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Published on: May 10, 2019
Gendered racial exclusion among White internet daters
Cynthia Feliciano1, Belinda Robnett, Golnaz Komaie
1Department of Sociology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-5100, USA. felician@uci.edu
White men and women show different racial dating preferences, impacting minority assimilation. White men are more open to dating non-whites than white women, but both genders exclude specific racial groups.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Racial and Ethnic Studies
Background:
- Dominant group acceptance is key to racial hierarchy and assimilation in the U.S.
- The gendered nature of racial preferences among white individuals remains under-researched.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate racial dating exclusion patterns among white men and women on an internet dating platform.
- To analyze how gender influences racial preferences in dating among white individuals.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a dataset of user profiles from an internet dating website.
- Examination of stated racial preferences and exclusions by white users towards various racial groups (Blacks, Latinos, Asians, Middle Easterners, East Indians, Native Americans).
Main Results:
- White men generally show greater willingness to date non-white individuals compared to white women.
- Significant gender differences exist in racial hierarchies, with white men more likely to exclude Black individuals and white women more likely to exclude Asian individuals, excluding top preferences like Latinos.
- Racial exclusion patterns differ from general dating willingness, particularly for top preferences.
Conclusions:
- Racial dating exclusions are influenced by gendered perceptions of masculinity and femininity.
- These dating and marriage outcome patterns affect the social incorporation of minority groups.
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