Paradoxes of Displeasure: Understanding Collegiate Hookup Culture's Resilience to Negative Emotional Energy

Most US college students express ambivalence toward collegiate sexual cultures. Why, then, do hookup cultures persist? This article uses Interaction Ritual Theory to explore five emotional pathways through hookup culture: interaction ritual chains with distinct emotional trajectories. At least four are argued to potentially reproduce hookup culture, but only one produces primarily positive emotions. This analysis suggests hookup cultures can persist despite producing widespread negative emotions. I conclude that, while robust social scenes are previously believed to include high levels of positive emotions, it may rather be the mix of positive and negative energy that gives social scenes their power.