Kunsten at overleve: gymnasieelevers brug af copingstrategier i et accelererende præstationssamfund
Oversat titel
The art of survival: high school students' use of coping strategies in an accelerating performance society
Forfattere
Andreasen, Kristian Riis ; Maretti, Stine Juel
Semester
4. semester
Uddannelse
Udgivelsesår
2023
Afleveret
2023-05-31
Antal sider
100
Resumé
Unges mentale mistrivsel har været stigende i Danmark, men langt de fleste gymnasieelever rapporterer stadig en følelse af trivsel. I dette speciale vender vi derfor blikket mod, hvorfor mange elever trives, selv om de også mærker krav om at præstere. Formålet er at undersøge, hvordan danske gymnasieelever oplever kravene i et præstations- og accelerationssamfund, og om de på trods af disse krav oplever overvejende trivsel. Vi undersøger også, hvilke mestringsstrategier de bruger for at håndtere pres og krav. Undersøgelsen bygger på seks semistrukturerede, individuelle interviews med elever på et gymnasium i nærheden af Aalborg. Analysen har tre dele. (1) Hvor og hvordan mærker eleverne krav om præstation og acceleration? Vi bruger Anders Petersens (2016) idé om præstationssamfundet – et samfund, hvor man hele tiden måles og skal levere – og Hartmut Rosas (2014) begreb om accelerationssamfundet – hvor tempoet i hverdagen stiger, og stadig mere skal nås. (2) Hvordan oplever eleverne deres trivsel i dette samfund? Her tager vi udgangspunkt i Sundhedsstyrelsens forståelse af trivsel, som vi formulerede i interviewspørgsmål i et sprog, der passede til eleverne. (3) Hvilke mestringsstrategier bruger eleverne? Vi trækker på Richard S. Lazarus og Susan Folkmans (1984) teori om mestring, der skelner mellem følelsesfokuseret (at regulere følelser) og problemfokuseret (at løse problemet) mestring. Resultaterne viser, at krav om præstation og acceleration især mærkes i skolen. I undervisningen opleves konkurrence, og flere undlader at række hånden op af frygt for at fremstå uvidende. I lektier og karakterer knyttes præstationskrav til en bekymring for, at dårlig præstation kan skade fremtidige muligheder. Eleverne oplever, at kravene primært kommer fra dem selv, præget af individualisering: de føler, at de alene er ansvarlige for deres fremtidige succes eller fiasko. Krav om acceleration opleves i varierende grad; eksempelvis kan arbejde ved siden af skolen give en følelse af at gå glip af skolearbejde og et vedvarende pres for altid at kunne gøre mere. På trods af dette fortæller eleverne, at de overvejende trives. For at håndtere presset bruger de både følelses- og problemfokuserede strategier. Hyppigt nævnes distancering (at tage mental afstand), planlagt problemløsning (at lægge en konkret plan), flugt/undgåelse (at udskyde eller trække sig) og social støtte (at søge hjælp hos andre). Disse strategier opleves som hjælpsomme i situationen og reducerer stress midlertidigt. Samtidig peger vi på, at hverken de anvendte teorier eller strategierne i sig selv løser problemet, men kan give kortvarig lindring.
Mental discomfort among young people has risen in Denmark, yet most high school students still report a sense of well-being. This thesis therefore asks why many students feel well even while facing performance pressures. We examine how Danish high school students experience the demands of a performance and acceleration society, whether they still feel predominantly well in this context, and which coping strategies they use to handle pressure. The study is based on six semi-structured, individual interviews with students at a high school near Aalborg. The analysis has three parts. (1) Where and how do students feel pressures to perform and to speed up? We draw on Anders Petersen’s (2016) idea of the performance society—where people are constantly measured and expected to deliver—and Hartmut Rosa’s (2014) concept of the acceleration society—where the pace of life keeps increasing and more must be done. (2) How do students understand their well-being within this context? We use the Danish Health Authority’s definition of well-being, adapted in the interview guide to match students’ everyday language. (3) Which coping strategies do they use? We apply Richard S. Lazarus and Susan Folkman’s (1984) coping theory, which distinguishes between emotion-focused coping (managing feelings) and problem-focused coping (acting on the problem). Findings show that performance and acceleration demands are felt mainly at school. In the classroom, students sense competition and some avoid raising their hands for fear of being seen as unintelligent. In homework and grading, performance demands are linked to worries that poor results could harm future life prospects. Students feel these demands largely come from within, shaped by individualization: they see themselves as solely responsible for future success or failure. Acceleration is felt to varying degrees; for example, having a job alongside school can create a sense of missing out on schoolwork and a constant imperative to do more. Despite these pressures, students generally report feeling well. To cope, they use both emotion-focused and problem-focused strategies. Common approaches include distancing (taking a mental step back), planned problem-solving (making a concrete plan), escape/avoidance (postponing or staying away), and seeking social support. These strategies are experienced as helpful in the moment and provide temporary stress relief. At the same time, we note that neither the theoretical frameworks nor the identified strategies are solutions in themselves, but they can ease stress in the short term.
[Dette resumé er omskrevet med hjælp fra AI baseret på projektets originale resumé]
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