Aida Ardelean is an Honours Sociology student in her fourth year at the University of British Columbia. Her current Honours research, under the supervision of Dr. Sylvia Bartolic, focuses on personal attachment styles in relation to modern-day dating norms and hookup culture.
Sociology Honours student Aida Ardelean
Sociology Honours student Aida Ardelean
What was your project about? What are the main take-aways from your work?
Much has been written about hooking up culture on university campuses and the impacts that it has on mental and emotional health, but not much is done on whether it impacts or is a product of attachment styles. My project aims to fill these gaps by exploring if and how the attachment styles we develop in our childhood contribute to participation in hookup/online dating as college students and/or young adults. To do this, I developed and conducted surveys and in-depth interviews amongst young adults using the Adult Attachment Scale (AAS). I have not analyzed the results yet, but I hope that I will be able to make recommendations to help young adults get support for insecure attachment styles and for issues they might have concerning romantic relationships.
“The topic requires vulnerability and sensitivity, but I was determined to use my experience as a source of comfort and empowerment to those who would eventually participate in the study.”
How did you get interested in this topic?
I became interested in this topic due to the societal discourse in media and other spaces and the volume of personal stories I heard concerning attachment and dating. As a sociologist, this indicated that something bigger was going on rather than pure coincidence. While there is nothing wrong with having an insecure attachment style, I believe there needs to be a balance in accepting oneself and experiences while simultaneously learning to reprogram your brain and shift your attachment style. My research participants have spoken to this, and I truly applaud their bravery for doing so. I believe college students engaged in hooking up could benefit from resources to help them navigate issues with attachment styles and dating. Hopefully, my thesis will produce some great recommendations.
What was the most difficult part of this learning journey? What was most satisfying?
I think one of the most difficult parts of this journey was how to convert my personal experience into a sociological project. The topic requires vulnerability and sensitivity, but I was determined to use my experience as a source of comfort and empowerment to those who would eventually participate in the study. I also believed that sharing stories can be a source of healing. Given the risk involved, getting ethics approval proved challenging but with the help of previous and current Honours cohorts and my supervisor, I got through it. I was also worried about whether students would participate in the study given how personal it is. However, interest was high and it was gratifying to see how many people were interested in participating and how closely everyone’s stories resembled one another.
“I hope that I will be able to make recommendations to help young adults get support for insecure attachment styles and for issues they might have concerning romantic relationships.”
What skills did you develop or strengthen as a result of this project?
I learnt to maintain a healthy distance from the data, whilst being reflexive about my own biography. When it comes to research, particularly research that is personal to you, there is not always room for emotion and personal interpretation. However, emotion values are part of the knowledge gap my research seeks to fill. Hence my emotional struggles will be central to my analysis. In weaving my personal experience with sociology, I have developed the patience, perseverance, writing ability, and statistical analysis skills needed to articulate my project.
What was your experience working with Sociology faculty on this project?
I currently work full-time and was worried that I wouldn’t be able to commit to an Honours thesis in the final year of my degree. However, Professor Oral Robinson and Kerry Greer were both so flexible and understanding. They helped me to stay connected and up-to-date with the course content even while I was at work. It likewise helped that my supervisor and I got along well. Dr. Silvia Bartolic genuinely cares a lot about her students and that made it all the easier to work with her.
