Empowerment of women
Despite the criticism of the new wave of teenage magazines, many editorial reforms are undoubtedly beneficial. The tone may sometimes seem strident but many articles on sex are written so as to empower young women. Whilst magazines in the past have been criticised for portraying women as submissive and subordinate, now they are likely to be portrayed more as active initiators of sex than passive recipients of men's advances. Again, the magazines may be following a social trend as much as spear-heading it. Findings of recent US studies have shown that many US adolescents see their first experience of sexual intercourse as a conscious personal choice.
A shift towards greater initiative by women may be a good thing. Passivity does not serve women well in this respect. For younger girls especially there is often a feeling that sex happens to them and is not something they do (Cragge et al, 1993). MORI research for the HEA found that 76 per cent agreed that "A woman who carries a condom is sensible" yet 40 per cent were embarrassed to buy them. Were women to become more brazen they might be better able to dictate the terms of sexual encounters, more able to be assertive about when and how their needs are met.
Contact: James Evans, TMAP secretariat, james.evans@ppa.co.uk, 0207 400 7520
Teenage
Magazine Arbitration Panel (TMAP)
28 Kingsway
London WC2B 6JR
tel: 0207 400 7520 - fax: 020 7404 4167 - email: james.evans@ppa.co.uk - web: www.tmap.org.uk -
site contact: James Evans - this site is audited by ABC Electronic -
