College Sex: The Consequences of a Drunken Night’s Endeavors We have all heard, read, or been involved with this phenomenon called college sex. It has become an aspect of the whole “college experience” in North American colleges. In one study conducted by Amanda Hollman and Alan Sillars ,with students from a public university from northwestern United States, about “70–80% of college students in some samples reported sexual hookups”. We have now established that casual sex among college students is quiet frequent, but what exactly is college sex? College sex is usually referred to as a “hook-up”. “Hooking up is a phrase used to describe intimate interactions outside of dating or exclusive relationships” (Holman and Sillars); that is two consenting members of the opposite gender engaging in sexual activities without being in a romantic relationship, usually for single time without facing any consequences to deal afterwards, concerning both the parties involved. There are various elements leading up to “hook-up” which includes a combination of “relational (e.g., communication), and individual behaviors (e.g., alcohol and/or drug consumption); thoughts (e.g., expectations, interpretations); feelings (physical and emotional); and a host of contextual or situational factors (e.g., partner characteristics, location)” (Elizabeth L and Hayes). Alas, among all those factors, the predominant one is the presence of alcohol. How many times have the participants in a casual sexual relationship in college describe to have met their partner in a bar or a party thrown in their college? Well it’s almost all the time that a scenario like this is described. ... ... middle of paper ... ...icated to the point of making decisions that will later on be regretted by either one of the individuals or both. Works Cited Grello, Catherine M., Deborah P. Welsh, and Melinda S. Harper. "No strings attached: The nature of casual sex in college students." Journal of sex research43.3 (2006): 255-267. Paul, Elizabeth L., and Kristen A. Hayes. "The casualties ofcasual'sex: A qualitative exploration of the phenomenology of college students' hookups."Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 19.5 (2002): 639-661. Hingson, Ralph, et al. "Early age of first drunkenness as a factor in college students’ unplanned and unprotected sex attributable to drinking." Pediatrics111.1 (2003): 34-41. Holman, Amanda, and Alan Sillars. "Talk about “hooking up”: The influence of college student social networks on nonrelationship sex." Health communication27.2 (2012): 205-216.
Donna Freitas “Time to Stop Hooking Up. (You Know You Want to.)” First appeared as an editorial in the Washington Post in 2013. In this essay Freitas aims to convince her readers that hooking up may seem easy and less stress than a real relationship, but in reality they become unhappy, confused, and unfulfilled in their sex life. “Hookups are all about throwing off the bonds of relationships and dating for carefree sex” personal experience, compare and contrast are a few techniques Freitas skillfully uses to strong convincing essay.
In Hookups Starve the Soul, an essay by Laura Vanderkam, Mrs. Vanderkam argues the fact that the real problem with hookups is not the act of promiscuity, but rather the lack of meaning behind it. I believe one is entitled to do whatever he or she pleases, with his or her body. Having the ability to hook up, particularly for college students, forces the person to become more confident and comfortable along with giving the participant a sense of power. On the contrary, through this sexual freedom, men and women are still held to different standards.
As stated in the book, “college students have much to teach about sex” (8). That is because the values, ideologies, and worldviews of the students are representative of greater American culture. Although flawed, hookup culture on American campuses hold the possibility of accepting a culture of inclusivity, care, pleasure, and freedom while also rejecting predatory behavior, racism, classism, and abuse. Dismissing hookup culture all together is blind to the reality that young adults are going to have sex, and since sex is non-negotiable, one’s aim should be to foster open dialogue and critical thought onto a future where everyone enjoys the ability to freely explore sexuality, sex, and gender on their own
In reaction to the media’s numerous stigmas around college hookup culture in recent years, sociologists and psychologists have begun to investigate adolescent and young adult hookups more systematically. In “Is Hooking Up Bad for Young Women?” by Elizabeth A. Armstrong, Laura Hamilton and Paula England, this issue is addressed through a reaction to previous articles from sources on opposite sides. One side of the argument over sexual activity for young women places them at risk of “low self esteem, depression, alcoholism, and eating disorders,” while the other side argues that the underlying issue is the “moral panic over casual sex.” This issue has been seen by many as a “sudden and alarming change in youth sexual culture,” but systematic research has shown that experiences of young women in college
During her freshman year at Northeastern University, 19-year-old Jennifer Grant* thought college was just about doing minimal homework, going to parties, and meeting new people. She looked forward to every weekend when she was invited to parties with upperclassmen. Sadly, her world fell apart when she was raped by another student who was an acquaintance. Scared and confused from the experience, she turned to her friends for help.
