Sociologist Finds Sex Waning But Harvard Is Still Aroused

A Columbia Unversity sociologist said yesterday "the avant-garde of sexual liberation" is discovering that sexual variety without affection leads to frustration, tension and jealousy."

"The movement of American society toward reducing sex to animal-like conduct" is reversing itself, Amitai Etzioni said, and the new trend will create "a synthesis, a new middle" in sexual behavior.

No Animal-like Sex

A Harvard undergraduate, reached in bed last night, said, "I'm disappointed as hell to hear about that because I was just getting into it and to know it is ending is frustrating."

Dr. Warren E.C. Wacker, acting master of Mather House and director of the University Health Services, said yesterday that his experience with Harvard students does not justify Etzioni's reference to animal-like behavior, and that students here care about their relationships.

Wacker said that he had noticed no significant change in Harvard student's sexual behavior over the last three years, and said he doubts that students' attitudes toward sex are going to change now.

Phillip E. Drysdale '75 said yesterday that Etzioni is wrong because the sexual revolution never implied animal-like conduct in human relationships.

Drysdale also said that even though the "sexual revolution" had been blown out of proportion by the media, Etzioni is wrong if he thinks there is going to be less sexual activity now.

William R. Hutchison, master of Winthrop House, said yesterday that the sexual revolution brought about very healthy changes in attitudes toward sex. Hutchison added that the change has been going on for a long time and that he is skeptical of references to sudden changes in behavior.

Etzioni said he based his analysis on interviews with 215 single persons in Greenwich Village and 50 couples at Rutgers University who had lived together and decided to get married.

"It's been discovered in varying degrees that all this sexual spice leads to less satisfaction," Etzioni told a news conference during a session on human sexuality at an American Association for the Advancement of Science convention