Gone are the days of courtship where college-aged young adults go out on dates in order to learn more about each other and possibly cultivate a romantic relationship.  Within the past century, dating in United States colleges has become a rare, almost extinct, ritual.  Now, the norm for romantic involvement is what is known as the hookup culture.  The hookup culture is a way of life that encourages casual oral sex and sex between acquaintances or even strangers.  This type of lifestyle would be an outright anathema to the citizens of America from the late 19th century; the reason being is that women during this earlier time were a lot more conservative with their sexuality.  Being overly promiscuous was seen as having a lack of morals, whereas now it has become a commonplace sight and is received with gusto from men.  The dramatic and relatively rapid paradigm shift concerning women and sexuality has brought upon major societal changes and will continue to shape America as a whole for years to come.

            During the Victorian Era of the 1800’s, sex was only practiced as a method of procreation.  In order to conform to social norms, females were supposed to be ignorant about sex and also have very little desire for it (Platoni, 2010).  If a woman did show any sex appeal, she was identified as being either of very low class or a prostitute.  Women were so conditioned to avoid sexual desire that doctors believed they did not even have a sex drive.  Sexual desire was seen as an illness that needed to be remedied, so doctors would go to the drastic measures of removing the patient’s sex organs (Degler, 1974).  An example of the sexual style of this era is shown in Ruth Smythers book called Sex Tips for Husbands and Wives, which was published in 1894.  Such tips include “THE wise bride will permit a maximum of two brief sexual experiences weekly — and as time goes by she should make every effort to reduce this frequency.  Feigned illness, sleepiness and headaches are among her best friends in this matter,” and “WHEN he finds her, she should lie as still as possible. Bodily motion could be interpreted as sexual excitement by the optimistic husband. Sex, when it cannot be prevented, should be practiced only in total darkness.”

            The Progressive Era from 1910 through 1919 brought along major societal changes, especially for woman.  This new woman was drastically different than her Victorian Era counterpart.  This woman was allowed to hold a job, which gave her more economic independence, which consequently made her less dependent on her husband (Hill, 2008).  Although generally these jobs were exceptionally low paying, females were now able to have a broader social life and be able to form their own identities for themselves.  As the views of women changed socially, political changes also began to be made.  With the passage of women’s suffrage and laws that improved working conditions for women, females began to be less dependent on males (Imbornoni, 2007).  Despite this growing independence for women, there was still a lot of controversy concerning their sexuality.  This is illustrated by the first birth control clinic led by Margaret Sanger, which was shut down only ten days after it opened due to the public outcry.  World War I greatly influenced gender roles and sexuality, because while men were away on the battlefield, women took over for them.  During this time feminists began to question the notion of a family and began to start somewhat of a sexual revolution (Tone, 1996).  Divorce became more common, premarital sex did not shatter reputations, multiple partners became less rare, and dating was born.  Still women could not flaunt their sexuality and be socially accepted, but now they were not forced to blatantly ignore their natural sexual desires.

            The transformation of the stereotypical woman was arguably greatest during the 1920’s, nicknamed the Roaring 20’s, with the emergence of the flapper.  This new woman smoked, drank, danced, voted, and was risky and independent (Rosenberg 2011).  The change in sex appeal is most noticeably seen by comparing the differing outfits of a Victorian woman versus a flapper.  While Victorian woman wore conservative dresses that covered most of their body, flappers wore short and sleeveless dresses, strappy heels, and flashy hats.  Now, women were expressing emotion and self expression through their clothing.  The reason flappers arose is because of women’s need to rebel.  Woman had been trained for so long to consider themselves as a male’s “property” but this view was rapidly changing.  Their newfound freedoms they had received in the past decades made them push to be even more independent against the male patriarchy.  Because men had strictly controlled how a women showed her sexuality in such times as the Victorian Era, women were eager to break societal boundaries and exhibit their own sexual freedom.

            It was not until the Great Depression that the purpose of dating was changed.  Originally, dating was done in order to find a future spouse (Hill 2008).  Now, it became a way to socialize with other people.  One major contribution to this shift was the growth of the automobile industry.  Teenagers would borrow a parent’s car, and then park it in an isolated spot in order to engage in sexual activities.  Also during this time, economic hardship ravaged the nation.  Therefore people wanted small families, so the birth control pill became a lot more prevalent.  The rates of birth control usage is a helpful way to evaluate the opinions of sex across different times.  Birth control had been illegal and almost nonexistent  up until 1910 due to religious reasons, illegal clinics became somewhat used from 1910 to the 1920’s, but they soon became greatly advertised and popular places in the 1930’s (Tone, 1996).

