Producing the Prurient through the Pedagogy of Purity: Childhood Sexuality and the Social Purity Movement

In this insightful examination, the authors delve into the intricate relationship between childhood sexuality and the social purity movement across different cultural contexts. By utilizing primary sources from the United States, England, and Australia, they illustrate how societal attitudes toward childhood sexuality have evolved and how these views have been shaped by historical events, social pressures, and cultural narratives.

Egan and Hawkes not only unpack the implications of these societal beliefs but also the impacts of education and pedagogical practices on children’s understanding of their own sexuality. Through their thorough research, they challenge readers to reconsider the narrative surrounding childhood innocence and the societal constructs that frame it, revealing how the movement for social purity has, paradoxically, contributed to the very prurience it sought to eradicate.