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The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession With Virginity Is Hurting Young Women (2000)

by Jessica Valenti(Favorite Author)

4.07 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

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review 1: I watched the documentary of the same name for extra credit in my Intro to Women's Studies class. The movie and the book brought back memories for me from when I attended a private, Baptist school. Looking back, the educational content of the school was great but the pressure on girls via the dress code and other Baptist standards was unfair. Valenti postulates in her book that the obsession with virginity is treating girls and women as a commodity (or piece of property)- their "goodness" and morality is contingent on their sexual history (or lack thereof). Growing up in a conservative Christian background, I am very familiar with the virginity movement lingo and thought process. The pressure to stay a virgin always falls on the females although it takes two to tango. Vale... morenti also points out that the virginity movement and the porn industry objectify girls and women sexually, but from different sides of the spectrum. An interesting and thought provoking read.
review 2: I wanted to like this book. It's a compelling topic and I largely agree with Valenti's point of view. Boy is this a disappointment. It's redundant an poorly organized. All the research feels anecdotal and cherry picked; this book would not convince anyone who didn't already agree with the thesis. Worst of all, her analysis of the "virginity myth" remains surface-level throughout. I don't feel my understanding of the situation has been deepened or challenged by reading this book. less

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