Science in the Bedroom: A History of Sex Research

by Vern L. Bullough

From the first serious sex study ever undertaken (in France in 1830 with a group of prostitutes) to the latterday work of Masters and Johnson, this book traces the history of more than a century of sex research. Bullough addresses the difficulties and controversies in an area of research that has never been allowed to fully control its own agenda. Using examples, he describes the forces that have impinged serious research, from free love hippies and religious zealots to governments trying to support stands on public morality.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sexuality, Research, History

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Vern Leroy Bullough (July 24, 1928 – June 21, 2006) was an American historian and sexologist.

He was a distinguished professor emeritus at the State University of New York (SUNY), Faculty President at California State University, Northridge, a past president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, past Dean of natural and social sciences at the Buffalo State College in Buffalo, New York, one of the founders of the American Association for the History of Nursing, and a member of the editorial board of Paidika: The Journal of Paedophilia.

Until her death in 1996 he was married to Bonnie Bullough

Reviews

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough, well-written history. I did not agree with everything that was written in it, and I think Vern overlooked a lot of history (this is a very western, American look), but overall it was informative, interesting, and well done.

[Sarah Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sociologists' work on the history of the scientific study of sex and sexology. A very comprehensive reference work that was a bit of a struggle for a historian to finish, but an excellent resource for teaching especially

[Annalisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat dated (it was written in 1994) which makes the later sections weak (a lot has happened in feminism, the trans movement, AIDS, rape and abortion battles since then). There is also, throughout, a focus on homosexuality that is unbalanced. I agree that the history of homosexuality in the 19th and 20th centuries tells us huge amounts about cultural, religious, legal and social understandings of sex, but it is not the only story, and sometimes it felt like Bullough was short changing other concerns to give more time to this one lens.

Aside from those two concerns, this is an excellent, clear, well written overview of the development of sexology--the scientific (in all its meanings) study of sexuality. Bullough covers major figures, changes in legal and social views, important discoveries and movements, as well as cataloging the forces that regularly attempted to suppress either acceptance or even study into sex.