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Marshea RobinsonDr. Ladelle McWhorterWGSS 2004/21/19Title of Research Project: Performing for LoveAims Gender roles are exhibited by human beings on a daily basis as they determine how one should act, speak, dress, and more. Some common gender stereotypes include females being passive, emotional, and weak. Whereas men are expected to be self-confident, aggressive, and bold. Regarding appearance, women are expected to be graceful, act lady-like, and to be thin, if not they must be curvy in specific places. Conversely, men are encouraged to be tall and muscular. I believe that dating site users succumb to common gender norms while using the sites. I hypothesize that standard gender traits are what people on these sites attribute to themselves in their pursuit of attracting others. Thus, such sites perpetuate and reinforce traditional gender norms. Users are all performers, especially when it comes to demonstrating their gender. They advert to the gender norms demanded by society for acceptance. A profile is an invitation to the party’s fake life filled with fun and attractive photos. The engagement in conversation is the full show being performed. Ultimately, I want to know if these dating sites perpetuate the systems of gender currently placed in society. I want to see how people behave behind a phone or computer screen, and whether they heed to gender norms or not. Background and Significance I was first interested in this topic after a conversation I had with a close friend. My friend complained about how lonely she had become after breaking up with her partner, so I suggested a mobile dating application to her, and she immediately rejected the idea. I started to think about my own perception of dating sites, and realized that I, too, viewed them negatively. We both agreed that dating apps, such as Tinder, are filled with desperate individuals with values that do not align with ours. This was one of the negative assumptions we related to Tinder, but I tied these stereotypes and assumptions to our WGSS 200 course. The app just seemed fake to us. Subconsciously we believed that it was all an act. Hypermasculinity and femininity are two terms that we discuss heavily in the course. This is the perfect showcase of the two topics.What it means to be male or female is evident in the American society, and I assume that it has even become translated online. I want to see if men and women truly believe these gender norms, and if they act upon them. Ultimately, I want to see whether the performances of masculinity and femininity are true, but from the modern lenses of online dating. The research questions I hope to answer are, do dating sites perpetuate the systems of gender currently forced upon society? How do the users behave in real life? Is it possible to see a difference between one’s online and then real life gender traits.When I began research regarding gender and dating apps, I found very little information on this new age system. This is a key area that has yet to be researched in depth, as dating apps are fairly new, and not often connected with the subject of gender. It should be understood that although dating sites, themselves, are not new, applications accessible on mobile phones, such as Tinder and Bumble, are and have been in existence for less than 10 years. I am excited to research this topic, as it would be one of the first of its kind. Few ethnographies have been completed regarding newer dating apps, and how gender plays a role in the actions and behaviors of the users. Online sites allow for individuals to hide behind a screen and perform beyond just their gender, so it would be an exciting examination. Additionally, it would be interesting to address the stigma regarding dating apps. Depending on my results, I would confirm or disprove the assumptions people have about the apps. Overall, I want people to feel safe and respect their decision to use the dating app, so I will be sure to use it respectfully and with confidentiality. Research Plan I want to achieve my research goal by assessing various profiles of individuals that I know personally and seeing the differences between their words, actions, and behaviors on these dating sites and then in real life. I will be looking for the use of common gender norms among the users, but remaining alert for any other signs that I may stumble upon. The two main dating sites I plan to use are Tinder and Bumble in order to study the behaviors of these individuals using the site. I will study a total of 10 people, 5 self-identifying females and 5 self-identifying males. So first the comparison will take place, then I will use measurable categories for evaluation. A scale from 1 (least) to 10 (highest) will be used in the evaluation including questions examining how ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ a specific profile is. Categories include the photo, what do the photos look like; the facial expressions and body positioning; what is going on in the photos; who else is in the photo along with the individual. Then I will look at the biography section. What words are used to describe the individual; what language is used; does the written description add up to the real personality? Lastly, I will look for any constants and trends across profiles and people. I hope to then present my findings.Literature CitedChappetta, Kelsey C., and Joan M. Barth. "How Gender Role Stereotypes Affect Attraction in an Online Dating Scenario." Computers in Human Behavior 63 (2016): 738-46. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.06.006.Gewirtz-Meydan. "Forever young: Visual representations of gender and age in online dating sites for older adults.". Journal of Women & Aging (0895-2841), 30 (6), p. 484.Guadagno, Rosanna E., Bradley M. Okdie, and Sara A. Kruse. "Dating Deception: Gender, Online Dating, and Exaggerated Self-presentation." Computers in Human Behavior 28, no. 2 (2012): 642-47. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2011.11.010.Ong, David. "Height and Income Attraction: An Online Dating Field Experiment." SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015. doi:10.2139/ssrn.2547349.Sumter, Sindy R., Laura Vandenbosch, and Loes Ligtenberg. "Love Me Tinder: Untangling Emerging Adults’ Motivations for Using the Dating Application Tinder." Telematics and Informatics 34, no. 1 (2017): 67-78. doi:10.1016/j.tele.2016.04.009.Related CourseworkWomen’s Gender and StudiesEthnographic Methods with Dr. Jan FrenchIntroduction to Sociology ................
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