Women as Seen by Men: The Doxa-Shell Survey in Italy (1973)

Abstract

This research examines significant issues surrounding the representation of the “discovery” of female sexuality as a public debate topic in Italy during the early 1970s. It analyzes a survey conducted in 1973 by the Doxa-Shell Institute, which explored the habits, choices, and “sexual customs” of women across the country. The goal is to illustrate that, despite the media’s increasing focus on
women as news subjects and the survey’s potential to give a voice to participants, the interpretation of the collected data failed to fully capture the extent of the cultural and social changes affecting women’s bodies during this pivotal period in Italian history.