Sexuality in the 21st Century: Adolescents’ Behaviors and Beliefs, Essay Example

Sexuality in the 21^st Century: adolescents’ behaviours and beliefs is a chapter from the book, Sexuality in adolescence: Current trends, written by S. Moore and D. Rosenthal. This article deals with the occurrence of sexual activity among youth and young adults in the 21^st century and argues that sexual activity has increased among the adolescent group each decade since the 1940s and 1950s. The writers use studies from various western and eastern countries to support their points and track the changing sociocultural attitudes of various countries the studies are taken from to illustrate cultural affects on sexual activity among adolescents. In addition to citing various studies from various world areas, the writers discuss the different types of sexual activity covered in the studies, what determinants in society can be factors in the level of sexual activity of adolescents, and presents adolescents’ views on their own sexual activity and sex, marriage, and relationships in general.

In the following review, a detailed account of the strengths and weaknesses of the writing will be discussed. Information I found to be new, as well as information that has caused me to look at the topic differently will also be identified. The review will wrap with a brief discussion of questions and ideas that have emerged as a result of the reading.

I identified many strengths within this chapter reading. The reading, though it used numerous statistics and results, flowed well and was easy to both read and comprehend. The topics were organized cohesively and I was never confused about the point of the reading. There were a few quotes from study participants used and all of these fit the context well. Considering that sexuality among adolescents is a very wide topic to cover, the reading managed to include most common areas of sexual behavior, as well as to define the sexual behaviors clearly. The writers demonstrated credibility and accountability with the number and variety of studies that were referenced in the reading.  More than simply presenting facts and study results, each point was clearly defined. When discussing determinants for sexual behavior, the determinant is identified and clarified in relation to the country, the specific age group, and sub-culture being presented. Also, the study subjects themselves were given a voice in the reading. By using quotes from study participants, we are able to discern adolescents’ views on how they see their sexual behavior and their societal norms for sexuality.

The main limitation of the reading was that the large variety of studies used left me wondering about comparisons. For instance, Australian and African-American studies were used for one statistic, while Swedish high school students and homeless boys and girls, from where I am not sure, were used for another. While I appreciated the amount of data, I did at times wish the study results were matched better for comparison purposes. Though a terrific job was done presenting evidence for the main argument of the reading, the writers themselves acknowledged another limitation of the reading. The argument cannot fully be resolved based on the study results, since it cannot be known if adolescent sexual activity has truly increased by great amounts, or if only the reporting of adolescent sexual activity has increased.

Some of the information presented in the reading stood out to me. I was surprised to read the estimate that about 40 percent of unmarried 18-year-olds have abstained from sex. (Rosenthal, 2006) It is possible my perception is affected based on the age of this reading, but I had expected that percentage to be much lower. Not that the information was a disappointment; just the opposite. This reading made me consider parenthood and sexual behavior in my own future children. It has led me to realize that I will have to cover both sides, activity and abstinence, as possible behaviors, as well as the gray area in-between that exists for many adolescents in the 21^st century.

Works Cited

Moore S. and D. Rosenthal (2006). Sexuality in adolescence: Current trends. New York: Routledge.