Självbild: påverkan och motståndskraft ur ett utvecklingsekologiskt perspektiv

Sammanfattning: Our paper is a study about youth and their self-images. During our practical training period we found that the problems young people had always were connected with their self-image. We therefore wanted to find out what youth believe influence their self-image. The purpose of our study was to examine young people and their self-images in a perspective of the ecological systems model. Essential issues have been what self-images young people have, what they consider influence their self-image most, how they think they can resist influence from the environment and how they would like to be influenced by the environment if they could decide themselves. The information for this study was gathered by a qualitative method consisting of twelve interviews with six girls and six boys, all in age 15-16 years. The empirical material was then analysed by an ecological systems model, a gender perspective, the development during adolescence and different theories about self-image. The results from our study showed that the youth we interviewed had a good self-image, the congruence was good between their ideal person and their self. The youth was primary influenced by their immediate setting like family and friends. They considered that the resistance to influences from the environment mainly depended on themselves. Only a few of the interviewed persons would like to change their environment and its influence if they would get the chance. We did not find any significant differences as for gender among the answers to our questions.