What is hookup culture? What are its steps? How does it reinforce social inequalities?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Varies. Students might explain that hookup culture is a system of values and practices enforced by peers, which creates an environment for casual sex that can have positive consequences for some students but seems to result in negative consequences as well such as unwanted sexual encounters, and emotional distancing, depression, and anxiety. With a goal of “looking fuckable” students engage in the following steps: (1) pregaming (consuming alcohol before going out), (2) grinding with someone hot who gains peer approval, (3) initiating the hookup and sealing the deal, (4) doing something (which can range from kissing to intercourse), and then (5) establishing the meaninglessness of the encounter (which involves the counter steps of claiming to be inebriated, limiting hookups with the same person, and creating emotional distance). Those who hook up must manage emotions and replace the need for caring with callousness so as not to look desperate. Especially difficult can be hooking up with friends, which must be negotiated by showing that the hookup was casual and did not involve anything serious. Hooking up can reinforce social prejudices by race, class, and gender, thus disadvantaging those who are not “hot” [“beautiful”, blonde, fraternity members, athletes, White, and heterosexual]. Norms of masculinity mean that hooking up devalues emotion and ties self-worth to sexiness. It also reinforces competition between women and between men.