"Det er forskjell på dårlig flørt og seksuell trakassering" - En kvalitativ studie av unge menn og kvinners forståelser av #metoo og seksuell trakassering

Abstract

The aim of this thesis was to study young men and women’s interpretations of #metoo and sexual harassment, and the underlying factors of behavior that is ok and not ok. To study this, I attempted to answer three questions. The main question: How do young (adult) men and women negotiate borders for sexual harassment in the wake of #metoo? To help med answer this I formulated three analytical sub questions. Firstly: How do young men and women define and discuss #metoo and sexual harassment? Secondly: Which boundaries appear in the way the informants discuss #metoo and sexual harassment? Thirdly: How do understandings of gender, sexuality and power apply in the discussion of #metoo and sexual harassment? I conducted three qualitative focus group-interviews. My theoretical view was based on the concepts of symbolic boundaries and negotiated order in addition to gender, sexuality and power. My findings indicate that there is a need to set boundaries on metoo and what should be counted as sexual harassment. This study also indicate that power inequality acts as a boundary marker, where the border goes for whether something is #metoo or not.