Body and sexuality

This book is the result of research carried out during my master''s degree in History at UNIOESTE. Its source and object are the magazines Nova Cosmopolitan and Playboy from the 1970s. Through a qualitative study the discourses of Nova and Playboy on beauty sensuality sexuality and behaviour were analysed in order to understand how these two magazines gave meaning to gender identities.Nova Cosmopolitan wrote for women who were entering the labour market and were single it tried to show that maintaining a lasting relationship with a fixed partner and building a solid career were synonymous with fulfilment it taught how women should take care of their beauty and maintain a certain conduct in their relationships. Playboy was aimed at single men who sought pleasure as a way of life. Its pages featured information on sex and relationships and how men could overcome their insecurities in order to win over women. Sensuality was the characteristic valued by both as they created idealised images of male and female bodies.