This article was downloaded by: [Memorial University of Newfoundland] On: 01 August 2014, At: 16:27 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
The Journal of Sex Research Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/hjsr20
Dating between American and Foreign College Students a
Harrop A. Freeman & Ruth S. Freeman
a
a
Cornell University , Ithaca , N. Y. , USA Published online: 30 Oct 2013.
To cite this article: Harrop A. Freeman & Ruth S. Freeman (1966) Dating between American and Foreign College Students, The Journal of Sex Research, 2:3, 207-213, DOI: 10.1080/00224499.1966.10749565 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00224499.1966.10749565
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is
Downloaded by [Memorial University of Newfoundland] at 16:27 01 August 2014
expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
The Journal of Sex Research Vol. 2, No.3, pp. 207-213
November, 1966
Dating Between American and Foreign College Students Downloaded by [Memorial University of Newfoundland] at 16:27 01 August 2014
HARROP A. AND RUTH S. FREEMAN Gloria was a slightly heavy blond girl, extremely active in the International Relations Club, an ardent religionist, believer in the brotherhood of man. Beginning with her sophomore year she dated "foreign" students almost exclusively. She married an Egyptian Moslem. Four years later we visited her in Alexandria. She was divorced. Due to her husband's brutality her genitals had suffered serious injury. She remained in Egypt in poverty because she could not take her children out.
* * * Naomi (Jewish) was a junior when we first met her. She was less attractive than most. She had found she could assure herself dates by turning to foreign students. She was attracted to Negro students with strong British accents. She also had a strong mothering instinct. Her parents were happily married, and Orthodox. A]amaican Negro became involved with the police because of petty thefts. She bailed him out and took over his rehabilitation. She decided to marry him, with or without her parents' consent. A talk with the father revealed a mature, sensitive, and understanding individual-no edicts of disowning, only a request for time so the mother could understand, and proper wedding arrangements be made. The marriage was postponed to graduation. The young man settled down to his studies, went on to graduate school, and became a teacher. Ten years later they remain happily married, with three children. The above two cases are picked from the hundreds in our files because they represent some typical motivations and two extremely different outcomes. THE SAMPLE
We have selected the cases of 50 foreign students and American girls counseled on which we had adequate information to design a questionnaire on dating-sex patterns; we have added 100 girls, shown as dating foreign men, in a study of those who had and those who 207
Downloaded by [Memorial University of Newfoundland] at 16:27 01 August 2014
208
A. HARROP, AND RUTH S. FREEMAN
had not gone to counseling, on two college campuses (1962-65), and a similar number of girls shown to date foreign men in our study of dating-sex-coital experiences of senior college women (1965). We found marked similarity of the three groups. Because of our small sample and because our studies were chiefly for other purposes, our conclusions and suggestions must remain tentative. We have felt it proper to contribute what we have because there are virtually no studies or literature available, particularly relating to colleges, where most of the dating takes place. What there is limits itself to the most homogamous cultures, represents the period 1950-57, takes no account of the great influx of Africans and others from newly developing countries. The studies at Michigan University (Blood, I 962A, B, C) are generally in accord with our conclusions. The foreign student population has become an important 10 % of colleges where they attend; it is predominantly male (9 foreign males to I foreign female), older by 4-5 years, staying at the college less than two years, compared to the American 4-8 years. Mos·t foreign students have grants and apartments and therefore some of the pre-requisites for easy dating-sex. A sizeable percentage (20-25 %) are married but have left their spouses home. Though we found Deans of Women taking a dim view of foreign dating, the University itself sets the stage for rapid and easy dating-within the first few days the student from abroad is given an orientation, feted, introduced to many American girls, encouraged to become friends, welcomed as a guest in the family-and consequently two-thirds date American girls within the first six months. All this is itself quite a surprise, for with the exception of the Europeans, few have previously experienced dating, and anything approximating dating was not an end in itself (as it is in America) but closely related to marriage. While in this study we group all non-American students together under the term "foreign," there are in fact profound differences of culture and marked differences from individual to individual within a culture. The cultural differences we shall try to consider; the individual discrepancies can only be mentioned. Since foreign students are predominantly men we are really discussing American female-Foreign male dating and sex. We must examine our topic in its similarity to American-American sex and also from the point of view of both partners.
