Ivana Pérez
Introduction to Sociology
11.22.2009
Religiosity, Race & Perceptions of the “Hook-Up” Culture
Introduction & Hypothesis
In our study, we will examine whether religion and race play a role in students’ perceptions (rather than their actual behavior)of the “hook-up” culture at Boston College (BC), a Jesuit institution. “Hooking up” is defined as what occurs “when two people who are casual acquaintances or have just met that evening at a bar or party agree to engage in some form of sexual behavior for which there will likely be no future commitment” (Apple, Kahn, & Lambert, 2003). We will survey students’ own definitions of hooking up, as well as their beliefs about it, including whether they consider it prevalent and whether they approve of it.Usinga symbolic interactionist framework, I hypothesize that both religion and race will have no influence in BC students’ views about hooking up.
Interpretations
Religion: Labels Cognitive Dissonance
According to Donna Freitas, religious and non-religious students alike participate in “hooking up.” In her book, Sex and the Soul, Freitas discovers that, apart from Evangelist students, there is no correlation between college students’ religiosity and their participation in the hook-up culture. Many college students who engage in the hook up culture label themselves as “spiritual.” In fact, over 50% of the students that Donna Freitas interviewed considered themselves to be either “spiritual,” “spiritual but not religious,” and “more spiritual than religious” (Freitas, 2008, p. 21). The main discrepancy between “spirituality” and “religiosity,” Freitas argues, is that the former is “personal,” whereas the latter is “institutional” (Freitas, 2008, p. 39). Thus, spirituality has more to do with “lack of supervision,” than anything else: “Many students resist the rules, definition, organization, and simple requirements that being ‘religious’ entails—even those who identify as religious themselves” (Freitas, 2008, p. 41). Boston College students are not any different. It is during the college years that they, as well as other college students, are encouraged to learn more about themselves and rejoice in their freedom. This may be difficult to do within the rules and regulations of the church. Although many Boston College students may consider themselves religious, and in fact visit their religious churches and temples once a week, they may not necessarily agree with all of their doctrines. After all, many of the prototypical social events associated with college—partying, underage drinking, “hooking up”—are not approved of by many religions. This may cause Boston College students to undergo cognitive dissonance, and change his or her idea of religion. If a Catholic student parties and “hooks up” on a Saturday, and then attends church on Sunday, for example, he or she may feel hypocritical. He or she will realize that her actions do not coincide with his or her beliefs, and will thus feel the need to start considering him- or herself a more “spiritual,” rather than “religious,” being.
Race & “Hooking Up”in a Homogeneous Environment
Research also indicates that there are no statistical differences in students’ “hook-up” behaviors when it comes to their race (Owen, Rhoades, Stanley, & Fincham, p. 18). Thus, “hooking up” is as prevalent among Caucasians as it is among African-Americans, Hispanics, and people of other races. Whether there is any multiracial interaction in terms of hooking up is not clearly known. I can surmise that since Boston College is notoriously known for its homogeneity in terms of class and race—its student body is mostly upper-middle class and white—there is little interaction between races when it comes to hooking up. Boston College was even rated by the Princeton Review as number 17 in its “little race/class interaction” section of its 389 Colleges book. Caucasians, African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians alike probably mostly “hook up” amongst themselves. Perhaps they derive a sense of comfort and familiarity in interacting with someone like themselves. People of the same race, after all, not only look alike; theymay sometimes also speak in the same manner and/or language. Furthermore, it is easier for Boston College students of the same race to meet, interact, and “hook up” each other, for generally students of the same race are more likely interact and “party” with each other, rather than with people of a different race.
Other Factors
Pluralistic ignorance and alcohol consumption are two other factors that may influence Boston College students’ behavior and perception of the hook-up culture. Though seemingly unrelated to religious beliefs and race, they greatly play a role in students’ perceptions, for they both impair students’ cognitive functions and cause them to think less and act in manners which they normally would not.
Pluralistic ignorance.
