Atopon. En intersektionell studie över svenska gymnasieungdomars tal om religion, etnicitet, klass och kön

Abstract

This master’s thesis problematizes how students in two Swedish secondary schools think and speak about, and relate to, topics such as gender, class, ethnicity, religion and sex, but also how they move in, make use of, and interact within, the school space. What categorizing and positionings, if any, can be found? Students in two Swedish secondary schools, in a medium sized Swedish town, have been observed (using participant observation) and interviewed (open ended), the material was then examined with intersectional theory. A majority of the ethnic Swedish respondents position ”the religious” as ”superstitious”, ”frightening” and/or ”backwards”, also many of them equated religion with ”muslim/islam”, a greater understanding for the others religious outlook was shown by students with an ethnic background from outside Europe. Thoughts about sexual partners, relationships and homosexuality was intersected by positioning the other as ”not suitable” because of categories such as ”Muslim”, ”religious” and ”race”. Hierarchies has been observed throughout the whole spectra of respondents, not just the dichotomies ”Swedish – immigrant”, ”middle class – under class” and ”men – women”. Every respondent had one, or more, “Other” that they spoke of, either explicitly or implicitly. The Swedish school system is a result, but also a mirror, of the normative view of what Sweden ”is”, therefore these findings are of great importance in trying to combat the growing problem of segregation, both spatial and economic, in Sweden today.