Sociology 8th Edition by Margaret Andersen ,Howard Taylor ,Kim Logio

Exercise 4

Is Hooking Up Bad for Women?
Research Question: The presence of the hookup culture on college campuses is a relatively recent phenomenon and reflects changes in sexual attitudes and behaviors among, especially, young people. Some argue that the hookup culture liberates women from traditional sexual values that constrained women's sexuality. Others argue that this culture is harmful to women, making them sexual objects for men's pleasure (for example, the practice of women making out with other women in public settings, such as bars and campus parties). Is the hookup culture harmful to women or is a sign of their sexual liberation?
research Method: Several sociologists have examined this question, some using national surveys, others using a more qualitative approach. Paula England and her colleagues, for example, studied sexual activity in a survey of over 14,000 students at 18 different campuses in the United States, exploring students' experiences with hooking up, dating, and relationships. Laura Hamilton and Elizabeth Armstrong used a more qualitative approach, actually residing among students in a so called "party dorm," observing as well as interviewing students for a full year. Leila Rupp and Verta Taylor had their undergraduate students interview other students about the party scene on their campus.
research findings: Research finds that both arguments about the effect of hookup cultures on women are true: Some parts of this culture are harmful to women, but women's experiences within the hookup culture also vary and are not uniformly negative.
England, for example, found that the hookup culture is not as wildly rampant as assumed. She found that 72 percent of both men and women participated in at least one hookup, but 40 percent had engaged in three or fewer hookups and only 20 percent of students had engaged in ten or more. England concludes that the popular image of "girls gone wild" in popular culture is simply not true. She also found that hooking up has not replaced committed relationships. But, as Hamilton and Armstrong found, the hookup culture allows women (and men) a chance for sexual exploration. At the same time, the hookup culture does present risks to women-risks of being pushed to drink too much, risks of sexual violence, and loss of self-esteem. But some women say that the hookup culture frees them to pursue education and careers without the emotionally consuming pressures of committed relationships (Hamilton and Armstrong 2009).
Rupp and Taylor have similarly found that the college party scene commonly includes women making out with other women. But, unlike those who argue that this practice sexually objectifies women for the pleasure of men, Rupp and Taylor argue that women who do so are exploring sexuality. But they do so within social boundaries and heterosexual norms. Even though women may engage in same-sex sexual practices, they do not necessarily develop a lesbian identity, although the lines of sexual identity are expanding for women.
Conclusions and Implications: There is not a simple or single answer to the question of whether the hookup culture harms or liberates women. Taken together, these studies reveal a complex portrait of young women's sexuality today. Sexual boundaries are perhaps more fluid than they once were, although they are still marked by sexual double standards and norms of heterosexuality.
Questions to Consider
How is the hookup culture shaped by such social factors as age, social class, race, or gender? How might it change over time-both as history evolves and as the current generation ages?