This thesis investigates women's feelings on being subjected to piropos (catcalling) in their everyday lives. Through interviews with four Cuban women living in Havana, I analyse women's experiences of piropos through a phenomenological lens and through speech theory, investigating how norms surrounding sexualities and gender are materialised in and between language, bodies and spaces. I also investigate which acts of resistance and defence mechanisms my interviewees employ in order to cope with piropos. The first part of the analysis investigates the gendered dimensions of piropos, discussing how it constitutes gendered subject positions while enforcing gender inequality. My interviewees describe how being subjected to piropos makes them feel more feminine and links the occurrence of piropos directly to their self-esteem. They also describe how the occurrence of piropos conditions their possibility to move freely around the city. In the second part of the analysis I look at piropos as a heterosexual game in which different rules apply depending on gender. Lastly, this thesis focuses on my interviewees' accounts of resistance by analysing silence as well as verbal responses to piropos as a way of breaking the rules of the heterosexual game.

Den nuvarande forskningen kring positiv kroppsuppfattning bland kvinnor är bristfällig. Kvinnors syn på sin egen kropp handlar snarare om att nedvärdera än att förhålla sig positivt till den. Den tidigare forskningen på ämnet har främst berört en negativ kroppsuppfattning samt sambandet mellan media och kroppsuppfattning. Viktig forskning för denna uppsats har varit Frisén (2014) och Kristina Holmqvist Gattarios (2013) studier. Forskningen har berört motiven bakom en positiv kroppsuppfattning, dessa har varit fokus på kroppens funktion snarare än utseendet. Syftet med denna studie är att försöka ta reda på hur unga kvinnor utvecklar en positiv kroppsuppfattning om sig själva. Denna studie är av kvalitativ karaktär där åtta intervjuer har utförts bland unga kvinnor i åldrarna 20-26 år. Teoretiska utgångspunkter som valts för arbetet är Roland Paulsens (2010) utveckling av Pierre Bourdieus (1979/2010) teori om kroppsligt kapital samt Fanny Ambjörnssons (2003) teori om normalisering och skapandet av en tjej/kvinna. Resultatet från denna studie har visat att de unga kvinnornas omgivning har spelat en avgörande roll för uppfattningen av en positiv kroppsbild, exempelvis relationer till pojkvän eller familj. / As women's perception of their own body focuses on devaluing it rather than responding positively to it, current research on positive body image among women today is scarce. Previous research on the topic has mostly examined a negative body image and the relationship between media and the body. Considerable research for this study has been done by Frisén (2014) and Christina Holmqvist Gattario (2013), their studies have discussed the motives behind a positive body image, which has proven to be a focus on the body's function rather than appearance. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to find out how young women develop a positive body image. This study is qualitative in nature and consists of eight interviews conducted among young women aged 20 to 26 years. The theoretical framework selected for this essay is Roland Paulsens’ (2010) development of Pierre Bourdieus’ (1979/2010) theory of Physical capital and Fanny Ambjörnsons’ (2003) theory of Making of femininity. The results of this study show that relationships with a boyfriend or family, have played a crucial role for the perception of a positive body image.

Masters of Art / This mini thesis is an exploratory study of the lived experiences of bisexual and lesbian women in the Western Cape with regard to how they claim agency and negotiate their individual sexualities. Using mixed methodologies this study aims to look at the ways in which bisexual and lesbian women negotiate their sexuality in a landscape dominated by heterosexual discourses. Also considered are the contradictory ways in which these women assert their roles as lesbians and bisexual individuals and how these roles serve to simultaneously reinforce and challenge the dominant order of heterosexuality. The conflicting views of the respondents are documented which further demonstrates the complexities surrounding sexuality. This research identifies and explores both international and local research already conducted on alternative sexualities and address the lack of black researchers' conduct of these studies on the African continent. The study also records an acknowledgement of the researcher's reflection that she too holds contradictory views on some of these issues.

This qualitative study examines young adults’ expectations and experiences of consent and pleasure which result in a grey area. Based on focus groups and one-on-one interviews with 18 to 25-year-old women and men, I explore various experiences of consensual sex ranging from clearly consensual and pleasurable, consensual yet mediocre experiences, and those which reflect a grey area of consent. Whereas best and simply mediocre sex are characterized by clear feelings of consent, the grey area involves sex that is felt as less than fully consensual but not quite as sexual assault. I apply theories of expectation states, compulsory heterosexuality, and sexual script theories to the findings of this research to argue that adherence to traditional gender norms of heterosexual behaviour lead to greater social importance given to men’s needs for sexual pleasure. These inequalities and expectations surrounding sexual behaviour lead to feeling constrained in one’s ability to negotiate and interpret feelings of desire and consent, resulting in a grey area.

In this study, societal attitudes toward sexual minorities are investigated through analyzing journalists’ use of evaluative adjectives in newspaper articles regarding famous homosexual couples compared to famous heterosexual couples. In this study, differences in attitudes between male and female journalists are also investigated. The aim is to investigate evaluative adjectives and how often they occur in order to find patterns that could indicate societal attitudes toward sexual minorities. The method used for this research was a close reading of the articles chosen and determining whether the evaluative adjectives were positive or negative in each specific context. The results were then normalized for the purpose of comparison between articles. The results of the study indicate that female journalists use more adjectives in general compared to male journalists. The results also indicate that journalists use more positive adjectives when writing about famous heterosexual couples, compared to famous homosexual couples. Also, male homosexual couples are portrayed more positively than female homosexual couples.

