Abstract
This study examined a black-white sample (N= 173) of university students to ascertain if there is a protocol related to paying for dates. The sample was comprised of 97 blacks and 76 whites. Most of the blacks were from a historically black university and most of the whites were from a predominantly white university, both located in the southeast. Blacks had a slightly lower mean family income when compared with whites. Both racial and gender role related attitudes and expectations related to paying for dates were also explored. African Americans have generally been noted to enact more flexible or nontraditional gender role attitudes and behaviors in some areas. This study sought to ascertain if this pattern followed in the economic dimension of dating. Findings showed race differences on several variables related to paying for dates. Blacks were found to be less flexible or more traditional than whites on several aspects of dating related attitudes and expectations. Whites were more likely to endorse more flexible role patterns and seemed less concerned with a dating protocol. Other important background variables related to more flexible gender role attitudes and expectations were classification, age, and total income of respondents' family of origin respectively.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aborampah, O. M. (1989). Black male-female relationships: Some observations.Journal of Black Studies, 19 320–342.
Billingsley, A. (1968).Black families in white America. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Cazenave, N. (1979). Middle-income black fathers: An analysis of the provider role.Family Coordinator, 28 583–593.
Eckland, B. (1980). Theories of mate selection. In W. Henslin (Ed.),Marriage and family in a changing society. New York. Free Press, MacMillan Publishing Co.
Goodman, H. (1982). Assertiveness breeds attempt.Psychology Today, 16 75.
Guttentag, M., & Secord, P. F. (1983).Too many women. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Hatchett, S. (1991). Men and Women. In J. Jackson (Ed.),Life in Black America. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Howard, J. A., Blumstein, P., & Schwartz, P. (1987). Social or evolutionary theories? Some observations on preferences in human mate selection.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53 194–200.
Kephart, W. M. (1981).The Family, Society, and the Individual. Boston. Houghton Mifflin company.
Korman, S., & Leslie, G. (1982). The relationship between feminist ideology and date expense-sharing to perceptions of sexual aggression in dating.Journal of Sex Research, 18 114–129.
Korman, S. K. (1983). Nontraditional Dating Behavior: Date-Initiation and Date Expense-Sharing among Feminists and Nonfeminists.Family Relations, 32 575–581.
Murstein, B. I. (1986).Paths to Marriage. Newbury Park, California. Sage Publications.
Rice, F. P. (1990).Intimate Relationships, Marriages, and Families. Mountain View, California. Mayfield.
Scanzoni, L., & Scanzoni, J. (1988).Men, Women, and Change: A Sociology of Marriage and the Family. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Shulman, A. K. (1980). Theories of Mate Selection. In William Henslin (Ed.),Marriage and family in a changing society. New York. Free Press, MacMillan Publishing Co.
Spanier, G. B., & Glick, P. (1980). Mate Selection Differentials Between Whites and Blacks in the United States.Social Forces, 58 707–725.
Sprecher, S. (1985). Sex Differences in Bases of Power in Dating Relationships.Sex Roles, 12(3–4), 449–462.
Staples, R. (1976). The Black American Family. In C. H. Mindel and R. Habenstein (Eds.),Ethnic Families in America: Patterns and Variations. NY: Elseview.
Staples, R. (1985). Changes in Black Family Structure: The Conflict Between Family Ideology and Structural Conditions.Journal of Marriage and the Family, 47 1005–1013.
New York. Elseview.
Staples, R. (1991). The Dyad: Dating and Sexual Patterns. In R. Staples (Ed.),The Black Family: Essays and Studies. Belmont, California. Wadsworth.
U.S. Bureau of the Census. (1991). The Black Population in the United States: March 1990 and 1989. Series P-20, No. 448.
Wiggins, J. A. B. B. Wiggins, & J. Vander Zanden.Social Psychology. NY: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
Williams, M. W. (1991). Polygamy and the Declining Male to Female ratio in Black Communities: A Social Inquiry. In H. Cheatham and J. B. Stewart (Eds.),Black Families: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. New Brunswick, New Jersey. Transaction Publishers.
Willie, C. V. (1981).A New Look at Black Families. Bayside, New York. General Hall.
Willie, C. V. (1981).Black and White Families: A Study in Complementarity. Bayside, New York. General Hall.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ross, L.E., Davis, A.C. Black-white college student attitudes and expectations in paying for dates. Sex Roles 35, 43–56 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01548174
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01548174