Institute celebrates 50 years

Since the days of "I Love Lucy" and single beds for married couples on television sitcoms, sexuality and related issues were private property only -- no trespassing. But in 1953, IU professor Dr. Alfred Kinsey and his staff published "Sexual Behavior in the Human Female," a research book that uncovered widespread myths about premarital and extramarital sex, masturbation, and orgasms. Kinsey's research revolutionized the bedroom, making it public domain.\nThis year marks the 50th anniversary of Kinsey's research on women's sexuality. Fifty years after the fact, it is difficult to grasp the impact of Kinsey's work on both the media and the general public.\nCatherine A. Johnson, Kinsey Institute curator of Art, Artifacts and Photography, said the public both glorified and vilified Kinsey for his research. The public also believed increased knowledge of our sexual nature would improve life, while others viewed the research as "ungodly" and "amoral." \n"Sex was underground in the 1950s," said Jennifer Bass, the institute's head of information services. "It's not that it didn't exist, it just wasn't discussed. Kinsey, and his book, uncovered a lot on sexual behavior."\nTo commemorate the anniversary of his book, the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction organized a series of events titled "Women's Sexualities: Portrayals and Perspectives." Sponsored by various IU departments, the programs will explore the influence of sexuality on arts, literature, health, education, philosophy, and science.\n"The 50th anniversary of Kinsey's book is an opportunity to look back on the contributions made in 1953 to the public's understanding of sexuality," said Director of the Institute John Bancroft in a statement. "This is also an opportunity to evaluate our current understanding of female sexuality. Our goal and responsibility as a research institute is to help clarify the issues."\nBass agreed with Bancroft, saying there is a lot we don't know about how women define their own sexual happiness. \n"For years before Kinsey's book, we used a male model to define female sexuality," Bass said. \nBut men are from Mars and women are from Venus. Men base their sexual encounters on the climax; whereas, women account feelings toward their partner, satisfaction with the relationship, anxiety, and support in the appraisal of their sexual relations, in addition to orgasms, according to the Institute.\n"For men, orgasm is hallmark," said Carol McCord, the assistant dean of the Office for Women's Affairs. "Women, on the other hand, identify with a more complex set of characteristics." \nIn addition to defining female sexuality, there has been a shift towards much closer links between pharmaceutical companies and sex researchers, said the institute's clinical assistant professor Cynthia Graham. These ties provoke concerns of bias research and clinical reports. \n"Basically the primary interests of the pharmaceutical companies are to sell their products," Graham said. "Some have argued that the pharmaceutical industry will tend to inflate the prevalence of 'sexual dysfunction' in women, in order to create a market for their new drugs. A lot of women suffer from lack of sexual satisfaction, but with no relation to medical problems." \nTo learn more about the Kinsey Institute or the events surrounding "Women's Sexualities: Portrayals and Perspectives," visit the Kinsey Institute Web site www.kinseyinstitute.org or call (812) 855-7686.