AMERICAN AND FOREIGN COLLEGE STUDENTS
209
Downloaded by [Memorial University of Newfoundland] at 16:27 01 August 2014
SIMILARITIES IN AMERICAN-FOREIGN PATTERNS
In previous Freeman studies (1965-6) we found that inactive religionists, older, junior-senior-graduate, non-fraternity, living-inapartment, social science students were sexually more liberal; men slightly more than women (75 to 60 %). Dates were with people near at hand (class, mixers, friends). Less attractive and slightly heavy women had fewer dates but went further and faster sexually. Those who had coital experience usually had it with several partners. All this also applies to the dating of foreign students. In some respects, however, the patterns differ. While parents and the church generally are restraining factors as regards sex relations, they are particularly so as concerns foreign dating. Though parents do not know the extent of their daughters' sexual involvement, they are said to rate dating members of another race as more improper than heavy petting. Among senior college women generally 80 % conform to society's sex standard on the surface while secretly following their own. Generally, 50-60 % of college dates require some sexual decisions; apparently the percentage is reduced to near 40 % with foreign students. On theother hand, coital relations move up in the time schedule; this may be explained by the short period of the foreigner's stay and less interest in intervening petting. Furthermore the college girl rates the foreign student as somewhat (20 %) more sexually aggressive than American men (Europeans most aggressive, Latin Americans next and Mid-easterners third). The foreign male admits that he is more aggressive than at home (and attributes it to Kinsey, the movies, and American girls). In American male-female relations sexual aggressiveness has been found to increase with heterogamy; from our very limited study the opposite seems true for foreign-American liaisons. FREQUENCY OF DATING AND SEX
Even though foreign males are less than 10 % of the student body and are here only an average of I ~~ years, 80 % have dated American girls by the time they leave (an average of four girls each). Even married men (35-40 %) who have left their wives home date. And 50 % of the senior women will have dated a foreign man, 70 % are willing to. This date ratio is far above that for the average American
Downloaded by [Memorial University of Newfoundland] at 16:27 01 August 2014
210
A. HARROP, AND RUTH S. FREEMAN
college man. Less than 10 % of the average American girl's dates will be with foreigners; if she once so dates she will probably date 4-5 more men from abroad. About 8 % of the women date foreign students almost exclusively. Those who cross extreme cultural and racial barriers will end up with % of their dates in this category. The peer group generally accepts this American-foreign dating pattern unless it appears promiscuous. American men do not hold it against American girls that they date Europeans or Latin Americans (though this is the group with whom they are most likely to have sexual relations), but the tolerance tends to break down when they date Africans or Asians. It is hard to know whether there is greater or less sexual activity in foreign liaisons. It is difficult to question the foreign men, partly because they are reticent and partly because they leave. In our study of women, those known to be dating foreign students showed slightly higher sexuality, but our questions did not distinguish between sex with foreign and American students. In the opinions recorded above on aggressiveness and below on sexual freedom there is an implication of greater sexual activity by foreigners. From our counseling experience, we would be inclined to believe that more liberal women date foreign men and would have coital experiences about in this ratio anyway. ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE FOREIGN
The changing pattern of preference for foreign students can be seen by comparing the 1957 studies (Blood, et aI., I 962A, B, C) with our 1965 results: 1965
1957
~ro~~
n%
Latin American 22% Near East. . . . . . . . . . 22% India-Pakistan. . . . . . . . . 12% Far East. . ......... 5'?{ Africa. . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3,!~
European , Latin American African. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. India-Pakistan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Mid East Far East.. . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . .. . . .. ..