         Although change had been happening since the Victorian Era, it was not until the Kinsey Reports in 1948 that the extent of woman’s sexuality was exposed to the public.  The Kinsey Reports contained shocking statistics that had been compiled from thousands of interviews with American people.  Some key findings were that 68-90% of males and almost 50%  of females had premarital sex, 92% of males and 62% of females had at some point masturbated, 37% of males and 13% of females had engaged in homosexual intercourse, and that 50% of men and 26% of women had cheated on their spouse.  The rate of cheating is especially important because it indicates that the relationships were probably not as strong since the statistics were so high.  It can also be inferred that there were ulterior motives for marriages, besides love.  This may include seeking stability or fulfilling the traditional expectation of getting married (Kinsey 1948).

As woman began to show their sexuality more prominently, so did the media.  Movies began to show more risqué scenes, such as the 1957 movie Island in the Sun which displayed an interracial sexual relationship and the emergence of popular soft-porn such as Playboy appeared in the 1950’s.  This changed the way women were seen, as men would see them as how they were portrayed in the now more sexualized media.  The media and women’s desire to be more independent worked as positive reinforcements to each other, making female sexuality more flagrant.  Now, the double standard where men were able to enjoy sex while women could not was not tolerated.

As the upward mobility of this movement heightened, a time of sexual liberation known as the Sexual Revolution, occurred from the1960’s to the 1980s.  This era was characterized as a time where the patriarchal gender roles were rejected.  Furthermore, what had previously been sexual norms were now being questioned.  People began to accept intercourse outside of monogamous, heterosexual marriage.  This could be considered the advent of hookup culture, as people began to feel more sexually free.  Due to the rise of out of wedlock intercourse, people began to not think of it as much of nonconformity and did not feel as deviant for partaking in the practice.  Thus, rates of it continued to escalate.  In the following years, there came about many advances that illustrated to the public that sex not for procreation purposes was not a sin.  In 1965 contraceptives became legal for married couples and in 1972 contraceptives for unmarried couples were legalized.  This was a major milestone, as it then became apparent that many people were taking part in fornication.  In 1973, abortion was legalized.  Prior to this, people who had illegal abortions if found guilty, could be charged with murder, manslaughter, or other felonies.  Not to mention, these illegal abortions were often highly dangerous, and could leave women sterile or with other lasting problems. This also was the year that homosexuality was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, insinuating that it was no longer thought of as a disorder (Crooks 2011).

Looking at present day, it is clear that we have made startling progress in sexual freedom since the Victorian Era.  Now it is not nearly as taboo to discuss one’s sexuality or to flaunt one’s sex appeal.  Many different types of birth control have been produced such as the hormonal path, injections, vaginal rings, and female sterilization.  The plethora of options of birth control to choose from shows that it is a growing market with many consumers.  Politically, President Obama made major strides as well with his administrations policies that promoted sexual education as opposed to abstinent only programs.  His policies made it easier to obtain birth control, causing the risk of accidental pregnancy to decline.  This means that children would be more likely to be born from parents who are both financially and emotionally prepared.  Due to all of these advances regarding sexuality, women have gained more freedom and equality due to their ability to control their own bodies.  Of course there are still stigmas surrounding women who are overtly promiscuous or who partake in casual sex very often, but the acceptance of this lifestyle is much higher than it used to be.

What is most important to observe are the practices of college students.  This is because the sexual styles of future generations is dependent on the adults of today.  According to one major study, more than 90% of American college students admit that their campus is characterized by a hookup culture (Wade 2013).  It has also been shown that between 60% and 80% of college students have partook in some sort of casual sex experience.  A reason why hookup culture has increased is due to the fact that women now outnumber men in college enrollment by a 4 to 3 ration.  Therefore, men are both the minority and the limiting factor of the sexual marketplace, giving them more power.  They have used this power in order to foster a culture of casual sex rather than long-term relationships.  Interestingly enough however, most students tend to overestimate the amount of hookups in which their peers engage in.  While it may seem as though every college student is out having sex, only about 20% will regularly hookup, 50% will occasionally hookup, and 30% will not hook up at all.  Seven hookups is around the median number of hookups over four years of college, yet 25% of all students will graduate as a virgin (Wade 2013). 

