Ung, individualiserad och fri: Unga kvinnors syn på romantiska relationer och livet som projekt.
(2026) SOCK10 20261Sociology
- Abstract
- This study examines young women's views on romantic relationships in relation to independence and risk assessment. The study also aims to investigate how young women construct their lives as a project. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine young women. Their narratives are analysed through Beck, Beck-Gernsheim, and Giddens' theories of individualization, as well as West and Zimmerman's theory of how gender is reproduced through social interactions. The results indicate that young women's evaluation and optimisation of their lives resembles a biographical project. Romantic relationships are included in this project and evaluated accordingly. The findings also show that young women navigate life and relationships guided by... (More)
- This study examines young women's views on romantic relationships in relation to independence and risk assessment. The study also aims to investigate how young women construct their lives as a project. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine young women. Their narratives are analysed through Beck, Beck-Gernsheim, and Giddens' theories of individualization, as well as West and Zimmerman's theory of how gender is reproduced through social interactions. The results indicate that young women's evaluation and optimisation of their lives resembles a biographical project. Romantic relationships are included in this project and evaluated accordingly. The findings also show that young women navigate life and relationships guided by strong ideals of independence. This is reflected in their prioritisation of education and future career, stability in their life project, and their concern about being consumed by a relationship and losing their autonomy. Simultaneously, the results reveal a tension between young women's pursuit of independence in their biographical projects and traditional gender norms that constrain their agency in the early stages of dating. The interviews further demonstrates that young women calculate risks in relationships linked to independence, and that specific conditions must be met before a relationship evolves to cohabitation.
This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how young Swedish women navigate romantic relationships based on individualised ideals. Recommendations for future research include examining how young women's views on relationships have changed over time, comparing women's and men's views on independence in relationships, and exploring the tension between the emerging individualised woman and persisting traditional gender norms. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Denna studie undersöker unga svenska kvinnors syn på romantiska relationer i förhållande till självständighet och risk. Studien syftar även till att undersöka hur unga kvinnor konstruerar livet som ett projekt. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med nio unga kvinnor. Kvinnornas berättelser förstås utifrån Beck, Beck-Gernsheim och Giddens individualiseringsteorier samt West och Zimmermans teori om hur kön skapas genom sociala interaktioner. Resultatet visar att unga kvinnors utvärdering och optimering av livet kan liknas vid ett projekt. Romantiska relationer ingår i projektet och utvärderas därefter. Intervjuerna visar även att unga kvinnor navigerar livet och relationer efter starka ideal av självständighet. Detta syns i deras... (More)
- Denna studie undersöker unga svenska kvinnors syn på romantiska relationer i förhållande till självständighet och risk. Studien syftar även till att undersöka hur unga kvinnor konstruerar livet som ett projekt. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med nio unga kvinnor. Kvinnornas berättelser förstås utifrån Beck, Beck-Gernsheim och Giddens individualiseringsteorier samt West och Zimmermans teori om hur kön skapas genom sociala interaktioner. Resultatet visar att unga kvinnors utvärdering och optimering av livet kan liknas vid ett projekt. Romantiska relationer ingår i projektet och utvärderas därefter. Intervjuerna visar även att unga kvinnor navigerar livet och relationer efter starka ideal av självständighet. Detta syns i deras värdering av utbildning och framtida karriär, stabilitet i sitt livsprojekt samt i deras oro för att bli uppslukade av en relation och förlora sin autonomi. Samtidigt visar resultatet på en kontrast mellan unga kvinnors strävan efter självständighet i sina livsprojekt och traditionella könsnormer som styr deras handlingsutrymme i den tidiga fasen av dejting. Studien visar även att unga kvinnor kalkylerar risker i relationer kopplat till självständighet och att det finns särskilda förutsättningar som behöver vara uppfyllda innan en relation utvecklas till, exempelvis, samboskap.
Denna studie bidrar till en ökad förståelse för hur unga svenska kvinnor navigerar romantiska relationer utifrån individualiserade ideal. Rekommendationer för framtida forskning inkluderar att undersöka hur unga kvinnors syn på relationer har förändrats över tid, jämföra kvinnor och mäns syn på självständighet i relationer samt spänningen mellan den nya individualiserade kvinnan och de gamla traditionella könsnormerna. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9240106
- author
- Boussetta Svensson, Nour LU and Hövel, Ellen
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SOCK10 20261
- year
- 2026
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Unga kvinnor, Självständighet, Romantiska relationer, Individualisering, Könsnormer, Biografiskt projekt, Beck och Beck-Gernsheim, Giddens, West och Zimmerman
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 9240106
- date added to LUP
- 2026-06-17 14:44:29
- date last changed
- 2026-06-17 14:44:29
@misc{9240106,
abstract = {{This study examines young women's views on romantic relationships in relation to independence and risk assessment. The study also aims to investigate how young women construct their lives as a project. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine young women. Their narratives are analysed through Beck, Beck-Gernsheim, and Giddens' theories of individualization, as well as West and Zimmerman's theory of how gender is reproduced through social interactions. The results indicate that young women's evaluation and optimisation of their lives resembles a biographical project. Romantic relationships are included in this project and evaluated accordingly. The findings also show that young women navigate life and relationships guided by strong ideals of independence. This is reflected in their prioritisation of education and future career, stability in their life project, and their concern about being consumed by a relationship and losing their autonomy. Simultaneously, the results reveal a tension between young women's pursuit of independence in their biographical projects and traditional gender norms that constrain their agency in the early stages of dating. The interviews further demonstrates that young women calculate risks in relationships linked to independence, and that specific conditions must be met before a relationship evolves to cohabitation.
This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how young Swedish women navigate romantic relationships based on individualised ideals. Recommendations for future research include examining how young women's views on relationships have changed over time, comparing women's and men's views on independence in relationships, and exploring the tension between the emerging individualised woman and persisting traditional gender norms.}},
author = {{Boussetta Svensson, Nour and Hövel, Ellen}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Ung, individualiserad och fri: Unga kvinnors syn på romantiska relationer och livet som projekt.}},
year = {{2026}},
}