships.
Conclusions and Implications: Although many declare that the changes in teen sexual behavior mean a decline in the sexual revolution, Risman and Schwartz disagree. Certainly fear of AIDS, education about safe sex, and some growth in conservative values have contributed to changes in teen sexual norms. Risman and Schwartz show that numerous factors influence sexual behavior among teens, just as among adults. They suggest that sexuality is a normal part of adolescent social development and conclude that the sexual revolution-along with the revolution in gender norms-is generating more responsible, not more problematic, sexual behavior among young people.
Questions to Consider
To follow up from question 1, what evidence would you need to find out if young people in your community are more liberal than young people in the past? How would you design a study to investigate this question?