Age, gender and sexuality

Question 1

How does masculinity and sexuality shift over the life course for men?

Answer 1

Age/aging reframed as desirable for men

Question 2

What is the difference between a “daddy” and a “sugar daddy”?

Answer 2

A “sugar daddy” implies financial support, while a “daddy” can refer to an older man with a mentor-like role without the financial element.

Question 3

What is “age heterogamy”?

Answer 3

• refers to age gap relationships
• Social unacceptability of these relationships is often driven by perceptions that relationship is unfair for the younger partner regardless of gender
• esp. women

Question 4

How do age gap relationships differ between men and women?

Answer 4

• Man-older relationships are more common than woman-older relationships, but their prevalence has declined.
• Men often seek younger women as they age, while older women are less likely to remarry.

Question 5

What are the trends in age gap relationships around the world?

Answer 5

• Women are, on average, younger than their male partners globally.
• biggest gap: Nigeria (14y)
• gaps widest in man-man relationships

Question 6

What is the role of “daddies” in gay and bisexual communities?

Answer 6

• Daddies are older men who mentor younger gay/bi men, providing sexual and non-sexual guidance.
• mentorship has cultural significance in gay/bi communities, helping younger men navigate life.

Question 7

What is a cougar?

Answer 7

• older woman in a relationship with a younger man.
• term is often stigmatizing and represents the devaluation of older women compared to older men, who are seen as more desirable with age.

Question 8

What do studies show about sexual activity in older adults?

Answer 8

• Sexual activity declines with age, but older adults still value sex.
• Partnered older adults have more sex and report higher satisfaction.
• Unpartnered women tend to value sex less than partnered women.

Question 9

What role does relationship length play in sexual activity for older adults?

Answer 9

In longer relationships, sexual activity and thoughts may decline slightly, but emotional intimacy remains stable.

Question 10

How does sexuality change in midlife and older adulthood?

Answer 10

• midlife: women may experience a decline in sexual desire due to life events rather than aging itself.
• older adulthood: men and women report that intimacy & emotional connection become as/more important than sex.

Question 11

What was the main finding of Alarie’s 2019 study about women dating younger men?

(cougar reading)

Answer 11

Few women presented themselves as confident seductresses actively pursuing younger men. Instead, they often described younger men as the ones initiating contact, especially among women aged 40 and above.

Question 12

How do men’s/women’s preferences for younger partners change with age + impact?

(cougar reading)

Answer 12

• Men’s preferences for younger women amplify as they age, making it more difficult for older women to find partners within their own age bracket.
• Women also tend to prefer younger partners as they age, but are less likely to actively seek these relationships compared to men.

Question 13

What role do cultural scripts play in age-hypogamous relationships?

(cougar reading)

Answer 13

• Cultural scripts provide guidelines on dating, including who should pursue whom.
• often dictate that men should initiate contact, while women should be reactive, limiting their agency.

Question 14

How do women over 40 challenge negative cultural representations?

(cougar reading)

Answer 14

• felt doubtful about younger men’s sincerity in their attraction and expressed discomfort about being seen as overly sexual or predatory
• sought confirmation of younger men’s interest and emphasized traits like maturity and self-reliance as qualities that made them desirable
• allowing younger men to make the first move