Margaret Marini states the differences between men and women are natural for biological reasons but there are some stereotypical differences based on social roles and status.  She believes that the role of breadwinner has always been the male's responsibility and therefore female breadwinner or working women are considered masculine, unfit or inappropriate.  While these stereotypes are changing, it is still prevalent in the society.

Marini, Margaret M. “Sex and Gender: What Do We Know?” Sociological Forum 5.1 (1990): 95-120.

Widerman, Michael W. "Extramarital Sex: Prevalence and Correlates in a National Survey." The Journal of Sex Research 34 (1997):167-174. JSTOR. UPenn, Philadelphia. 7 Apr. 2008. Keyword: effects of extramarital sex.

    Michael Wiederman has put together a thorough survey of extramarital sex among married Americans. What's interesting about this survey is that he prefaces it by giving the different results of various other surveys that have been conducted throughout various times in the twentieth century. In a 1948 survey sociologists found that one-third of men and one-fifth of women have had extramarital sex. A recent survey in 1990 showed that that number had climbed to one-half for men and almost the same for women. 1.5% of those surveyed admitted to having extramarital sex in the past year. Wiederman notes that a problem with these surveys is people's honesty or lack thereof in answering questions. For example, when a spouse is in the room with someone taking a survey the person is much more likely to lie about having an extramarital affair. The same result occurs when a random stranger is in the same room as someone taking the survey. A 1994 phone survey showed that 19% of men and 15% of women have had extramarital sex. For men, the incidence of extramarital sex was pretty constant throughout the span of their lives (e.g. 60 year olds had as much extramarital sex as 20 year olds). However, for women the incidence peaked around the age of 40. Black and Hispanic women had noticably higher rates than white women. Men are much more likely than women to have an extramarital affair. Thus, Wiederman's own findings that 21% of men and 11% of women have had extramarital sex is not far from any data already collected. Additionally, he found that men peaked at 60-69 years of age (34%) and women peaked at 40-49 years (19.3%).
    This survey is relevant to The Graduate because of Mrs. Robinson's seemingly endless desire to sleep with Benjamin Braddock. She is certainly somewhere around 40 years old since actress Anne Bancroft was 37 when the movie was released. The affair between her and Benjamin is the pillar on which the entire movie is founded. If it weren't for this affair Mike Nichols' commentary on society's unrest in the 1960s would be much too mainstream and blatantly obvious. The affair between a suburban socialite and young college graduate is an unlikely storyline, yet Nichols was able to produce a meaningful social commentary with a unique set of circumstances.

  Thomas and Heldenfel's homage to Animal House describes the film as a "raunchy, testosterone-laden, anarchic comedy." Before it was released, many believed it would be a forgettable, cheap comedy." Landis admitted that he had no idea how popular the film would become; it went on to gross over $100 million. Yet, Animal House was more than just a successful comedy. According to these two men, half a dozen modern comedic elements can trace their roots back to Animal House. Many comedies depict class warfare (Trading Places, 1983), especially when it comes to poking fun at the academic establishment. Marijuana is now almost always shown in college-themed comedies. The movie established sex as a major theme by "blowing away the notion of what was permissible in film comedies." Gross-out humor became an idea that future comedies built the entire movie around. Animal House brought about the concept of slackers banding together as one unit to fight back against their oppressors. Finally, John Belushi's presence in the film helped launch the film career of many other SNL cast members.
    This article confirms the hypothesis that Animal House was a major turning point in comedic film. Unlike the other articles, which deal with the more theoretical and symbolic changes of the college comedy, this article cites tangible movie elements that movies adopted from Animal House. Five specific aspects: class warfare, marijuana, sex, gross-out humor, and the slackers, became notable recurring themes of future films. Though Animal House was certainly not the first film to have these elements in them, it created the new college stereotype, which almost always included all of these five elements. This article shows what makes up the new stereotype of college after Animal House.
 

    Rich's review of Animal House in Time takes a very fun and light tone towards the comedy. After a brief synopsis of the movie, Rich delves into his analysis of the film. He proclaims, "Before National Lampoon's Animal House, no one has ever had the guts to make an honest movie about college life." Rich argues that before Animal House, Hollywood chose to depict the college campus in an unrealistic way; it was portrayed as a "haven for earnest young lovers, gung-ho jocks, inspirational professors, and tortured class losers." However, the characters of Animal House are real; they represent the "true spirit" of college life. Rich believes the movie perfectly captures the "darkest secret" of American higher education: sex is one of the "noblest" reasons to attend. In addition to the realistic portrayal of college students, the film at times easily expresses the angst and hates of students coming of age in the 60s. The review is not free of criticism, however. Rich states that at times, the movie "revels in abject silliness." Yet, the highs of the film outweigh the lows, and the movie is definitely worth seeing.
     Rich's review of the film brings to light a unique part of the turning point: the depiction of the people who inhabit college campuses. According to Rich, films made before Animal House unrealistically portrayed them in positive and admirable stereotypes. However, this film cuts away all of the fat and finds the most basic and honest reason for attending college: sex. This subject is one that Americans can truly identify with because it is real. With sex at the center, the actions, motives, and worries of the characters can truly portray what it was like to grow up in the '60s. Yet as anyone knows, these themes are not specific to the '60s, but are universal in both time and place. This is why almost every college movie made since Animal House has had sex as its central theme.

