Sexuality, Politics, and Social Control in Virginia, 1920-1945

Nonfiction, Health & Well Being, Psychology, Human Sexuality, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Discrimination & Race Relations, History, Americas, United States
Cover of the book Sexuality, Politics, and Social Control in Virginia, 1920-1945 by Pippa Holloway, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Pippa Holloway ISBN: 9780807877494
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: September 6, 2007
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Pippa Holloway
ISBN: 9780807877494
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: September 6, 2007
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

In the first half of the twentieth century, white elites who dominated Virginia politics sought to increase state control over African Americans and lower-class whites, whom they saw as oversexed and lacking sexual self-restraint. In order to reaffirm the existing political and social order, white politicians legalized eugenic sterilization, increased state efforts to control venereal disease and prostitution, cracked down on interracial marriage, and enacted statewide movie censorship. Providing a detailed picture of the interaction of sexuality, politics, and public policy, Pippa Holloway explores how these measures were passed and enforced.

The white elites who sought to expand government's role in regulating sexual behavior had, like most southerners, a tradition of favoring small government, so to justify these new policies, they couched their argument in economic terms: a modern, progressive government could provide optimum conditions for business growth by maintaining a stable social order and a healthy, docile workforce. Holloway's analysis demonstrates that the cultural context that characterized certain populations as sexually dangerous worked in tandem with the political context that denied them the right to vote. This perspective on sexual regulation and the state in Virginia offers further insight into why white elite rule mattered in the development of southern governments.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the first half of the twentieth century, white elites who dominated Virginia politics sought to increase state control over African Americans and lower-class whites, whom they saw as oversexed and lacking sexual self-restraint. In order to reaffirm the existing political and social order, white politicians legalized eugenic sterilization, increased state efforts to control venereal disease and prostitution, cracked down on interracial marriage, and enacted statewide movie censorship. Providing a detailed picture of the interaction of sexuality, politics, and public policy, Pippa Holloway explores how these measures were passed and enforced.

The white elites who sought to expand government's role in regulating sexual behavior had, like most southerners, a tradition of favoring small government, so to justify these new policies, they couched their argument in economic terms: a modern, progressive government could provide optimum conditions for business growth by maintaining a stable social order and a healthy, docile workforce. Holloway's analysis demonstrates that the cultural context that characterized certain populations as sexually dangerous worked in tandem with the political context that denied them the right to vote. This perspective on sexual regulation and the state in Virginia offers further insight into why white elite rule mattered in the development of southern governments.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book Native Americans, Christianity, and the Reshaping of the American Religious Landscape by Pippa Holloway
Cover of the book Ben Tillman and the Reconstruction of White Supremacy by Pippa Holloway
Cover of the book Blurred Borders by Pippa Holloway
Cover of the book Geographies of Liberation by Pippa Holloway
Cover of the book The Burden of White Supremacy by Pippa Holloway
Cover of the book "Truth is mighty & will eventually prevail": Political Correctness, Neo-Confederates, and Robert E. Lee by Pippa Holloway
Cover of the book Creating the Modern South by Pippa Holloway
Cover of the book Rhetorical Occasions by Pippa Holloway
Cover of the book Somerset Homecoming by Pippa Holloway
Cover of the book New World Cities by Pippa Holloway
Cover of the book Journal of the Civil War Era by Pippa Holloway
Cover of the book American Africans in Ghana by Pippa Holloway
Cover of the book Real Native Genius by Pippa Holloway
Cover of the book Surrogate Suburbs by Pippa Holloway
Cover of the book The Piano in America, 1890-1940 by Pippa Holloway
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy