Det dolda genusperspektivet : En kvalitativ intervjustudie med sex socialarbetare om normer kring genus, sexuellt beteende och försäljning av sex

Sammanfattning: When we look into adolescents sexual behavior and selling of sex, we can see that there has been a greater interest for girls than for boys. We can also see historically that there has been a normative difference and that the subject is not examined in a greater extend. The aim of this study was to gain increased knowledge about how social workers in their work within the framework of LVU(The Care of Young Persons Act) affect and are affected by societal norms regarding gender, sexual behavior, and sale of sex. The method chosen for this study was qualitative interviews with six professional social workers, from six different municipalities in Sweden, who all work with LVU. For the processing method of data, a thematic analysis was chosen. The empirical data was analyzed within a social constructivist framework, through norm concepts, gender system and Becker’s theory of outsiders. Results show that although a greater number of boys have experience of selling sex, the normative view is that this is an issue mainly amongst girls. Social workers have a higher inclination of attributing girls with characteristics such as weak, victim and fragile. Meanwhile boys are more likely to fall through the cracks. The study also shows that societal norms can be invisible and hard to reform. Social workers express the difficulties balancing between societal norms, framework of the law and the context the adolescents reside in. The study attempts to highlight the complexity in the investigative work with LVU and demonstrate the importance of constantly examining oneself and the environment.