Date of Completion

Spring 5-1-2026

Thesis Advisor(s)

Bhoomi Thakore

Honors Major

Sociology

Disciplines

Sociology

Abstract

The “Man or Bear” debate, which became wildly popular online in 2024, asks whether someone would prefer encountering a random man or a random bear if alone in the woods. This question is meant to spark conversations around sexual and gender-based violence, and it created considerable discourse. Upon an exploration of the literature, findings include the fact that sexual violence often goes underreported among survivors, and that support of hegemonic masculinity and conservatism among men are associated with lower support for survivors. This study is meant to expand upon these findings, and to examine the ways in which gender identity and political alignment influence undergraduate college students' opinions on the “Man or Bear” trend. A mixed-methods survey was conducted and distributed to undergraduate students from ages 18-22 at the University of Connecticut, and received 150 total responses, which was reduced to 81 after taking inclusion criteria into account. The overall findings demonstrate that women and nonbinary people showed high levels of support, while men showed varied support and neutrality, and one instance of overt negativity. While gender seemed to be a stronger indicator of opinions among women, political alignment was a stronger indicator of opinions among men. Some topics discussed by participants include sexual violence and other harms perpetrated by men, the importance of discussing these issues, and “not all men” sentiments. Some limitations of this study were the underrepresentation of some population groups (ex: men, BIPOC individuals), and the limited number of variables studied. Suggestions for future research include conducting similar studies in more diverse locations, considering identity variables additional to those included in this study, and actively seeking out less-represented groups.

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