“They're Just a Good Time and Move On”: Fraternity Men Reflect on Their Hookup Experiences

Abstract

Hookups have largely replaced heterosexual dating on campus, but literature suggests men and women may ascribe different motivations and meanings to hookup experiences. This study, utilizing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, makes sense of the responses of three fraternity members reflecting upon their sexual and dating experiences. Four themes emerged: (a) insignificance of hooking up, (b) distinction between hookups and romantic relationships, (c) centrality of alcohol and hooking up in sociability, and (d) different attitudes and consequences of hooking up for men and women. Future directions and implications for practitioners are discussed.

Keywords:

• college students
• fraternity men
• hooking up
• sexuality