32% 24% 22% II %
8% 3%
Each group has its own line: "You haven't known sex till you've known one who studied Kama Sutra," says the Indian. "Our girls are freer," says the Scandinavian. And the "dashing Latin," the "mysterious East," the oil sheik's wealth, and the African "chief's son" have brought many a woman to bed. The chance to prac i ice a lore ; '1guage, to receive a free trav-
Downloaded by [Memorial University of Newfoundland] at 16:27 01 August 2014
AMERICAN AND FOREIGN COLLEGE STUDENTS
211
elogue, to learn about the unknown, to dance the new dance and sing the new song, to experience the new culture and to hear new myths, philosophies, and religions-all these play some part in attraction. But there is considerable difference in what the American woman and the foreign male seek in the relationship, as can be seen from the table of motives later in this article. The European male is listed (both by the male and female) as having more and freer sex relations with American girls than does his American male counterpart (by 20 % or more). As to other foreign students, women express the opinion that they also average slightly more sexual relations than comparable American men-for the reasons above referred to, because being away from home increases sexual freedom and opportunity, because of the larger percentage of dates. In the past men tended to have sex relations with those they would not marry (lower class, Negroes, etc.). College women now seem to look upon the racially different man in the same way-safe to be used in sex, not to marry. MOTIVES FOR DATING
Here our studies show that you must compare the motives of the foreign men and the local women. Blood (1962) used certain categories of motives and asked both foreign men and American women. We used the same categories for comparison. It may first be said that our study confirmed the Blood conclusion that the prime motive of the foreign male was fun (almost four times the nearest other' motive), Blood placed personal liking for the individual as the major female motive, though he considered the combination, dating a different culture and learning about another country, second. We found the dating and learning about other cultures the main motive of womenit is interesting to note that American men in Blood's study rated American women as more motivated by the fascination of the different (49 %) than by personal liking (40 %). We would consider the combination of a man looking for fun (part sex) and a woman seeking different cultural experience as likely to open the door sooner and farther to sex than in the average American-to-American date. Table 1 shows the statistics of motivation. SPECIAL PROBLEMS
Virtually none of our respondents saw dating and sex in foreignAmerican relationships as presenting the same problems as general
212
A. HARROP, AND RUTH S. FREEMAN TABLE I ---Blood, 1957
Freeman, 1965
Downloaded by [Memorial University of Newfoundland] at 16:27 01 August 2014
I
Personal liking. ........ ... - . Learn about another culture. .. Fun . . .............. . ... . ... Seek spouse ........... . . ....... Difficult to get dates. . . ..... Other. ..... . .. . . ...... ' " . Good will, do good. .. . . ......
For. men
Am. women
For. men
Am. women
0/0
0/0
0/0
0/0
14 14 46 5
43--45 11-25 5
13
22
52 1
14
0
I
14
10
"
13
II I
7
dating. Some emphasized the advantages of greater courteousness and maturity, the presence of ready-made topics of conversation, the attendance at special cultural parties, the unlikelihood of considering marriage. Language remained the number one problem, followed by difference in customs and values. The more disparate the customs and values the less satisfactory will be sexual as well as other contacts. A few examples may suffice: deference to class and status, classification of "good" and "bad" women, age for sex, place of sex in and out of marriage. On both sides of the dating line was a desire that foreign students learn American customs and treat their partners as individuals as much as possible. Sexual misunderstandings were largely due to cultural misunderstanding. MARRIAGE
All studies tend to confirm that heterogamous marriages are more prone to failure than homogamous ones. This is not to imply that nationality or race (per se) is the key factor. Religion, age, status, culture, education are equally determinative. But we are saying that differences in these regards usually accompany difference of race. A peculiar perspective operates within college. Propinquity and a student culture cut off from society generally imply a similarity of all its members which unduly discounts and reduces the sense of national, racial, economic, class, religious, and ethnic differences. Those differences do operate but they are seen as inoperative or of minor importance. While there has been a slight increase in the United States in interracial marriages (1.2-1.5 in the past 4-6 years), the percentage increase in interracial college marriages is greater.
