Analysis Of The Hookup Culture By Conor Kelly - 1344 Words

In his essay, â€Å"Sexism in Practice: Feminist Ethics Evaluating the Hookup Culture,† Conor Kelly argues that the hook up culture prevalent in today’s society is sexist towards females. He argues that this culture gives off the illusion of freedom, but it instead disempowers women. Kelly begins by giving the definition of hook up culture. He defines it as, â€Å"the practice of pursuing sexual activity without any expectation of a relationship.† He then states what he believes are the four main factors that contribute to the disempowerment brought on by this culture: a lack of commitment, use of ambiguous language, alcohol use, and a social pressure to conform. Kelly then gives his argument as to why hookup culture should be concerning. Kelly†¦show more content†¦One can never escape this culture and other students expect each other to partake in it. Kelly transitions into his argument about why hookup culture should be concerning. Referring to his fou r main factors, he summarizes how each could be potentially harmful, especially to women in college. A lack of commitment takes away the emotions and connection made through physical contact. Future relationships are at risk due to this detachment. Ambiguous language creates a lack of trust between partners, causes classmates to make assumptions, and distorts risks. Alcohol impairs judgement relating to hooking up. This ends up in several undesirable scenarios, including rape and regrettable sex. Lastly, social pressure forces students into the hookup culture. Kelly stresses that there is a severe skewness against women. There is a fine line for them between participating in the culture and being known as a slut. There is a substantial double standard in hookup culture. From this, Kelly concludes that these elements â€Å"offer only the perception of freedom† (72). Hookup culture places a burden upon students. The sexist nature of this culture puts women at a disadvantage; an d this can be extremely harmful in developmental years. Main Argument: 1. Women walk a fine line in participating in the culture. 2. The social stigma for men that sleep around is