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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (March 10, 1989)
Has dating in college gone the way of poodle skirts and saddle shoe*? Many students agree that dating is no longer a social norm of college life. Reasons range from not wanting to give up the “group identity” to simple lack of finances, (ioing out in groups has become a preference to traditional one-on one dating. What do you think of the college dating scene? N't pretty bad People date amend and meel the tame people II realty doatn t briny people any closer together ' — LYNN SANNIEL. FRESHMAN. BIOLOGY piling Mims like It evolves around Ike greet system. It you're not a pari ot It. they kind ol shine you on But. then again, there are some people who are cool about It.' — CHARLIE SURH. UNDECLARED. SOPHOMORE 'll teems like e lot at people meet el clubs end stud I think It's better to be friends with people you meet. People here get together reel lest, end I don't think that’s really normal.' — CELESTE DESPRES. SENIOR. ECONOMICS I think it (dating) calls too much lor money and what each person eipects from each other I don't think there's much consideration ol what the individual is like ' — FRASER SHILLING. GRAOUATE STUDENT. BIOLOGY GAIL PAGALA AMO JOHN URATA II '* vmllAHN AlUnllWA SHlIAl 10 II Has traditional dating become a thing of the past? ►Many students , no longer play Sthe romance game By Anita McDonnell ■ Daily T rojan U. of Southern California In the 19f>0s and 1970s, the atti tude of “free love” shaped the relationships of the time. As a sign of rebellion against structured social rules regarding dating in the 1950s, and because of new attitudes about personal liberty, young adults believed love should Ik- shared freely among every one They believed exclusive dating was unfair. Generalizations cannot be made as easily about students today “There’s always been that kind of looking for one person who thinks you’re special." said I)r. Steve Ino, a staff psychologist at the U. of Southern Cali forma (USt'i Counseling Services The real difference is in the way we go about the search, Ino said “I think in terms of what young adults are looking for in a romantic rela tionship, there haven't been many changes," said Ino, “(Butt the ways in which they’ve tried to find it might have changed. “What I sis- is more different types of relationships going on." said Ino While the types of relationships among young adults have changed drastically, dating has undergone more NUIH.lt1 LnUIl|;t*N. People may or may not date in the traditional way, but they arc still mak ing the contacts needed to find rela tionships Dating now can l>o seen as any situation that involves meeting people. “Usually I like to go out one on one when I date. I’m more comfortable that way," said Steve Kisner, a senior major ing in sports information “When I start seeing a guy, I want to spend time with him in groups rather than one on one. It eases the pressure," said Alexandra Kurland, a sophomore majoring in psychology. "Relationships have become more of an outgrowth of regular friendships than anything else," said Glenn Sum mer, a junior majoring in filmic writing. “We always need to have some sort of contact, some sort of relationship with others. We’re social creatures,” said Ino. “I also think that we need to make these social contacts meaningful." “Meaningful" might lx* defined accur ately by Sigmund Freud, said Ino Freud’s definition of love separates emotions from sex Blending the two successfully is the key to true, mature love, he thought. I he search tor the ideal, that one “meaningful" relationship, is fueled by internal and external social pressurt‘8. Relationships provide a feeling of being valued — a feeling Ino said is im portant to anyone’s perception of self worth Some people fulfill this need with traditional monogamous boyf riend/girlfriend relationships, while others an* satisfied with casual sexual friendships, or one-night stands. Each type* of relationship may satisfy a need, but in differing degrees. A one night stand might make people feel good about themselves, but only for a short period of time. That may Ik* all someone wants. “1 think in the past, in the ’50s and the MOs it was more like women went to college not specifically for a career, but to consider being in a social situation when* they (could) meet a potentially successful, intelligent, college-educated partner," Ino said By Matt Bach ■ Central Michigan Lite Central Michigan U. The words “relationship” and “dat ing are not words many students use often. And some members of the Central Michigan U. (CMU> community agree the trend is toward less one-on-one dating “Today we are seeing a lot more group behaviors, then people couple off,” said Bruce Roscoe, professor of home econo mics, family life and consumer educa tion. “It may is- financial, or maybe (college students) are not yet ready to give up group identity and move into i moraliz ing) identity," Roscoe said Today social “rules" are changing, said Jerry St rouse, a professor in Res cue's department Dating has become less formal, Strouse said “There are not so many single (dating! rules. Women can now call up men lor a date. (Students) go to the bar with people of their same sex groups and decide to meet people of the opposite sex there." Although some ('MIJ students think there is a new trend in “group dating,” others still think dating patterns are different for all individuals. .John Petras, professor of sociology, anthropology and social work, said more “party dating” people of the same sex attending social functions in groups and meeting members of the opposite sex — is occurring, hut it is not replacing traditional dating “(Party dating) is replacing the first date situation," Petras said. “It is giving people an opportunity to meet someone in a more comfortable situation . . instead of the traditional calling them up over the phone."
