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Are the times changing? An analysis of gender differences in sexual graffiti

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Abstract

This study examined the assumption that the gender gap has narrowed over time in the writing of sexual graffiti from male and female bathrooms of five colleges and universities in 1972 and 1984. In both studies, female graffiti, in relation to male graffiti, made fewer sexual references. In addition, female graffiti were more socially acceptable in regard to langauge and content. Overall, these results suggest that the decade of the 1970s may have had little or no impact on the pattern of gender differences in the sexual content and social acceptability of wall writings.

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Arluke, A., Kutakoff, L. & Levin, J. Are the times changing? An analysis of gender differences in sexual graffiti. Sex Roles 16, 1–7 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00302846

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