“It's not necessarily about first or second. It's just we have different roles” : Gen Z’s attitudes towards gender roles in heterosexual dating : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
| dc.contributor.author | Olguc, Leyla Sanna | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-09-24T23:42:35Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-09-24T23:42:35Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Strict adherence to traditional gender roles was once the norm in heterosexual dating. As society has progressed, younger generations have resisted and redefined how they want to act, based on their own preferences, rather than social pressures. To explore this shift, this research sought to understand the attitudes and experiences of Gen Z towards gender roles in heterosexual dating. The framework for the research was social constructionism, using Foucauldian discourse analysis to analyse the impact of power both discursively and to make sense of wider gendered issues of equality and sexism. I interviewed seven men and seven women between the ages of 18-26 years old, all living in Auckland, who identified as heterosexual. The findings highlighted two main discourses for men - The perfect woman, The ‘place’ for gender roles, and two for women - The toxic male is out and Are we equals? Men articulated the perfect woman as one who fulfilled their bid for connection, by speaking up having compatible interests, being ‘attractive’ and regulating their emotions. Men endorsed dominant discourses surrounding female sexuality which promotes modesty and purity in line with a romantic desire for romantic reciprocity yet maintaining sexual morality in public perceptions of ‘their’ woman. The ‘place’ for gender roles illustrated men’s self- perceptions of responsibility, alongside their responses to power issues in chivalrous behaviours. Women passionately spoke out against all tropes of the ‘toxic male’, asserting their preference for a man who instead prioritized traits of intelligence, courage, leadership, and capability. Throughout Are we equals? women outlined the fundamental transactional nature within dating, expending to their control of chivalrous behaviour which is in line with their predetermined limits. Their opinions surrounding gender roles were conflicting, as they attempted to construct a future of ‘genderless’ roles in dating, yet they frequently referred to the faults, both experienced and imagined, of how essential they are to successful dating. Overall, participants expressed a desire to redefine dating norms, but their language consistently controlled, stereotyped and blamed the ‘other’ rather than taking accountability for their own subjectivity to gendered inequality. Both existing and newer constructions of gendered traits are emerging for Gen Z, showing that traditionalism still persists within the heterosexual dating landscape in Aotearoa. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/71519 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Massey University | |
| dc.rights | The author | en |
| dc.subject.anzsrc | 520505 Social psychology | en |
| dc.title | “It's not necessarily about first or second. It's just we have different roles” : Gen Z’s attitudes towards gender roles in heterosexual dating : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand | |
| dc.type | Thesis |