---

    Perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of the film, Doctor Zhivago, is the intense sexual prowess of the characters. At any given moment, especially early in the film's narrative, four intimate relationships are progressing at once; Komarovsky with Lara's mother, Komarovsky with Lara, Pasha with Lara, Zhivago with Tonya, and eventually Zhivago with Lara as well. Why is it that David Lean and Robert Bolt decide to add a number of extra-marital affairs to the script, even though many of them do not exist in Pasternak's novel? Gregor Carleton touches on this subject in his novel, Sexual Revolution in Bolshevik Russia. Carleton claims that along with the sentiments of political revolution in 1917, came a new sense of sexual freedom. He says that young communist-activists were not just rebelling against political institutions, but against all institutions, including "marriage". In fact, out of this political movement came a strong campaign for women's empowerment. These revoluationary sentiments explain the strength that characterizes Lara throughout the film. She is under the rule of no one, and lives out most of her life as a single, independent woman. According to Carleton, this is an accurate portrayal of women from revolutionary Russia. He cites one female in particular, as his prime example of the changes that accompanied Bolshevism; Kollontai. Kollontai was a party official, fiction writer, and polemicist, and was highly educated. But her most significatn contribution to the revolutionary cause was her views on women's sexuality. Carleton writes, "Her message was that there could be no authentic marriage, no love or intimate relationship, in a class-based, property-obessessed society." (Sexual Revolution in Bolshevik Russia, pg. 38). Essentially, women of Russian society were tired of becoming pieces of property for their men. They were tired of subordination, and their answer to these abuses was sexual promiscuity. In fact, to back such a claim, Carleton sites a poll taken in 1922 in Russia, asking citizens whether marriage was their "ideal" form of a relationship. 21.4% of men said it was, whereas only 14.3% of women said the same. Instead, women stated in interviews that they desired short-term relationships. One bourgeoisie woman, interviewed around the same time as the poll was taken, stated, "Sex is extremely important to me. Its absence ruins my whole mood." (Sexual Revolution in Bolshevik Russia, pg. 39) Therefore, the Russian Revolution was not just a political upheaval, it was also a time of women's empowerment. They were finally allowed to address their own sexuality. Much of this sexuality is evident in Doctor Zhivago. The film is set during the Russian Revolution, and Lara is portrayed as an independent, sexually promiscuous woman. Despite her hatred for Komarovsky, she enjoys the sexual benefits he provides. Similarly, we see the absence of "marriage" as a viable institution in this film. Almost every marriage is violated through infidelity, including Lara's marriage with Pasha, and Zhivago's marriage with Tonya. Carleton's analysis of sexuality during the Russian Revolution explains why David Lean and Robert Bolt may have chosen add the concept of "promiscuity" to the film.

This article "Religion and Sex" written by Don Lattin in the San Francisco Chronicle, discusses many of the moral issues of the 1960s raised by the film The Graduate. He argues that American culture, starting in the 60s, began to move quickly away from traditions of religion. In fact, sixty five percent of baby boomers believed that individuals should freely associate themselves with certain religions without being influenced by factions such as church groups. Americans' minds have become increasingly consumed with thoughts of sex and promiscuity as opposed to Jesus and the Bible.

As we move further away from the religious society that Lattin hopes for, we begin to lose values and lose sight of what's truly important. In The Graduate, Hoffman's character, Ben, is straight out of college and is quickly bombarded by the new culture of the 60s. Since society seemed to have moved far from tradition, more and more opportunities seemed to present themselves, leaving Ben, and the rest of his generation confused with too many potential directions to turn in.

Lattin argues that, beginning in the 60s, "with flowers in their hair and lust in their hearts", young Americans adopted the sexual revolution, making traditionally promiscuous things seem almost mundane. Homosexuality became more readily accepted along with ideas of extramarital and premarital sex. Polygamy became expected and it seemed that few people like Lattin still held onto traditional beliefs.

Benjamin Braddock never fully breaks Lattin's traditional barriers and never fully allows the new racy society to completely consume him. What is most important about his character is that he was able to "follow his bliss". Although Ben was presented with all of these new opportunities both sexually and in the fast-growing plastic world, in the end, he resorts to tradition.

A source for statistics and data on youth risk behaviors in the United States. Data is often presented down to the city level.