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Becoming a Heterosexual Adult: The Experiences of Young Women
Author(s) -
Shibley Hyde Janet,
Jaffee Sara R.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/0022-4537.00166
Subject(s) - heterosexuality , homosexuality , psychology , social psychology , peer group , developmental psychology , male homosexuality , safer sex , gender studies , sociology , men who have sex with men , medicine , syphilis , family medicine , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , psychoanalysis , condom
Adolescence brings new pressures on girls to adopt traditional genderroles and to become heterosexual adults in ways defined as appropriate by their peer group, their family, and the culture more broadly. We first review descriptive data on adolescent girls' early experiences with heterosexuality, including first intercourse and the experience of desire. Within a theoretical framework of cognitive social learning theory, we examine messages conveyed to girls by peers, parents, the mass media, and the schools. All four sources convey antigay attitudes while making homosexuality invisible; they also encourage traditional gender roles, an important component of which is heterosexuality.