“Det var bara på skoj” : En studie om normalisering, grupptryck och maskulinitet i lagidrottens omklädningsrum

Sammanfattning

The aim of this study is to examine how so-called “locker room talk” can be understood as part of the construction and reproduction of masculinity within the sports environment. The study focuses on how men aged 20-25 describe the jargon in locker rooms, how they reflect upon it retrospectively, and how they perceive its influence on norms surrounding masculinity. The study is grounded in a qualitative, hermeneutic and social constructionist approach, where language and interaction are understood as central in shaping social norms and identities. The empirical material consists of eight semi-structured interviews with men who have experience of organized team sports. The findings show that locker room culture is characterized by both community and social control. The jargon is often described as humorous, normalized, and an important part of team bonding, while simultaneously containing degrading and exclusionary elements related to bodies, sexuality, and emotional expression. Participation in the jargon often functioned as a strategy to gain acceptance and avoid exclusion from the group. The analysis demonstrates that “locker room talk” reproduces norms connected to toughness, emotional restraint, and hegemonic masculinity through everyday interaction and peer pressure. At the same time, several respondents express a need for clearer boundaries and cultural change within locker room environments.