Most men are not of value to you : Female Dating Strategy – a case of existential resistance against modern intimacy
(2024) MKVM13 20241Media and Communication Studies
Department of Communication and Media
- Abstract
- This thesis deploys ethnographic tools in a qualitative case study to explore the internet community, Female Dating Strategy (FDS). As narratives surrounding the “crisis of masculinity” are popularised within politics and mainstream media, the objective of research becomes to scrutinise these conceptualisations. This thesis does so by focusing on the field of intimacy and sexuality, by raising the question of female romantic anguish. Thereby questioning the widespread idea that women are the “winners” of modern romance.
Female Dating Strategy is seen as a modern response to the many uncertainties and issues women face in contemporary intimacy. The study equips itself with theories on the individualisation and commodification of... (More) - This thesis deploys ethnographic tools in a qualitative case study to explore the internet community, Female Dating Strategy (FDS). As narratives surrounding the “crisis of masculinity” are popularised within politics and mainstream media, the objective of research becomes to scrutinise these conceptualisations. This thesis does so by focusing on the field of intimacy and sexuality, by raising the question of female romantic anguish. Thereby questioning the widespread idea that women are the “winners” of modern romance.
Female Dating Strategy is seen as a modern response to the many uncertainties and issues women face in contemporary intimacy. The study equips itself with theories on the individualisation and commodification of sexuality and heteropessimism. It relates these theories to the perspective of existential media, which highlights the media's existential capabilities and shortcomings within the deeply existential field of modern intimacy.
The study analysed posts on Female Dating Strategy’s forum, opinion pieces from Female Dating Strategy’s website, the Female Dating Strategy Handbook, and the expressions within The Female Dating Strategy Podcast.
The analysis results highlighted an orientation towards viewing romance and relationships as transactional and a part of the community member’s self-actualisation. As intimacy had become an important part of the member’s sense of self the members encouraged each other to act more autonomously. Urging each other to “ruthlessly evaluate men” and often act through negative choices. The feminist and conservative values within the community were recognised as useful ways of maximising achievement, rather than proposing any political projects. This all played out against a backdrop of deep technologisation and mediatisation. Female Dating Strategy created a sense of existential security for its members, however, it also created burdens, such as getting them stuck in a dependency on the strategies and advice on the forum. Media was also existential in the sense that it was constantly present within FDS members’ intimate lives, either through the pornification of sex or the introduction of dating applications. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9151592
- author
- Andreasson, Oskar LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MKVM13 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Female Dating Strategy, Intimacy, Sexuality, Relationships, Dating, Romance, Existentialism, Existential Media.
- language
- English
- id
- 9151592
- date added to LUP
- 2024-06-27 08:29:11
- date last changed
- 2024-06-27 08:29:11
@misc{9151592,
abstract = {{This thesis deploys ethnographic tools in a qualitative case study to explore the internet community, Female Dating Strategy (FDS). As narratives surrounding the “crisis of masculinity” are popularised within politics and mainstream media, the objective of research becomes to scrutinise these conceptualisations. This thesis does so by focusing on the field of intimacy and sexuality, by raising the question of female romantic anguish. Thereby questioning the widespread idea that women are the “winners” of modern romance.
Female Dating Strategy is seen as a modern response to the many uncertainties and issues women face in contemporary intimacy. The study equips itself with theories on the individualisation and commodification of sexuality and heteropessimism. It relates these theories to the perspective of existential media, which highlights the media's existential capabilities and shortcomings within the deeply existential field of modern intimacy.
The study analysed posts on Female Dating Strategy’s forum, opinion pieces from Female Dating Strategy’s website, the Female Dating Strategy Handbook, and the expressions within The Female Dating Strategy Podcast.
The analysis results highlighted an orientation towards viewing romance and relationships as transactional and a part of the community member’s self-actualisation. As intimacy had become an important part of the member’s sense of self the members encouraged each other to act more autonomously. Urging each other to “ruthlessly evaluate men” and often act through negative choices. The feminist and conservative values within the community were recognised as useful ways of maximising achievement, rather than proposing any political projects. This all played out against a backdrop of deep technologisation and mediatisation. Female Dating Strategy created a sense of existential security for its members, however, it also created burdens, such as getting them stuck in a dependency on the strategies and advice on the forum. Media was also existential in the sense that it was constantly present within FDS members’ intimate lives, either through the pornification of sex or the introduction of dating applications.}},
author = {{Andreasson, Oskar}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Most men are not of value to you : Female Dating Strategy – a case of existential resistance against modern intimacy}},
year = {{2024}},
}