What do you know about sex? (Vol. I) (Studies in the Psychology of Sex: Vol I - Havelock Ellis)

Member Name: sottovoce1982

Product:	Studies in the Psychology of Sex: Vol I - Havelock Ellis
Date:	16/11/07 (194 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Informative, entertaining, and not difficult to read

Disadvantages: More recent studies can be more accurate

Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 1
The Evolution of Modesty; The Phenomena of Sexual Periodicity; Auto-Erotism
By
Havelock Ellis


To begin with, why modesty? This is a smart introduction to the research made by Havelock Ellis simply because people at the beginning of the twentieth century were not that open-minded, and I think the writer found it necessary to remind his readers that his work has nothing to do with pornography. Even for the modern reader, including in a study of sexology a topic that was owned by religion only seems intriguing, for what does modesty have to do with sex? After all, we don’t need another moralist, do we? In fact, modesty is connected to shame, and as Freud says, shame and disgust are the main obstacles when it comes to the libido.



Indeed, modesty is not connected with religion only but also with clothing. Are the scantly clothed nations morally lax in comparison to the fully dressed nation? That’s an easy one. What about: was the girl who refused to get out of her burning room for she had no clothes on and consequently burned to death more modest than the other one who escaped naked and survived? And which one of them is responding to her sexual impulse as a woman? Well, that needs an accompanying cultural study along with it. Indeed, culture, as opposed to nature, has its seal on every single one of these topics. Most people tend to cover their genital organs as an act of modesty, yet this does not apply to all nations; in some countries it is considered shameful to show the feet or even the face. Furthermore, in some places people prefer to eat in privacy, which connects shame and disgust even more.



The second part of the book, namely periodicity, studies whether men or women realize that their sexual need fluctuates, and if yes, then at what times of the month or year. In other words, do humans experience what is known as periods of heat? Is there a pattern that we can detect? The stages of the research made and the questions asked are both intriguing, yet the findings are not very surprising. Even without going into the details, I know that some ladies are perfectly aware of the phenomenon of periodicity in relation to their sexual lives; only some of them.



The wonderful section on auto-erotism, which seems to me a very safe word to use for it does not include any prejudices, tries to correct some of the misconception that people have in regard to this practice, but this is not the only topic of course. The example which attracted my attention, and which I will never forget, is the part played by the old sewing machines in reaching orgasm; the female worker’s continuous movement of her legs is simply a form of auto-erotism which does not violate decorum and so it was common in factories. The process itself is described in the book in details which looks somehow like a frenzied activity. Another important thing is the frequency of masturbation which reaches the borders of morbidity at times. However, in addition to these many interesting topics are studies, and relevant appendices are added to the book.



To conclude, at the time when I read the book I enjoyed the experience very much, yet later readings made me aware of other issues too. Some modern gender critics are not impressed by early sexology which had its prejudices at times. In the study of modesty, for instance, Ellis depends on the observations of some of the western explorers, and so you’ll notice that the word “savages” is used without any remorse, obviously. The second important thing I want to draw your attention to is that so many studies on sex were made after 1927 and new discoveries made their way to books written in this field, yet Ellis’ research is still worth my great admiration and respect.



<<< Recommended? >>>

Well, only if you are truly interested in sexology and psychoanalysis because the book is not a short one, and please be careful if you are one of those who cannot have open endings in their lives. The book can be read easily without reading the following five volumes, but I couldn’t do that; I read the lot and that took some time, so be prepared. However, remember that these volumes are not really connected and you can simply choose the one you are interested in. Apart from reading them, adding the six volumes to your library as a reference is not a bad idea.


<<< The Author >>>

Normally, I don’t worry myself with the biography of non-fiction writers; after all, what do I care if Freud was a womanizer or not, for instance? He is smart, educated, and the humanity owes him (I mean it; one has only to read THE INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS to know that). However, I read something interesting about Havelock Ellis and I’d like to share it with you. This man who wrote volumes upon volumes on sex was impotent till the age of sixty and was only cured by watching a woman urinate. This story should be studied like that of Einstein’s dyslexia to learn that nothing is impossible.


<<< Price and Book Info >>>

Price: £13.99 from Amazon
Paperback: 408 pages
Publisher: Dodo Press (4 May 2007)
Language English
ISBN-10: 1406524859
ISBN-13: 978-1406524857
Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 14.8 x 2.8 cm

Summary: Modesty, Periodicity, and Auto-Eroticism.