The persistence of gendered dating

The research on gendered dating demonstrates the remarkable staying power of the conventional norms that shape the practice. Heterosexual women and men rely on a proactive/reactive framework in which men take the lead and women respond. This is in spite of broad changes in patterns of relationship formation as well as increased commitment to egalitarian relationships which should conceivably shift how women and men date. Yet, as this review of the literature demonstrates, multiple challenges to these gendered expectations around dating, including a self-development imperative and extended period of independence before marriage, hookup culture on college campuses, and online dating, have failed to sufficiently challenge these gendered scripts. Heterosexual men and women locked out of these normative practices by economic constraints and social inequalities continue to desire them and struggle to enact rather than transform them. Moving forward, research should focus on the conditions under which sustained change does occur given the implications for research on gender inequality more broadly.