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Fear and Loathing in the Hookup Culture: a Study of Female Engagement in Non-Relational Sex on a University Campus

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Fear and Loathing in the Hookup Culture: a Study of Female Engagement in Non-Relational Sex on a University Campus FEAR AND LOATHING IN THE HOOKUP CULTURE: A STUDY OF FEMALE ENGAGEMENT IN NON-RELATIONAL SEX ON A UNIVERSITY CAMPUS By Shanlea L. Gordon A thesis submitted to the Department of Sociology in conformity with the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Queen’s University Kingston, Ontario, Canada July, 2013 Copyright © Shanlea L. Gordon, 2013 Abstract Recent empirical evidence suggests that we have entered a new period of courtship known as the hookup era. Contemporary research which explores hooking up has confirmed the prevalence of this dating script, particularly within post-secondary institutions. The relevant literature has focused on a variety of important issues including the conceptual meaning of hooking up, and the identification of potential correlates and consequences of these behaviours. Despite this increase in scholarly interest, several problems remain unaddressed. Principal among these is the way(s) in which young women mediate the self-perceived risks involved in the sexual exchange known as the hookup, so as to facilitate their participation in this culture. The current paper examines the controversy that is female hookup participation by investigating the risks – and subsequent negotiation of these risks – which women face in the hookup culture. Specifically, this paper makes use of detailed qualitative data gathered from a sample of female undergraduate students at a medium-sized Canadian university, in order to uncover the social processes by which female proponents of the hookup culture account for their actions to themselves and to others, in this the seemingly risky courtship script. ii Acknowledgements First and foremost I would like to thank my supervisor, teacher, mentor, and friend, Dr. Vincent F. Sacco for believing in this thesis and for believing in me. Few people have impacted my life in such a way as Dr. Sacco has. Dr. Sacco’s utmost concern for his students both as learners and as people is unlike anyone I have ever encountered, and this thesis is a direct product of his unfaltering support and encouragement. It is difficult to articulate how grateful I am to have met you a short six years ago, and to have been afforded the opportunity to work under your supervision. You are “the best”. Thank you to the members of my thesis committee, Dr. Mary Louise Adams, Dr. Rob Beamish and Dr. Martin Hand. Special thanks are due to Dr. Hand for his assistance with my sampling procedures, and for graciously donating his time to discuss ethical dilemmas and my thesis topic more generally. Thank you to Wendy Schuler, Michelle Ellis, Anne Henderson and others in the Department of Sociology. Thank you to Stacey Alarie-Plant and to Richard Linley for their assistance with my sampling methods. I would like to thank each of the women who so graciously volunteered to participate in my research project. Their life experiences and stories informed my work and made this thesis possible. I thank you for your openness, sincerity, and for generously donating your time; this thesis could not have been completed without your contributions. Thank you to my friend and colleague Alicia Horton for all of her assistance and mentorship throughout my time as both an undergraduate and a graduate student. Thank you to Amelia Cheston for her assistance with pre-testing my interview schedule. Thank you to my colleagues Angela Willmott and Christine Sheldrick for their much iii appreciated support and encouragement while preparing for conference presentations. Thank you to Brooke “Brookie” Silversides for being my coursework confidant and an amazing friend; you have made this process so much brighter. Thank you to my parents Dean and Lorna, my siblings Larry and Kelly, and my grandmothers Agnes and Dorothy for their continued love and support. Thank you to my close friends Emma Houston, Caitlin Lawrence-Pelzer, Caroline Davies, Sarah Cuddy, and Leslie Powell for their words of encouragement throughout this process. Thank you to Michael Sullivan for his indestructible optimism and utmost faith in my abilities; I am so grateful to have someone as kind and as positive as Michael in my life. iv Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………….………………… ii Acknowledgements.……………………………………………………………………. iii Chapter 1 Introduction………………………………………………………………… 1 Chapter 2 Literature Review and Theory…………………………………………….5 The Shifting Culture of Courtship……..………………………………………….5 The Hookup Era………………………………………………………….….….. 10 The Emergence of the Hooking Up Culture....…………………………………. 17 Women, Risk, and the Hookup Culture………...………………………………. 30 Theoretical Considerations……………………………………………………... 