ABSTRACT
In this chapter I want to comment upon the relationship between young women and sexuality. I aim to explore two distinct but related ways of looking: first, the ways in which sexuality is ascribed to teenage girls and second, the different ways that sexuality features in the lives of young women. In commenting upon these themes I draw on a body of literature, in particular feminist research, that has documented and analysed issues of gender and sexuality as a significant feature of post-war change in the U.K. and beyond. The chapter specifically draws upon ethnographic studies of sexuality and gender in educational settings, including my own school-based study conducted in the West Midlands area of the U.K. (Kehily 2002). The chapter suggests that sexuality occupies a central position in the lives of teenage girls that is both troubled and troubling. The chapter argues that young women are commonly seen and defined in terms of their sexuality in media portrayals and social interactions. This has an impact upon the lived experiences of young women and the ways in which they think about themselves as sexual subjects. The next section outlines the methodological approach that informed my study. This is followed by sections on research literature and social change that provide the theoretical and social context for this chapter. The main body of the chapter reflects upon these themes by drawing upon material from empirical studies to explore the relationship between young women and sexuality across a range of issues such as sex education, teenage pregnancy and the sexual content of girls' magazines.
