Hook-Up Culture is More Than A One-Night Stand

By Jena Lytle 

Feminist writer Jessica Valenti and researcher Elizabeth Maquardt made a visit to Emory & Henry College on Tuesday to speak at the Winter Forum about sexuality and gender roles in America.
        Before the keynote address, faculty and students had lively debates in their discussion groups. One group focused on the psychological aspects of the “hook-up culture” and its effects on individuals. Some in the group define a hook-up as having sex outside of a relationship. Others believe that a hook-up involves one person who wants to be romantically involved while the other person does not.
        The main debate in this group, however, was the morality of the “hook-up culture.” While almost everyone was in agreement that the decision to hook up is an individual choice, there was debate about the influences that lead to that final decision. Some argued that the “hook-up culture” goes against their family beliefs, while others dismissed the notion of family obligation.
        The conversation then moved to the role of alcohol in the “hook-up culture.” Some said it allows people to let their guard down, while others said it is an excuse to ease regret after a hook-up and that people should be careful about engaging in hook-ups while under the influence of alcohol.

This discussion led to questions about the ambiguity of the “hook-up culture” and about who is acceptable as a participant. It was discussed that hooking up is considered more acceptable for young people, who are keeping their options open and not getting tied down in a relationship. Gender difference was another issue of discussion, as people discouraged stereotyping females as “whores” and males as “players.” These topics set up anticipation for the keynote address that followed.
        Both Valenti and Marquardt made compelling arguments about their ideas of the “hook-up culture,” touching on topics that had been brought up in earlier discussion groups, as well as leading the audience to voice their opinions in later sessions.
        Valenti, a feminist writer, questioned the idea of a “hook-up culture,” saying that hook-ups are no more prevalent now than in the past. According to Valenti, the idea of the “hook-up culture” is a scare tactic used by conservative organizations to shame girls back into a conservative way of life. She says that society should focus instead on promoting the use of birth control and changing abstinence-only education in schools.
        Marquardt agreed with Valenti on this point but argued that the “hook-up culture” is prevalent today. She spoke about her recent study that supported this claim, in which three-fourths of the women surveyed admitted to hooking up with someone with no further expectations. She then discussed the reasons for these hook-ups, saying it makes individuals feel attractive. Marquardt also says that the women in her study viewed hooking up as an attempt to avoid rejection; however, she says that this attempt is futile because most people cannot separate sex from emotions.

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