57 Summary………………………………………………………………………... 65 Chapter 3 Methodologies……………………………………………………………... 67 Qualitative Interviews…………………………………………………………... 67 Sampling Techniques………………………………………………………….... 71 Sample Characteristics and Methodological Decisions………………………… 73 Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………… 79 Interview Environment…………………………………………………………. 79 Ethical Considerations………………………………………………………….. 82 Ethical Dilemmas…...………………………………………………………….. 85 Summary……………...………………………………………………………... 87 Chapter 4 Findings and Analysis…………………………………………………….. 88 Defining Hooking Up…………………………………………………………... 88 The Hookup Scene on Campus…………………….....………………………... 93 v Hooking Up as the Dominant Courtship Script……...……………….… 93 Dating Culture is Dead……………………………………………...….. 96 Presence of Alcohol…………………………………………………….. 98 Acquaintance versus Stranger ...……………………………………….. 99 Dancing at the Bar………………………………………………….…. 100 Risks of Hooking Up………………………………………………………….. 102 Sexual Dissatisfaction……………………………………………….… 103 Devalued Reputations……….………...……………………………….. 105 Failed Relationship Expectations…..………………………………… 108 Emotional and Mental Health Complications……………………….... 111 Unwanted Pregnancies and Pregnancy Scares……………………….. 113 Sexually Transmitted Infections……………..………………………… 116 Sexual Assaults…………...……………………………………………. 122 Accounting for the Risks……………………………………………………… 126 Alcohol Use…………………………………………………………… 127 Desire for Commitment………………………………………..……… 128 Fun…………………………………………………………………….. 130 Coping with a Breakup………………………………………………... 132 Proximity to Social Network…………………………………..………. 133 Summary………………………………………………………………. 136 Chapter 5 Summary and Discussion……………………………………………….. 137 Summary of Findings………………………………………………………..… 137 Other Interpretations………………………………………………………..…. 140 Limitations………………………………………………………………….…. 144 Future Research…….…………..………………………………………..……. 145 Concluding Comments………………………………………………………... 147 References…………………………………………………………………………….. 148 Appendix A…………………………………………………………………………… 160 Appendix B…………………………………………………………………………… 161 Appendix C….………………………………………………………………………... 162 Appendix D………………………………………………………………………...…..163 vi Chapter 1 Introduction “We just suck socially now”, Serena1 tells me, as she reflects upon contemporary courtship behaviours. Serena is of course referencing the primary mode of heterosexual romantic interaction on university and college campuses, a practice commonly referred to as hooking up. Empirical evidence, derived mainly from studies undertaken in the United States, suggest that there have been recent transitions in the culture of courtship which have sparked the emergence of a new courtship period known as the hookup era (Bogle 2008a; Epstein et al. 2009; Glenn and Marquardt 2001). These studies confirm the pervasiveness of hooking up on university and college campuses and more importantly, identify hooking up as the primary courtship script to which post-secondary students subscribe (Bogle 2008a; Garcia and Reiber 2008; Paul and Hayes 2002). Although the term hooking up is rather ambiguous, there is a general consensus that a hookup involves some degree of sexual intimacy – whether that be kissing, sexual intercourse, or anything “in-between” – and explicitly lacks any a priori agreements or obligations for subsequent relations or relationships (Bogle 2007, 2008a; Bradshaw et al. 2010; Garcia and Reiber 2008; Owen et al. 2010). In other words, young men and women are partaking in sexual exchanges with one another with no assurance that any future interactions will result. The hooking up era is seemingly characterized by a reversal in the relationship between emotional investment and sexual intimacy, as the latter generally precedes the former in contemporary relationships. 1 All names have been replaced with pseudonyms to maintain the confidentiality of participants in this study. 1 Despite the scholarly interest in hooking up behaviours, several significant problems remain unaddressed. Principal among these is the understanding of female participation in the hookup culture. Several researchers and social commentators suggest that non-relational sexual liaisons have several risky elements, especially for females who subscribe to this culture (Downing-Matibag and Geisinger 2009; Eshbaugh and Gute 2008; Fielder and Carey 2010b; Flack et al. 2007; Kalish and Kimmel 2011; Owen and Fincham 2011; Paul and Hayes 2002; Regnerus and Uecker 2011; Wade and Heldman 2012). Despite the identification of these risks however, the same studies continuously report high levels of female involvement in hooking up (Bogle 2008a; Fielder and Carey 2010b; Owen et al. 2011; Paul and Hayes 2002). The implication is that female participation in the hookup culture is paradoxical; although hooking up poses several risks for young women, high levels of female participation are consistently reported. Thus it is unclear why female students knowingly participate in a
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