The Handbook of Sexuality in Close Relationships


Book Description

The editor’s bring together major scholars from the diversity of fields working on close relationship topics to examine past contributions and new directions in sexuality. The emphasis is on theoretical integration and stimulation, methodological r




Forbidden Fruit


Book Description

Americans remain deeply ambivalent about teenage sexuality. Many presume that such uneasiness is rooted in religion. But how exactly does religion contribute to the formation of teenagers' sexual values and actions? What difference, if any, does religion make in adolescents' sexual attitudes and behaviors? Are abstinence pledges effective? What does it mean to be "emotionally ready" for sex? Who expresses regrets about their sexual activity and why? Tackling these and other questions, Forbidden Fruit tells the definitive story of the sexual values and practices of American teenagers, paying particular attention to how participating in organized religion shapes sexual decision-making. Merging analyses of three national surveys with stories drawn from interviews with over 250 teenagers across America, Mark Regnerus reviews how young people learn-and what they know-about sex from their parents, schools, peers and other sources. He examines what experiences teens profess to have had, and how they make sense of these experiences in light of their own identities as religious, moral, and responsible persons. Religion can and does matter, Regnerus finds, but religious claims are often swamped by other compelling sexual scripts. Particularly interesting is the emergence of what Regnerus calls a new middle class sexual morality which has little to do with a desire for virginity but nevertheless shuns intercourse in order to avoid risks associated with pregnancy and STDs. And strikingly, evangelical teens aren't less sexually active than their non-evangelical counterparts, they just tend to feel guiltier about it. In fact, Regnerus finds that few religious teens have internalized or are even able to articulate the sexual ethic taught by their denominations. The only-and largely ineffective-sexual message most religious teens are getting is, "Don't do it until you're married." Ultimately, Regnerus concludes, religion may influence adolescent sexual behavior, but it rarely motivates sexual decision making.










Publications


Book Description




21st Century Psychology: A Reference Handbook


Book Description

Via 100 entries, 21st Century Psychology: A Reference Handbook highlights the most important topics, issues, questions, and debates any student obtaining a degree in the field of psychology ought to have mastered for effectiveness in the 21st century. This two-volume reference resource, available both in print and online, provides an authoritative source to serve students′ research needs with more detailed information than encyclopedia entries but without the jargon, detail, or density found in a typical journal article or a research handbook chapter. Students will find chapters contained within these volumes useful as aids toward starting research for papers, presentations, or a senior thesis, assisting in deciding on areas for elective coursework or directions for graduate studies, or orienting themselves toward potential career directions in psychology. The cadre of contributing authors consists of established experts within the field of psychology, including several former presidents of the American Psychological Association who are in tune with current and likely future directions of this amazingly broad and diverse field. The 100+ chapters provide material of interest for students from all corners of psychological studies, whether their interests be in the biological, cognitive, developmental, social, or clinical arenas. Coverage includes cutting-edge topics, such as human performance in extreme environments. Chapters are brief, reader-friendly, and presented at an appropriate level for undergraduate students, with references to guide them to key further readings. Key Features Provides students with initial footholds on topics of interest in researching for term papers, in preparing for GREs, and in consulting to determine directions to take in pursuing a senior thesis, a graduate degree, a career, etc. Offers full coverage of major subthemes and subfields within the field of psychology, including social, developmental, cognitive, biological, clinical, and methodology Provides uniform in chapter structure to make it easy for students to locate key information, with a common format of Introduction, Theory, Methods, Applications, Comparisons, Future Directions, Summary, References & Further Readings, and Cross-References










Between East and West


Book Description




Risking the Future


Book Description

More than 1 million teenage girls in the United States become pregnant each year; nearly half give birth. Why do these young people, who are hardly more than children themselves, become parents? This volume reviews in detail the trends in and consequences of teenage sexual behavior and offers thoughtful insights on the issues of sexual initiation, contraception, pregnancy, abortion, adoption, and the well-being of adolescent families. It provides a systematic assessment of the impact of various programmatic approaches, both preventive and ameliorative, in light of the growing scientific understanding of the topic.