Understanding ‘Lad Culture’ and its
effects in Higher Education
Kelley Temple, NUS National
Women’s Officer
7 February 2014
Lad Culture Research – Why?
‘Hidden Marks’, a report published by the NUS in
2011, shows that:
• 1 in 7 women surveyed has experienced a serious
physical or sexual assault during their time as a
student
• 68% have experienced some kind of verbal or nonverbal harassment in and around their institution
• More than 1 in 10 has been victim of a serious
physical violence.
Lad Culture Research – Why?
• Worrying account from women on how ‘lad
culture’ affects their lives and wellbeing
• Complex effects and aspects of this that needed
to be better understood
• Important
implications
for
the
student
movement as well as for institutions
What is Lad Culture?
• ‘Lad culture’ can be defined as a group or ‘pack’
mentality residing in activities such as sport and
heavy alcohol consumption, and ‘banter’ which
are often sexist, misogynist and homophobic.
• It is also thought to be a sexualised culture
which involves the objectification of women and
rape supportive attitudes, and occasionally
spilled over into sexual harassment and
violence.
Lad Culture and Masculinities
• Cultures—including ‘lad culture’—are not fixed.
They form a set of behaviours that people—both
men and women—can dip in and out of at
different times
• Masculinity is not a fixed characteristic either,
but ‘lad culture’ is clearly related to the concept
of masculinity
• Despite being fluid and socially constructed, ‘lad
culture’ and masculinity can still have very real
impacts on students’ experiences
Gender and student identities
• ‘Lad culture’ is fundamentally about masculinity
and gender
• Gender is one key factor in shaping women
students’ experiences in HE, but it is not the
only one
• Lad culture clearly also has implications for
other facets of students’ identity including
sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, disability,
and religion or belief
A result of unequal power relationships?
• Affects everyone, men and women, but women
are more directly oppressed by it
• ‘Masculine’ model and behaviours as a results of
unequal gender relationships and hierarchies
• A problem for NUS: democracy, equality,
wellbeing and inclusion
Lad Culture and Campus culture
• Campus culture as social side of university—
where is the space for other sides of campus
life?
• High degree of overlap
culture’ and lad culture
between
‘campus
 Students’ unions and universities have the
power to influence campus culture