AMERICAN AND FOREIGN COLLEGE STUDENTS
213
As counselors we know that the interracial and interethnic marriage carries a heavier burden, that away from the college community it is more precarious, that transplanted to another culture and nation it is under the greatest strain. It is hard to get young people to take this into account. Downloaded by [Memorial University of Newfoundland] at 16:27 01 August 2014
References HARDIS, PAUOS. Attitudes Toward Dating Among Foreign Students in America. .\farr. & Fam. Liv. 1956, 18: 339. BLOOD, ROBERT 0., jR. AND NICHOLSON, SAMUEL O. A. The Attitudes of American Men and Women Students Toward International Dating. Marr. & Fam. Lir. 19(j2, 24: 35--41. B. International Dating Experiences of American Women Students. Mnrr, & Fam, Li», 1962,24: 129-136. C. The Experiences of Foreign Students in Dating American Women. M arr, & Fam, Liv. 1962,24: 241-248. FREEMAN, HARROP AND FREEMAN, RUTH. Senior College Women: Their Sexual Standards and Activity. J. NAWDC. 1966,29: 59,136. GOLDSEN, ROSE. Unpublished Memorandum on Study of Foreign Students at Cornell University. 1955. JACOBSON, EUGENE, HIDEYA, KUMAR A AND GULLAHORN, JEANNE E. Cross-Cultural Contributions to Attitude Research. Public Opinion Quarterly. 1960. 24: 205-223. LAMBERT, RICHARD D., AND BRESSLER, MARVIN. Indian Students on an American Campus. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1956. LYSGAARD, SVERRE. A. A Study of Intercultural Contact: Norwegian Fulbright Grantees Visiting the United States. Oslo, Norway: Institute for Social Research. 1954. Unpublished. B. Adjustment in a Foreign Society: Norwegian Fulbright Grantees Visiting the United States. International Social Science Bulletin. 1955. 7: 45-51. MORRIS, RICHARD T. The Two-H'ay Mirror: National Status in Foreign Students' Adjustment. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1960. NIYEKAWA, AGNES M. Adjustment Problems of Male Students from Japan in Hatcaii. 1962. (Unpublished undergraduate research paper, on file at Romanzo .\dam Social Research Laboratory, University of Hawaii.) SEWELL,WILLIAM H. AND DAVIDSEN, OLUF M. Scandinavian Students on all American Campus. Minneapolis: Univ. of Minnesota Press, 1961.
The Journal of Sex Research Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/hjsr20
Dating between American and Foreign College Students a
Harrop A. Freeman & Ruth S. Freeman
a
a
Cornell University , Ithaca , N. Y. , USA Published online: 30 Oct 2013.
To cite this article: Harrop A. Freeman & Ruth S. Freeman (1966) Dating between American and Foreign College Students, The Journal of Sex Research, 2:3, 207-213, DOI: 10.1080/00224499.1966.10749565 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00224499.1966.10749565
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is
Downloaded by [Memorial University of Newfoundland] at 16:27 01 August 2014
expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
The Journal of Sex Research Vol. 2, No.3, pp. 207-213
November, 1966
Dating Between American and Foreign College Students Downloaded by [Memorial University of Newfoundland] at 16:27 01 August 2014
HARROP A. AND RUTH S. FREEMAN Gloria was a slightly heavy blond girl, extremely active in the International Relations Club, an ardent religionist, believer in the brotherhood of man. Beginning with her sophomore year she dated "foreign" students almost exclusively. She married an Egyptian Moslem. Four years later we visited her in Alexandria. She was divorced. Due to her husband's brutality her genitals had suffered serious injury. She remained in Egypt in poverty because she could not take her children out.