College student drunkenness is far from new and neither are college and university efforts to control it. What is new, however, is the potential to make real progress on this age-old problem based on scientific research results. New research-based information about the consequences of high-risk college drinking and how to reduce it can empower colleges and universities, communities, and other interested organizations to take effective action. Hazardous drinking among college students is a widespread problem that occurs on campuses of all sizes and geographic locations. A recent survey of college students conducted by the Harvard University School of Public Health reported that 44 percent of respondents had drunk more than five drinks (four for women) consecutively in the previous two weeks. About 23 percent had had three or more such episodes during that time. The causes of this problem are the fact that students are living by themselves no longer with parents or guardians; they earn their own money; students need to be a part of a group, be accepted; and they have the wrong idea that to feel drunk is “cool.”
“80 percent of teen-agers have tried alcohol, and that alcohol was a contributing factor in the top three causes of death among teens: accidents, homicide and suicide” (Underage, CNN.com pg 3). Students may use drinking as a form of socializing, but is it really as good as it seems? The tradition of drinking has developed into a kind of “culture” fixed in every level of the college student environment. Customs handed down through generations of college drinkers reinforce students' expectation that alcohol is a necessary ingredient for social success. These perceptions of drinking are the going to ruin the lives of the students because it will lead to the development alcoholism. College students who drink a lot, while in a college environment, will damage themselves mentally, physically, and socially later in life, because alcohol adversely affects the brain, the liver, and the drinkers behavior.
Hooking up on a college campus has its positives and negatives. First off men benefit more from hooking up than women do. Women benefit more from traditional dating. The article “To Hook Up or Date: Which Gender Benefits?” by Carolyn Bradshaw, Arnold S. Kahn, and Bryan K. Saville explains how men benefit from hooking up and how women benefit from traditional dating. It explains the consequences of hooking up and the consequences of traditional dating. Hooking up has become so popular on college campuses that it has become the norm. In the article it explained how both genders have a similar ideas to hooking up as well as similar ideas to traditional dating. Both genders said hooking up is more popular than traditional dating because there is no commitment to continue the relationship. You meet a stranger at a party and if there is alcohol involved it makes the “hooking up” an easier process. You then start flirting with the stranger and engage in sexual behavior whether it is kissing or having sex. Traditional dating does have its benefits as well because you have the feeling of being liked/loved and also your partner is a friend to share happy moments with. The article did mentioned that both genders wanted a traditional date if you knew the other person had the same feelings for you.
In "Fraternities and Collegiate Rape Culture" Ayres Boswell and Joan Z. Spade analyze the social perspective of the gendered relations in male fraternities that add to the high rate of violence against women on many college campuses. They list a host of factors that distinguish higher-risk from lower-risk atmospheres discussing the rates of rape in colleges and state how "1 out of 4 college women say they were raped or experienced an attempted rape" (217). Additionally, "1 out of 12 college men say they forced a woman to have sexual intercourse against her will" (Boswell, Spade 217). In other words Boswell and Spade indicated that the rates were high when it came down to women getting raped in colleges by men who also attended those colleges. In addition, Boswell and Spade specify in how most people are aware of rape but know very little about rape culture (Boswell, Spade 217).
The hookup culture has become deeply ingrained in the college experience, all across the country students are fulfilling their desires while preserving their autonomy. On the surface the hookup culture doesn’t sound so bad, however, I am going to argue that the hookup culture itself stems from and promulgates problematic societal inequalities. I will develop my claim by first discussing the dominance of the hookup culture and the societal pressure placed on those who don’t want to participate or are unsure about participating in what the culture has to offer. Then, I will illustrate why the general dynamic of the heterosexual hookup is an uneven playing field even for women who actively choose to participate in the hookup culture. Finally,
The Journal of Sex Research, Vol. 30, No. 3 (Aug., 1993), pp. 252-259. Web 6 Apr. 2014
Crawford, E., O’Dougherty, W., & Birchmeier, Z. (2008). Drug-facilitated sexual assault: College women’s risk perception and behavioral choices. Journal of American College Health, 57(3). 261.
Indicators show that recent college graduates are more educated than freshmen’s when it comes to sexual education. The administration does not want to use federal funds to educated teenagers ...
Kathleen Bogle’s book Hooking Up: Sex, Dating, and Relationships on Campus analyzes the subculture surrounding quick, causal sexual encounters, or “hookups,” on two different college campuses. Although one was a smaller, faith-based private school and the other a larger state school, Bogle discovered the social conventions surrounding hooking at both schools to be similar. The combination of gender-based social scrutiny, Greek influence, and pervasive alcohol use that makes up heterosexual college hookup culture solidifies male control over women within the hookup script.
Paul, E. L., & Hayes, K. A. (2002). The casualties of “casual” sex: A qualitative exploration of the phenomenology of college students’ hookups. Journal of personal and Social Relationships, 19, 639-661.