Pornography and Sexual Representation: A Reference Guide (American Popular Culture)

For better or worse, pornography and sexual representation suffuse American culture. This first comprehensive guide to the literature includes the history of pornography in the United States and discusses pornography in a vast range of media. Volume one opens with a discussion of the history of American pornography. Two separate sections present information regarding bibliographies and reference tools concerning pornography and reviews of references devoted to the histories of sexuality and its representations and theoretical works on erotica and pornography. One chapter is devoted to a discussion of major research collections. Also included are a chronology of important dates in the history of American pornography and a discussion of child pornography. Volume two focuses on dramatic, visual, and electronic media and is arranged by topic. Chapters discuss the landscape of the body, performance, erotic and pornographic art, erotic and pornographic photography, motion pictures and videotapes, and electronic media. Volume three focuses on oral, print, and journalistic media and includes folklore and oral genres, erotic literature, newspapers, magazines and advertising, and comics. The volume concludes with a section concerning research and policy regarding medical and social sciences, the law in the United States, and the economics of pornography.An invaluable tool for further research, this guide to the literature of pornography and sexual representation will appeal to scholars and students of popular culture, gender and women's studies, and gay and lesbian studies. It will also interest those in the field of American history and mass media.