* * * Naomi (Jewish) was a junior when we first met her. She was less attractive than most. She had found she could assure herself dates by turning to foreign students. She was attracted to Negro students with strong British accents. She also had a strong mothering instinct. Her parents were happily married, and Orthodox. A]amaican Negro became involved with the police because of petty thefts. She bailed him out and took over his rehabilitation. She decided to marry him, with or without her parents' consent. A talk with the father revealed a mature, sensitive, and understanding individual-no edicts of disowning, only a request for time so the mother could understand, and proper wedding arrangements be made. The marriage was postponed to graduation. The young man settled down to his studies, went on to graduate school, and became a teacher. Ten years later they remain happily married, with three children. The above two cases are picked from the hundreds in our files because they represent some typical motivations and two extremely different outcomes. THE SAMPLE
We have selected the cases of 50 foreign students and American girls counseled on which we had adequate information to design a questionnaire on dating-sex patterns; we have added 100 girls, shown as dating foreign men, in a study of those who had and those who 207
Downloaded by [Memorial University of Newfoundland] at 16:27 01 August 2014
208
A. HARROP, AND RUTH S. FREEMAN
had not gone to counseling, on two college campuses (1962-65), and a similar number of girls shown to date foreign men in our study of dating-sex-coital experiences of senior college women (1965). We found marked similarity of the three groups. Because of our small sample and because our studies were chiefly for other purposes, our conclusions and suggestions must remain tentative. We have felt it proper to contribute what we have because there are virtually no studies or literature available, particularly relating to colleges, where most of the dating takes place. What there is limits itself to the most homogamous cultures, represents the period 1950-57, takes no account of the great influx of Africans and others from newly developing countries. The studies at Michigan University (Blood, I 962A, B, C) are generally in accord with our conclusions. The foreign student population has become an important 10 % of colleges where they attend; it is predominantly male (9 foreign males to I foreign female), older by 4-5 years, staying at the college less than two years, compared to the American 4-8 years. Mos·t foreign students have grants and apartments and therefore some of the pre-requisites for easy dating-sex. A sizeable percentage (20-25 %) are married but have left their spouses home. Though we found Deans of Women taking a dim view of foreign dating, the University itself sets the stage for rapid and easy dating-within the first few days the student from abroad is given an orientation, feted, introduced to many American girls, encouraged to become friends, welcomed as a guest in the family-and consequently two-thirds date American girls within the first six months. All this is itself quite a surprise, for with the exception of the Europeans, few have previously experienced dating, and anything approximating dating was not an end in itself (as it is in America) but closely related to marriage. While in this study we group all non-American students together under the term "foreign," there are in fact profound differences of culture and marked differences from individual to individual within a culture. The cultural differences we shall try to consider; the individual discrepancies can only be mentioned. Since foreign students are predominantly men we are really discussing American female-Foreign male dating and sex. We must examine our topic in its similarity to American-American sex and also from the point of view of both partners.
AMERICAN AND FOREIGN COLLEGE STUDENTS
209
Downloaded by [Memorial University of Newfoundland] at 16:27 01 August 2014
SIMILARITIES IN AMERICAN-FOREIGN PATTERNS
In previous Freeman studies (1965-6) we found that inactive religionists, older, junior-senior-graduate, non-fraternity, living-inapartment, social science students were sexually more liberal; men slightly more than women (75 to 60 %). Dates were with people near at hand (class, mixers, friends). Less attractive and slightly heavy women had fewer dates but went further and faster sexually. Those who had coital experience usually had it with several partners. All this also applies to the dating of foreign students. In some respects, however, the patterns differ. While parents and the church generally are restraining factors as regards sex relations, they are particularly so as concerns foreign dating. Though parents do not know the extent of their daughters' sexual involvement, they are said to rate dating members of another race as more improper than heavy petting. Among senior college women generally 80 % conform to society's sex standard on the surface while secretly following their own. Generally, 50-60 % of college dates require some sexual decisions; apparently the percentage is reduced to near 40 % with foreign students. On theother hand, coital relations move up in the time schedule; this may be explained by the short period of the foreigner's stay and less interest in intervening petting. Furthermore the college girl rates the foreign student as somewhat (20 %) more sexually aggressive than American men (Europeans most aggressive, Latin Americans next and Mid-easterners third). The foreign male admits that he is more aggressive than at home (and attributes it to Kinsey, the movies, and American girls). In American male-female relations sexual aggressiveness has been found to increase with heterogamy; from our very limited study the opposite seems true for foreign-American liaisons. FREQUENCY OF DATING AND SEX
