{"product_id":"2940012768698","title":"The Ultimate Power Tool: The Vibrator and Women's Pursuit for Sexual Satisfaction","description":"Despite the vast array of historical research on American female sexuality, very little attention has been given to the vibrator’s role in this history. Other scholars have addressed the vibrator’s history; however, the depth of study is often limited, excluding the work of Rachel P. Maines, which focuses on the late nineteenth century. Using the evolution of the vibrator from its inception in the late nineteenth to its usage in the late twentieth century allows for a distinct and unique view of the transformations of female sexuality as well as the constructions of normative sexual behavior.  In this thesis, I argue that although ideas of normative sexuality have changed, they have continued to the present day. \u003cbr\u003e This thesis is broken into three broad chapters that focus on different changes in female sexuality. The first chapter focuses on the late nineteenth century, which was when the vibrator was invented and largely used as a medical tool to treat hysteria, although it later became a consumer product that was brought into the home. This is a period when discussions about sexuality were not spoken publicly, although sexual experimentation became possible with the increased accessibility of this device. The next chapter concentrates on the early to mid-twentieth century when the vibrator is harder to track, but when discussions of sexuality were more public. The final chapter focuses on the mid to late twentieth century, which saw an increase in sexual experimentation as well as a swell in sexual discussions. Each chapter explores the transformations of constructions of female sexuality through these periods both looking at sexual exploration as well as the openness of discussions on sexuality. I gathered information from a variety of sources, including the work of physicians, novels, etiquette and sexual education manuals, and sexual surveys. \u003cbr\u003eI hope that this study contributes to a better understanding of the construction of female sexuality throughout history as well as clarifying the struggle to eradicate the creation and maintenance of normative sexuality. The sexual attitudes have evolved throughout the century; however, they remain a strong force to this day. Through sexual experimentation and an open dialogue about sexuality including a knowledge of the past, these attitudes can be changed and individuals can determine and define their own sexuality.","brand":"Randi Atkinson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47081664545008,"sku":"2940012768698","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940012768698","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}