ABSTRACT
A fundamental part of the social organization of human beings is the regulation of sexual behavior. All societies have rules about who may be intimate with whom, how, and under what circumstances. Punishment for violations of the rules ranges from ostracism to imprisonment, and even death. In the United States, with its many cultural groupings, there are a variety of norms, prescribing desired-and tolerated-sexual practices for women. Beliefs about proper sexual conduct are often intensely held. Conflicts about what these rules should be are quite difficult to resolve. Women have a deep interest in such conflicts because, historically, regulation of sexuality has been synonymous with regulation of women. And their rebelling against the culture may take the form of sexual rebellion (Espin 1986). This chapter includes policy issues that are primarily concerned with the definition and regulation of women as sexual beings.
