According to a new study published in Archives of sexual behavior Feminist identity and beliefs shape attitudes toward hookup culture, especially among young women.

Hookup culture, characterized by casual, emotionless sexual encounters, has significantly influenced adolescent sexual behavior. This phenomenon is especially prevalent in developed nations. Definitions of a hookup can vary widely, ranging from kissing to sexual intercourse, but the common theme is the lack of a committed relationship.

Feminism, which advocates for gender equality and liberation from sexual oppression, may have implications for attitudes toward hookup culture. In this paper, Rachel M. Martino and colleagues examined the relationship between feminism, gender, and endorsement of hookup culture among adolescents.

Participants were 318 young adults aged 18 to 25 recruited online from five English-speaking countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Participants completed several tests, including the Feminist Beliefs and Behavior Scale and the Endorsement of Hookup Culture Index (EHCI). They were categorized based on their responses to questions about feminist identity and beliefs.

Feminist identity was assessed by asking participants whether they consider themselves feminists, while feminist beliefs were measured using three items reflecting core feminist principles: gender equality in treatment, pay equality, and the societal value of women’s unpaid work. Participants were considered feminist if they agreed with all three items.

The EHCI included items that assessed participants’ endorsement of hookup culture and captured aspects such as the perceived fun, harmlessness, and sexual freedom associated with casual, no-strings-attached sexual encounters. Participants also provided demographic information, including gender identity, relationship status, and sexual orientation.

The researchers observed significant interactions between feminist identity, feminist beliefs, and gender on endorsement of hookup culture. Women who identified as feminists or who had feminist beliefs reported being more supportive of hookup culture than non-feminist women with non-feminist beliefs. However, neither dimension of feminism predicted endorsement of hookup culture in men. The gender disparity in endorsement of hookup culture was eliminated when comparing women and men who identified as feminists, suggesting that feminist identity may influence women’s attitudes toward hookups more than men’s.

Among women, endorsement of hookup culture was greater among those who held a feminist identity or beliefs (or both) than among women who rejected both a feminist identity and beliefs. This suggests that feminist identity and beliefs jointly contribute to women’s attitudes toward hookup culture. Among men, no significant differences in endorsement of hookup culture based on feminist identity or beliefs were observed, suggesting that the influence of feminism on sexual liberation is more relevant for women.

The sample of this study was limited to English-speaking countries, which limits the generalizability of the results to other cultural contexts.

Authors of the study, “The Role of Feminism and Gender in Supporting Hookup Culture Among Adolescents,” were Rachel M. Martino, Savannah R. Roberts, Anne J. Maheux, Claire D. Stout, and Sophia Choukas-Bradley.