Even though foreign males are less than 10 % of the student body and are here only an average of I ~~ years, 80 % have dated American girls by the time they leave (an average of four girls each). Even married men (35-40 %) who have left their wives home date. And 50 % of the senior women will have dated a foreign man, 70 % are willing to. This date ratio is far above that for the average American
Downloaded by [Memorial University of Newfoundland] at 16:27 01 August 2014
210
A. HARROP, AND RUTH S. FREEMAN
college man. Less than 10 % of the average American girl's dates will be with foreigners; if she once so dates she will probably date 4-5 more men from abroad. About 8 % of the women date foreign students almost exclusively. Those who cross extreme cultural and racial barriers will end up with % of their dates in this category. The peer group generally accepts this American-foreign dating pattern unless it appears promiscuous. American men do not hold it against American girls that they date Europeans or Latin Americans (though this is the group with whom they are most likely to have sexual relations), but the tolerance tends to break down when they date Africans or Asians. It is hard to know whether there is greater or less sexual activity in foreign liaisons. It is difficult to question the foreign men, partly because they are reticent and partly because they leave. In our study of women, those known to be dating foreign students showed slightly higher sexuality, but our questions did not distinguish between sex with foreign and American students. In the opinions recorded above on aggressiveness and below on sexual freedom there is an implication of greater sexual activity by foreigners. From our counseling experience, we would be inclined to believe that more liberal women date foreign men and would have coital experiences about in this ratio anyway. ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE FOREIGN
The changing pattern of preference for foreign students can be seen by comparing the 1957 studies (Blood, et aI., I 962A, B, C) with our 1965 results: 1965
1957
~ro~~
n%
Latin American 22% Near East. . . . . . . . . . 22% India-Pakistan. . . . . . . . . 12% Far East. . ......... 5'?{ Africa. . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3,!~
European , Latin American African. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. India-Pakistan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Mid East Far East.. . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . .. . . .. ..
32% 24% 22% II %
8% 3%
Each group has its own line: "You haven't known sex till you've known one who studied Kama Sutra," says the Indian. "Our girls are freer," says the Scandinavian. And the "dashing Latin," the "mysterious East," the oil sheik's wealth, and the African "chief's son" have brought many a woman to bed. The chance to prac i ice a lore ; '1guage, to receive a free trav-
Downloaded by [Memorial University of Newfoundland] at 16:27 01 August 2014
AMERICAN AND FOREIGN COLLEGE STUDENTS
211
elogue, to learn about the unknown, to dance the new dance and sing the new song, to experience the new culture and to hear new myths, philosophies, and religions-all these play some part in attraction. But there is considerable difference in what the American woman and the foreign male seek in the relationship, as can be seen from the table of motives later in this article. The European male is listed (both by the male and female) as having more and freer sex relations with American girls than does his American male counterpart (by 20 % or more). As to other foreign students, women express the opinion that they also average slightly more sexual relations than comparable American men-for the reasons above referred to, because being away from home increases sexual freedom and opportunity, because of the larger percentage of dates. In the past men tended to have sex relations with those they would not marry (lower class, Negroes, etc.). College women now seem to look upon the racially different man in the same way-safe to be used in sex, not to marry. MOTIVES FOR DATING
Here our studies show that you must compare the motives of the foreign men and the local women. Blood (1962) used certain categories of motives and asked both foreign men and American women. We used the same categories for comparison. It may first be said that our study confirmed the Blood conclusion that the prime motive of the foreign male was fun (almost four times the nearest other' motive), Blood placed personal liking for the individual as the major female motive, though he considered the combination, dating a different culture and learning about another country, second. We found the dating and learning about other cultures the main motive of womenit is interesting to note that American men in Blood's study rated American women as more motivated by the fascination of the different (49 %) than by personal liking (40 %). We would consider the combination of a man looking for fun (part sex) and a woman seeking different cultural experience as likely to open the door sooner and farther to sex than in the average American-to-American date. Table 1 shows the statistics of motivation. SPECIAL PROBLEMS
Virtually none of our respondents saw dating and sex in foreignAmerican relationships as presenting the same problems as general
212
A. HARROP, AND RUTH S. FREEMAN TABLE I ---Blood, 1957
Freeman, 1965
Downloaded by [Memorial University of Newfoundland] at 16:27 01 August 2014
I
Personal liking. ........ ... - . Learn about another culture. .. Fun . . .............. . ... . ... Seek spouse ........... . . ....... Difficult to get dates. . . ..... Other. ..... . .. . . ...... ' " . Good will, do good. .. . . ......
