Abstract
This thesis is a critical discourse analysis of 21 girls' descriptions of being a young woman in the big cities, in Nordic countries today. The project is an attempt to complement the many quantitative studies on youth sexuality, with more in-depth qualitative knowledge. The study reveals some of the social issues related to sexuality and femininity in a postmodern society. The data are collected in seven different focus groups and a qualitative depth interview. The interviews cover 21 young women between 14-25 years, respectively from Oslo and Copenhagen.
Through a social constructivist perspective and with a critical discourse analysis, I try to have a critical look on the woman’s stories about the youth culture, both as a whole and in relation to the specific themes. The young women’s opinions are analyzed through a creative theoretical framework that the girls' everyday life discourse order is seen conditional on both social facts and individual consciousness. The same time as the young women have a modern understanding of themselves they also stick to traditional elements. The study focuses on issues such as youth, image, body ideal, sexuality and social media. The young women’s discursive understandings in relation to their sexuality and femininity is linked up on the media consumption- and promotion discourse. The analysis includes stereotypes and construction of identity in the way the women talk about their problems, as well as linking the use of social media in the postmodern time to the construction of identity and image.
Popular culture and medias impact on girls is worrying as it may have an effect on young women’s identity. Several of the problems girls experience is related to individualization and cultural liberation in postmodern society. Post modernism may lead to identity problems, as confusion, ambivalence and duality. The high demands and expectations from society and from the girls themself, can lead to feelings of shame and low self-esteem. Especially for vulnerable young girls, post modernity conditions in the youth discourse can lead to social problems. This social vulnerability is about the feeling of being outside in a society that places increasing demands on people's ability to mobilize personal skills and personal choice. The risks increases when we are handling young women, who are outside the community, are lonely and lacking self-esteem and networks.
The issues girls emphasizes discussed against the post modernity of free choice imprisonment and girls as a minority under the pressure of a masculine dominance. As a contrast to the girls as free and autonomous individuals, from the minority perspective connect repressive mechanisms for it to be a young woman today. The masculine dominance in the traditional discourse affects their self-perception and can influence that they put aside their own sexuality. The young women’s’ choices of words are to reproduce stereotypical and stigmatizing categories about themselves. Self-confidence, satisfaction and a focus on a healthy sexuality is therefore seen as relevant in work with these young girls.