Work hard, Man harder : En undersökning om hur manliga universitetsstudenter uppfattar maskulinitetsnormers betydelse i ett framtida arbetsliv

Sammanfattning

Masculinity norms have become an increasingly prominent topic in today's society and refers to norms regarding masculine characteristics and behaviors. Like all kinds of norms and ideals, they can often go unnoticed but at the same time shape our thoughts and behaviors in everyday life. It was therefore considered interesting to investigate how male university students' perceive that norms and ideals of masculinity may influence their future working lives. This was investigated using the questions: Which masculinity norms do male university students perceive to exist in their future work life? and How, according to male university students’ accounts, do masculinity norms and ideals shape their perceptions of a future working life? Previous research indicated that masculinity norms are both part of men's identity and that choices in one's worklife can be made strategically to strengthen this identity. Data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed based on Bourdieu's (2019) concepts of habitus, field and symbolic capital and Connell's (2000) theory of hegemonic masculinity. The results indicate that the respondents perceive masculinity norms as having limited significance, while their descriptions align with established masculinity ideas related to performance, leadership and status. Despite their expressed skepticism, the results show that their views of their future working life are shaped by norms through socialization, while a certain degree of critical distance also can be identified.