Lisa Wade is an associate professor of sociology at Occidental College. Her newest book, American Hookup is about the emergence and character of the culture of sex that dominates college campuses today.
American Hookup situates hookup culture within the history of sexuality, the evolution of higher education, and the unfinished feminist revolution. With new research, Wade maps out a punishing emotional landscape marked by unequal pleasures, competition for status, and sexual violence. She discovers that privileged students tend to enjoy it the most, and considers its effects on racial and sexual minorities, students who “opt out,” and those who participate ambivalently.