Marriage Delay, Time to Play? Marital Horizons and Hooking Up in College

Previous research suggests that an increasing age at first marriage has contributed to the prevalence of sexual hookups on U.S. college campuses. In this article, we use life course and marital horizons theories to analyze the influence of ideal age at first marriage on hooking up among unmarried he...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sociological inquiry 2017-08, Vol.87 (3), p.472-500
Main Authors: Allison, Rachel, Risman, Barbara J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
College students
Ethnicity
Heterosexuality
Internet
Latin American cultural groups
Marriage
Marriage timing
Mothers
Participation
Secondary education
Sexuality
Social stratification
Women
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Summary:Previous research suggests that an increasing age at first marriage has contributed to the prevalence of sexual hookups on U.S. college campuses. In this article, we use life course and marital horizons theories to analyze the influence of ideal age at first marriage on hooking up among unmarried heterosexual college students. Analyses of the Online College Social Life Survey (N = 17,981) show a positive association between ideal age at first marriage and hookups for most students, but not for students whose mothers have no post‐secondary education, Asian men, Asian women, and Latina women. Variation in ideal marriage timing does not account for gender, racial/ethnic, and class gaps in hookup participation. Results are discussed with reference to the role of sexuality in processes of stratification throughout young adulthood.
ISSN:0038-0245
1475-682X
DOI:10.1111/soin.12159