Apparently lots of women still want men to pay for their dates: A study by Chapman University polled some 17,000 people and found that 84% of men and 58% of women claim that men "pay for most expenses, even after dating for a while." The study also found that 57% of women offer to pay, while 39% secretly hope they don't have to, and 44% are "bothered" when men expect them to pay. That 44% can rest easy knowing that 76% of men report to feeling guilty accepting money from women on dates anyway. Looking at the numbers, Frederick finds the"deep-rooted courtship ritual" of men paying for dates is a vestige of olden times that is finding limited (but increasing) resistance.
Not to be skeptical of something as reliable as social science theories, but it seems like these numbers don't add up to a totally accurate view of current spending practices. If 84% of men believe they pay for most dating expenses versus 58% of women believing men pay, there's obviously some sort of discrepancy. Perhaps men are just paranoid that they are being played for free meals by cunning women trying to save money on dining out?
And within the restaurant world, are these old fashioned heterosexual dating norms still at play? Perhaps price free menus for women have merely been substituted with prepaid, ticketed meals. Either way, the Chapman study raises more questions than it answers. Leave your righteous grievances with its findings in the comments below.
· Study examines beliefs about who should pay for dates [EurekAlert via Jezebel]
· All Sexism Coverage on Eater [-E-]