The strongest predictor of hookup behavior for a college student is previous experience with hooking up.  Studies have shown that those who have engaged in hookups are approximately 600% more likely to hookup again in that same semester (Garcia 2013).  Another predictor is the self-esteem of both parties.  While it is studied that men with high self-esteem are more likely to have multiple sex partners with women of low self-esteem, men and women who both have a high or low self esteem are less likely to have as many.  This brings up an interesting point, as to why women with high self-esteem do not have as many sexual partners.  There are many possible reasons for this phenomenon.  First, it’s due to the discreet presence of the Victorian ideals that still exist.  Women who refrain from casual sex are viewed as being more pure or virtuous than those who do.  It is interesting to note that the converse of this is not true.  Men who refrain from casual sex are not seen as being more or less virtuous than those who do.  Second, women are not as biologically suitable as men to engage in casual sex.  This means that women, more than men, develop feelings after having sex.  Women have reported to having higher levels of bonding, attachment, and love after sex, than men do.  An article in the Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality found that for both men and women, casual sex improves their feelings of sexual satisfaction. However, it has been shown that for men and not for women, casual sex improves their overall feelings of happiness and sexual self-esteem.  Third, gossip is most often cited as the leading influence as to why women “hold back sexually.”  Gossip is a practice that is generally exhibited women than men, so men would not have as many people talk about their sexual lifestyle.  If people discussed a man’s sexuality it would only increase a man’s self esteem because he is perceived as being “the man,” while it would lower a woman’s because she is perceived as being a slut.

There is often very little experience with dating or developing romantic relationships within the hookup culture (Freitas 2013).  This is because, as mentioned before, students believe that their campus encompasses a hookup culture.  Thus, students believe that hooking up is the only option and that other students don’t practice dating.  This then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as each young adult believes, either correctly or incorrectly, that the other does not was a traditional relationship.  A breakthrough study by Donna Freitas, sexologist and author of many books dealing with sex, concluded, "hookup culture dictated for them that there would be no dating, and that they simply had to endure this reality."

The question that is then posed is if this rise of the hookup culture is a good or bad thing.  On one hand, some students claim “hook ups fit their busy personal and professional schedules better than traditional dating does and is thus liberating.”  However, one study countered that 63% of college man and 83% of college women would prefer a traditional relationship rather than casual sex (Wade 2013).  However, Freitas argues that the hookup culture has made it impossible for these students to experience dating and have the skills in order to from a romantic relationship.  In fact, the decline in dating culture is so high on college campuses that the majority of students have had more hookups than first dates (Kerner 2013).  Despite the fact that the hookup culture bars dating among college students, they do outgrow their desire for hookups and settle into traditional dating.  This is illustrated by the rising age of people when they get married.  In the 1950’s the median age of one getting married was 20-22, while now it is 25-27.  There have been a number of studies that have proven that both men and women regret their hookups.  One of these studies that’s that 78% of women and 72% of men have had casual sex that they later regretted.  While the men tended to feel more sorry for having used another person, the women regretted feeling as though they had been used (Freitas 2013).

With the dramatic rise of the hookup culture, it is interesting to question whether this type of sexuality will continue or not for future generations.  The emotional risk for both men and women is exceptionally high, but the sexual freedom that comes along with casual sex is a hot commodity.  Not to mention, college students are much more busy than ever before, and relationships could be too much of a time commitment.  Perhaps, the practice of dating could become so rare that the very institution of marriage could become endangered. Really, it is difficult to predict the future and even leading sexologists and sociologist have projected ambiguous results.  Despite if this trend continues, plateaus, or declines, it will always be a controversial topic because everyone has their own opinion.  As the evolution of dating and sex proceeds, its impact on society and its values will continue to pave our way of living.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

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Degler, Carl N. The Democratic Experience: A Short American History. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman, 1973. Print.

Freitas, Donna. The End of Sex: How Hookup Culture Is Leaving a Generation Unhappy, Sexually Unfulfilled, and Confused about Intimacy. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

Garcia, Justin R.; Reiber, Chris; Massey, Sean G.; Merriwether, Ann M. (2012). "Sexual Hookup Culture: A Review". Review of General Psychology 16 (2): 161–176. doi:10.1037/a0027911. PMC 3613286. Retrieved 2013-06-25.

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Kerner, Ian. "Young Adults and a Hookup Culture." CNN Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2014. <http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/16/health/kerner-hookup-culture/>.

Kinsey, Alfred C., Wardell Baxter Pomeroy, and Clyde E. Martin. Sexual Behavior in