“Pluralistic ignorance… exists when, within a group of individuals, each person believes his or her private attitudes, beliefs, or judgments are discrepant from the norm displayed by the public behavior of others” (Apple, Kahn, & Lambert, 2003, p. 3)In other words, pluralistic ignorance is a “collective misinterpretation” of a particular event or topic—in this case, we are referring to the hook-up culture prevalent at Boston College (Baumeister & Bushman, 2007, p. 241). Boston College parties are generally seen as places to “let loose” and “find someone to do it with.” Everybody assumes that everybody else is hooking up and that that is the norm, and thus many students are willing to compromise their own religious values in order to engage in behavior that others seem to tacitly approve of and enjoy. Students do not realize that others’ seemingly tacit compliance may in fact merely be confusion, which is understandable. The term “hooking up’s” ambiguous nature allows for this confusion. There is not really a clear-cut definition of “hooking up.” Many students simply act as though they know what they are doing, but in reality, they are just trying to go along with what they believe others are doing in order to be accepted. This phenomenon is universal; black, white, Buddhist, or Christian, all of Boston College students have experienced pluralistic ignorance in the realm of “hook ups.”
Alcohol consumption.
Moreover, a large part of “hooking up” involves alcohol consumption. The vast majority of Boston College’s student body—regardless of their religious beliefs and race—drink alcohol. Studies have shown that “college students use alcohol as a tool to facilitate,explain, and justify sexual encounters and casual coupling” (Vander Ven & Beck, 2009, p. 1). Alcohol is a depressant that impairs our cognitive functions and makes us lose our inhibitions and act in irrational, erratic, and impulsive ways. Generally, Boston College student parties serve alcohol. At Boston College, drinking alcohol is considered a socially accepted way to have fun and “loosen up” after a week of heavy schoolwork. It is not uncommon for students to students to encourage each other to “get wasted” during weekends. In a college setting, many students binge drink in the ritualized forms of shots and drinking games. These activities inevitably lead to inebriation, and, in many cases, “hook ups.” Studies have found thatover 35% of college students claim that they have“engaged in sexual behavior that wasinfluenced by alcohol since coming to college” (Meilman, 1993). This kind of drunken sexual behavior probably does not reflect that values and beliefs of many of the students. Thus, in our study we are very likely to find instances in which the influence of alcohol caused students to act in a manner that was against their beliefs. Religious, non-religious, and students of all races alike are likely to perceive alcohol as both a “hook up” enabler and facilitator.
Conclusion
Boston College’s students’ religious beliefs and race will most likely not play a role in their perception of the “hook up” culture. This idea was explained in terms of symbolic interactionism, based on Donna Freitas’ discovery that religion plays no role in students’ “hook ups.” For the most part, Boston College students, like many college students, are looking for freedom. In terms of religiosity and spirituality, students will generally consider themselves to be “spiritual” in some way, which is generally viewed as personal, rather than institutionalized, for students feel as though their religious institutions should not necessarily dictate how they should act. Moreover, since Boston College has little race interaction, race will also not play a role in their views of hooking up, for students will more likely be able to perceive that students generally “hook up” with others within their race. Pluralistic ignorance as well as alcohol consumption will definitely play a role in students’ ideas about “hooking up,” for they are factors that impair students’ reasoning abilities and lead to “hook ups.” Pluralistic ignorance occurs because of the ambiguity surrounding “hook ups.” Many students may not agree with the “hook up” culture but still contribute to it because they believe it is the norm to act in such a manner, or simply because they are too inebriated to even think about the consequences of their actions. Regardless of their religious beliefs and race, the vast majority of Boston College students’ experiences of their university include “hooking up,” thus their perceptions about it should not differ greatly.
Works Cited
Apple, K. J., Kahn, A. S., & Lambert, T. A. (2003). Pluralistic Ignorance and Hooking Up . The Journal of Sex Research, Vol 40, No. 2 , 129-133.
Baumeister, R. F., & Bushman, B. J. (2007). Social Psychology & Human Nature. Wadsworth Publishing.
Freitas, D. (2008). Sex and the Soul: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance, and Religion on America's College Campuses. Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press.
Meilman, P. W. (1993). Alcohol-induced Sexual Behavior on Campus. Journal of American College Health, Volume 42 , 27-31.
Owen, J. J., Rhoades, G. K., Stanley, S. M., & Fincham, F. D. "Hooking Up" among College Students: Demographic and Psychosocial Correlates. Erie, PA.
Vander Ven, T., & Beck, J. (2009). Getting Drunk and Hooking up: An Exploratory Study of the Relatiosnhip Between ALcohol Intoxication and Casual Coupling in a University Sample. Taylor & Francis Group.