Dynamics of Desire

Many college students participate in hookup culture, but do they realize the power structures it perpetuates?

Story by Caroline Kammerer

Design by Anna Schneider

When first-year students arrive on college campuses for the first time, they experience several feelings—excitement, nervousness, and, most importantly, a newfound sense of independence that comes with leaving home for the first time.

Fueled by this new independent spirit, young adults tend to branch out and try new things. For some, this means exploring the intricacies of sexuality on a college campus. At universities around the country, this phenomenon is known as hookup culture.

According to an excerpt from Lisa Wade’s book, “American Hookup: The New Culture of Sex on Campus,” “Hookup culture refers to the idea that casual sexual encounters are the best or only way to engage sexually; and the concept also refers to rules of social interaction that facilitate casual sexual encounters and organizational arrangements that support these encounters.”

College students who want to experiment with their sexuality do not have to be limited to the quick, casual interactions that hookup culture provides. There are still plenty of people out there who look for more meaningful, monogamous relationships, or who don’t seek sexual relationships at all.

Erin Bishop is a junior at Ohio University studying media and social change. As a student, Bishop witnesses this culture among her peers, but also as a Bumble Ambassador, she has another perspective, with dating apps being a tool commonly used in hookup culture.

“It's so easy to connect with a person, even just getting their Snapchat within three seconds of matching with them, I feel like that promotes hookup culture because on college campuses, you are so close in vicinity,” Bishop says. “I don't really see hookup culture as something that is negative, I feel like college is the perfect time for you to explore yourself.”

In the discussion surrounding gender and sexuality that seems to pervade our current society, hookup culture remains a prominent topic. The question of a double standard, particularly in heterosexual relationships, arises concerning the sexual dynamics between men and women. In these types of casual, less emotionally intimate relationships, does one person hold the power and ultimately enjoy greater benefits?

Myrna Perez Sheldon, associate professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies at OU, examines some of these questions in her studies, particularly those focused around the 1970s. During this period, politicians and religious leaders denounced the sexual liberation movement of women, perpetuating the notion that women were solely interested in long-term relationships and “settling down.”

“I don't agree with those claims, but I think that those kinds of claims can get reinforced and re-narrated, so you get these stereotypes [that] women are more interested in relationships and are more interested in emotional connections and men are primarily interested in sex defined really narrowly as physical experiences,” Sheldon says.

These stereotypes that remain ingrained in society are what allow the harmful power dynamics to continue in today’s relationship culture among younger generations. Certain patriarchal structures, as Sheldon describes them, can make one question their sexual desires and the value of intentions when entering a relationship.

“One way of thinking about gender is that the gender roles that we have come straightforwardly from what our bodies are like … in that way of thinking about it, it would be something like men have a strong sex drive, men are good leaders in society, and so they're sort of in charge of everything, and women feel pressured to become a part of that,” Sheldon says. “I don't agree with any of that. I think that a more helpful way of thinking about it, [although] it's very hard, is to know oneself and what one's sexual interests, sexual desires [and] sexual identity are independently of all of those oppressive structures.”

Double standards can be exemplified perfectly in the discourse over hookup culture and sexuality.

“I think that's important to note that while we are participating in the literal same type of thing, the girls will be put down more just because there is that stereotype and generalization of the more promiscuous woman versus the ladies' man,” Bishop says.

While these stereotypes and gender roles happen in heterosexual relationships, Sheldon has found that the power of patriarchal systems can find its way into queer relationships as well.

“Something that people have been really thoughtful in talking about is the weight of how hard it is to escape patriarchy,” Sheldon says. “The sort of relationship structures that we're all used to that come out of patriarchy can sometimes still find their way into queer spaces.”

The power that can be held by men who participate in hookup culture is what leads to one of the negative effects that it has: people feeling pressured or coerced into having sex.

“There's such a long and difficult legacy around the shaming of female sexuality, right?”  Sheldon says. “Even framing it in that way … presumes that women are not interested in casual sex, which I think we have really good evidence that lots of women are interested in casual sex.”

Michael Reece is the interim department chair of social and public health in the College of Health Sciences and Professions. Reece has extensively researched sexual health throughout his career, conducting various studies and surveys.

An expansive sexual education is about more than learning about contraceptives and how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. While this knowledge remains incredibly important to have, there is still one requirement that is non-negotiable for having sex: consent.

“I think it's important to understand the importance of consent to have boundaries,” Reece says.

Learning about consent is more complex than learning about contraceptives. According to Reece, it involves understanding verbal and nonverbal cues, as well as considering the potential influence of alcohol.

“The crazy thing about all of this is that the notion of health always tends to fall on women, right? ... I think another important thing that we have to continue to bring to the culture is a continued emphasis on education and awareness programs that target men around the importance of consent and what that looks like,” Reece says.

All things considered, hookup culture is not an inherently negative thing. Like all sexual behaviors, it just has its own set of risks involved. For those who choose to participate in hookup culture, there are ways to protect yourself and do it safely.

There are several resources at OU that can help educate students about sexual health and provide additional resources as well, including the Office of Health Promotion, the Women’s Center, the LGBT Center and the Survivor Advocacy Program.