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Karriärskvinna eller soft girl? En kvalitativ studie om unga kvinnor och karriärsförväntningar

Hedin, Linnea LU (2024) SOCM15 20241
Sociology
Abstract
Young women are exposed to expectations and norms surrounding work, gender, and career that can often seem contradictory. This qualitative study explores how women navigate these expectations and how their thoughts on future careers as well as gender norms are influenced by social media, using semi-structured interviews. The study focuses on their perceptions of success and how societal norms shape career ambitions. The findings suggest that many young women do not necessarily view a successful career as one with high salary and status but instead seek deeper meaning in their work lives. They prioritize finding meaningful work and value balance in their future careers. However, there is an awareness of societal norms regarding what is... (More)
Young women are exposed to expectations and norms surrounding work, gender, and career that can often seem contradictory. This qualitative study explores how women navigate these expectations and how their thoughts on future careers as well as gender norms are influenced by social media, using semi-structured interviews. The study focuses on their perceptions of success and how societal norms shape career ambitions. The findings suggest that many young women do not necessarily view a successful career as one with high salary and status but instead seek deeper meaning in their work lives. They prioritize finding meaningful work and value balance in their future careers. However, there is an awareness of societal norms regarding what is considered success and career, which can lead to internal conflicts.
Interestingly, the study reveals a somewhat paradoxical view of gender equality among these women. While they recognize that society is not fully equal, most believe they will not be treated differently or face discrimination because of this. The results also indicate that social media has a limited impact on young women's thoughts about careers and work life. However, the study highlights that women's use of social media is often lifestyle-related, which may have influence on their career perceptions.
The study also reveals a concern among young women about the risk of burnout, which might be why work-life balance is highly prioritized and seen as an essential aspect of their future careers. For them, success is not solely about achieving high positions but also about living a healthy and meaningful life. This may lead them to prioritize employers who offer such balance, which could have important implications for workplaces aiming to achieve gender balance. (Less)
Popular Abstract (Swedish)
Denna kvalitativa studie lyfter fram hur unga kvinnor som läser en eftergymnasial utbildning tänker och resonerar inför sitt framtida yrkesliv, samt hur sociala medier formar tankar kring karriär, med utgångspunkt utifrån trender som förespråkar att inte jobba. I dagens samhälle exponeras unga kvinnor för förväntningar och normer kring arbetsliv, kön och karriär som ibland ter sig motsägelsefulla. Den här studien undersöker hur kvinnor navigerar dessa förväntningar och hur deras tankar framtida karriärer och könsnormer påverkas av sociala medier, genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Studiens fokus ligger på hur de ser på framgång och hur karriärsambitioner formas av de normer som finns i samhället. Resultatet tyder på att många unga kvinnor... (More)
Denna kvalitativa studie lyfter fram hur unga kvinnor som läser en eftergymnasial utbildning tänker och resonerar inför sitt framtida yrkesliv, samt hur sociala medier formar tankar kring karriär, med utgångspunkt utifrån trender som förespråkar att inte jobba. I dagens samhälle exponeras unga kvinnor för förväntningar och normer kring arbetsliv, kön och karriär som ibland ter sig motsägelsefulla. Den här studien undersöker hur kvinnor navigerar dessa förväntningar och hur deras tankar framtida karriärer och könsnormer påverkas av sociala medier, genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Studiens fokus ligger på hur de ser på framgång och hur karriärsambitioner formas av de normer som finns i samhället. Resultatet tyder på att många unga kvinnor inte nödvändigtvis anser att en framgångsrik karriär avser en position med hög lön och status, utan att de söker djupare mening i arbetslivet. De vill hitta ett arbete som känns meningsfullt och skattar balans som viktigt sitt framtida yrkesliv. Samtidigt finns en medvetenhet om normerna som finns om vad som anses vara framgång och karriär, vilket kan leda till inre konflikter.
Något motstridigt tycks unga kvinnors relation till jämställdhet te sig. Det finns uppfattning hos dessa att samhället inte är helt jämställt, men trots det tror de flesta att de inte kommer blir behandlad annorlunda eller råka ut för diskriminering på grund av att vara kvinna. Resultatet tyder på att sociala medier har en liten inverkan på unga kvinnors tankar kring karriär och arbetsliv, samtidigt synliggör studien hur kvinnors användande av sociala medier ofta är livsstilsrelaterad vilket kan bidra till att forma tankar om bland annat karriär.
Studien visar också på att det finns en rädsla för att drabbas av utbrändhet bland unga kvinnor, vilket kan vara en anledning till att balans mellan arbete och fritid blir en viktig del. För dem handlar inte framgång enbart om att nå höga positioner utan också att leva ett hälsosamt och meningsfullt liv. Detta kan göra att de prioriterar arbetsgivare som erbjuder detta, vilket kan vara en viktig implikation för arbetsplatser som vill jämna ut könsfördelningen. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Hedin, Linnea LU
supervisor
organization
course
SOCM15 20241
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
karriärsambitioner, unga kvinnor, meningsfullhet, jämställdhet, sociala medier, arbetsliv
language
Swedish
id
9175675
date added to LUP
2024-09-30 09:11:27
date last changed
2024-09-30 09:11:27
@misc{9175675,
  abstract     = {{Young women are exposed to expectations and norms surrounding work, gender, and career that can often seem contradictory. This qualitative study explores how women navigate these expectations and how their thoughts on future careers as well as gender norms are influenced by social media, using semi-structured interviews. The study focuses on their perceptions of success and how societal norms shape career ambitions. The findings suggest that many young women do not necessarily view a successful career as one with high salary and status but instead seek deeper meaning in their work lives. They prioritize finding meaningful work and value balance in their future careers. However, there is an awareness of societal norms regarding what is considered success and career, which can lead to internal conflicts.
Interestingly, the study reveals a somewhat paradoxical view of gender equality among these women. While they recognize that society is not fully equal, most believe they will not be treated differently or face discrimination because of this. The results also indicate that social media has a limited impact on young women's thoughts about careers and work life. However, the study highlights that women's use of social media is often lifestyle-related, which may have influence on their career perceptions.
The study also reveals a concern among young women about the risk of burnout, which might be why work-life balance is highly prioritized and seen as an essential aspect of their future careers. For them, success is not solely about achieving high positions but also about living a healthy and meaningful life. This may lead them to prioritize employers who offer such balance, which could have important implications for workplaces aiming to achieve gender balance.}},
  author       = {{Hedin, Linnea}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Karriärskvinna eller soft girl? En kvalitativ studie om unga kvinnor och karriärsförväntningar}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}