For. men
Am. women
For. men
Am. women
0/0
0/0
0/0
0/0
14 14 46 5
43--45 11-25 5
13
22
52 1
14
0
I
14
10
"
13
II I
7
dating. Some emphasized the advantages of greater courteousness and maturity, the presence of ready-made topics of conversation, the attendance at special cultural parties, the unlikelihood of considering marriage. Language remained the number one problem, followed by difference in customs and values. The more disparate the customs and values the less satisfactory will be sexual as well as other contacts. A few examples may suffice: deference to class and status, classification of "good" and "bad" women, age for sex, place of sex in and out of marriage. On both sides of the dating line was a desire that foreign students learn American customs and treat their partners as individuals as much as possible. Sexual misunderstandings were largely due to cultural misunderstanding. MARRIAGE
All studies tend to confirm that heterogamous marriages are more prone to failure than homogamous ones. This is not to imply that nationality or race (per se) is the key factor. Religion, age, status, culture, education are equally determinative. But we are saying that differences in these regards usually accompany difference of race. A peculiar perspective operates within college. Propinquity and a student culture cut off from society generally imply a similarity of all its members which unduly discounts and reduces the sense of national, racial, economic, class, religious, and ethnic differences. Those differences do operate but they are seen as inoperative or of minor importance. While there has been a slight increase in the United States in interracial marriages (1.2-1.5 in the past 4-6 years), the percentage increase in interracial college marriages is greater.
AMERICAN AND FOREIGN COLLEGE STUDENTS
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As counselors we know that the interracial and interethnic marriage carries a heavier burden, that away from the college community it is more precarious, that transplanted to another culture and nation it is under the greatest strain. It is hard to get young people to take this into account. Downloaded by [Memorial University of Newfoundland] at 16:27 01 August 2014
References HARDIS, PAUOS. Attitudes Toward Dating Among Foreign Students in America. .\farr. & Fam. Liv. 1956, 18: 339. BLOOD, ROBERT 0., jR. AND NICHOLSON, SAMUEL O. A. The Attitudes of American Men and Women Students Toward International Dating. Marr. & Fam. Lir. 19(j2, 24: 35--41. B. International Dating Experiences of American Women Students. Mnrr, & Fam, Li», 1962,24: 129-136. C. The Experiences of Foreign Students in Dating American Women. M arr, & Fam, Liv. 1962,24: 241-248. FREEMAN, HARROP AND FREEMAN, RUTH. Senior College Women: Their Sexual Standards and Activity. J. NAWDC. 1966,29: 59,136. GOLDSEN, ROSE. Unpublished Memorandum on Study of Foreign Students at Cornell University. 1955. JACOBSON, EUGENE, HIDEYA, KUMAR A AND GULLAHORN, JEANNE E. Cross-Cultural Contributions to Attitude Research. Public Opinion Quarterly. 1960. 24: 205-223. LAMBERT, RICHARD D., AND BRESSLER, MARVIN. Indian Students on an American Campus. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1956. LYSGAARD, SVERRE. A. A Study of Intercultural Contact: Norwegian Fulbright Grantees Visiting the United States. Oslo, Norway: Institute for Social Research. 1954. Unpublished. B. Adjustment in a Foreign Society: Norwegian Fulbright Grantees Visiting the United States. International Social Science Bulletin. 1955. 7: 45-51. MORRIS, RICHARD T. The Two-H'ay Mirror: National Status in Foreign Students' Adjustment. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1960. NIYEKAWA, AGNES M. Adjustment Problems of Male Students from Japan in Hatcaii. 1962. (Unpublished undergraduate research paper, on file at Romanzo .\dam Social Research Laboratory, University of Hawaii.) SEWELL,WILLIAM H. AND DAVIDSEN, OLUF M. Scandinavian Students on all American Campus. Minneapolis: Univ. of Minnesota Press, 1961.
