The aim of this essay is to analyse young peoples view and thoughts about women. I have studied how young people “create women” in an opinion poll about love relations and relationships.
The survey has been answered by high school student in a suburb in Stockholm. My main question is: What conceptions of the women are presented in love relationships and relationships in general?
To analyse the data, I have used a qualitative method which means that I have tried to understand and interpret their answers. The study consists of two surveys, one about love relationships and the other about empathy. The outcome of the study is presented as different women characters such as the shy women, the affectionate and the rescuing women, the bimbo and the object. The study shows that women and men are indeed a part of the construction of women.
The study shows a pattern of words and actions that the young people connect to the female. It also shows that it is more accepted and expected for girls to write about feelings and pain. Young people seem to define themselves in a connection to the opposite by comparing
themselves to the opposite sex. For example a woman who shows her feelings serves a purpose, the action is done in a way to be confirmed of the people around her, that she is a woman. Both boys and girls are a part of constructing women. They perform a pattern of
actions that clearly shows the existents of norms; the effect of repeated actions is gender. It means that young people ‘look for’ actions that confirms there gender.
The keywords in this study are young people, women, gender, love relationships/relationships.
Finally I would like to thank my tutor Ana Graviz and the research group who has given support and help during the study and at the time of writing. And a big thanks to those who made this study possible, the class that participated in the study and their teacher.
Lärarutbildningen , 2007. , p. 30