This thesis in its theoretical part deals with psychoanalytic and poststructural - ie posthumanistic views on the three interrelated, but in some aspects contradictory concepts of love, desire and jouissance. These concepts are examined as components (as will be pointed out) of not merely traditionally depicted heterosexual relationships. The above mentioned aspects considering the concept of love are mythology and constructedness, afterthat with respect to the concept of desire the aspect is the never-ending postponement, and in the view of jouissance the aspects are the loss and fragmentation of the self, its relationship to Freudian libido, and to the death instinct. This thesis traces the development of forms of the above concepts used by the psychoanalytic and poststructuralist authors such as Sigmund Freud, Jacques Lacan, Jacques Derrida, Judith Butler, Luce Irigaray, Hélène Cixous and Julia Kristeva, in their primary texts and also takes account of how they are received in the secondary literature. The theoretical part is therefore based on the scrutinization of primary texts and relevant secondary literature on these issues in the field of philosophy, gender and cultural studies and feminist and critical theory. In the second part the Czech literary texts dealing with the topics of...

Presented thesis deals with conversations that arise within the online mentoring counseling center "S barvou ven". Mainly young people going through the process of coming out are the target group of counseling center. In the theoretical part of thesis, I describe the counseling center, the social atmosphere that prevails around the issue of people with minority sexual orientation, clarify what a mentoring relationship is and its importance in the lives of adolescents and describe the process of coming out. The empirical part deals with the qualitative analysis of nineteen conversations. The results of the analysis showed that clients entering the counseling center use the conversation with the mentor to meet various needs, from the need to share their feelings or experiences to the desire to find their "friend" or partner in the mentor. The results of the second part of the analysis provide an indicative overview of the client's needs, as well as when and why their needs could or could not be met. The results also show how mentors work with needs which clients can not consciously describe. Last but not least, the results overview shows that mentors use a wide range of questions, offer information or provide clients, for example, a sense of belonging or hope, or offer their own experience.

Thesis (Ph. D. (Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Eurocentric literature has contributed towards the understanding of homosexuality for centuries. However, there is very little literature on perceptions of homosexuality from an African perspective. Based on this historical gap, the aim of the current study was to explore Northern Sotho traditional healers’ perceptions of homosexuality in the Capricorn District in Limpopo Province, South Africa. This was with the intention of documenting themes pertinent to Northern Sotho culture regarding homosexuality. Ten (10) participants (7 females and 3 males) were interviewed in the current study and they were selected using snowball sampling. Data was collected using individual face-to-face interviews guided by semi-structured questions and analysed using Thematic content analysis (TCA). The study was underpinned by Afrocentricity. The main themes and sub-themes which emerged from the data analysis were: homosexuality threatens family structure and values; homosexuality is regarded as a taboo and a disgrace; homosexuality and ancestral calling; historical evidence of homosexuality; homosexuality is confusing; homosexuality and western culture; homosexuality and cleansing (mourning process); homosexuality, traditional healing and ancestral calling; homosexuality and initiation schools as well as proposed interventions to curb homosexuality. The results of the study suggest that understanding homosexuality is not consistent with Northern Sotho culture. The study contributes to knowledge and information within Northern Sotho culture and offers suggestions for indigenous knowledge systems (IKS), academic training, policy development and legislation in terms of homosexuality and the indigenous culture. The study also offers guidelines, which health care workers and any other relevant personnel who work closely with homosexuals, should be cognisant of. Furthermore, valuable lessons were also reasoned from the current study in terms of homosexuality and Northern Sotho culture in the area where the research took place. Keywords: Afrocentricity, Culture, Homosexuality, Northern Sotho, Traditional Healer.

Mit dem Begriff Heteronormativität wird die Naturalisierung und Privilegierung von Heterosexualität und Zweigeschlechtlichkeit in Frage gestellt. Kritisiert werden nicht nur die auf Alltagswissen bezogene Annahme, es gäbe zwei gegensätzliche Geschlechter und diese seien sexuell aufeinander bezogen, sondern auch die mit Zweigeschlechtlichkeit und Heterosexualität einhergehenden Privilegierungen und Marginalisierungen. Der Begriff tauchte erstmalig 1991 in Michael Warners Aufsatz "Introduction: Fear of a Queer Planet" auf. Zentrale Bezugspunkte der Analysen von Heteronormativität stellen Foucaults Untersuchungen zum Zusammenhang von Sexualität und Macht sowie Butlers Theorie der Subjektkonstitution im Rahmen der heterosexuellen Matrix oder der heterosexuellen Hegemonie dar.

Introdução: As representações coletivas que alicerçam os ideais de masculinidade hegemônica distanciaram os homens heterossexualmente ativos das respostas à epidemia de HIV ao longo das últimas décadas, o que resultou no aumento da vulnerabilidade desses indivíduos em diversos países do mundo, inclusive no Brasil. Entretanto, a partir do paradigma da prevenção combinada, a Profilaxia Pós-exposição Sexual (PEPsexual), bem como outros métodos baseados no uso de antirretrovirais, torna possível novas formas de gerir os riscos de infecção pelo HIV, ao mesmo tempo em que traz novas questões a serem enfrentadas. Objetivos: O objetivo desta pesquisa é caracterizar os homens heterossexualmente ativos e seus comportamentos sexuais, considerando risco e prevenção à infecção pelo HIV, e explorar os significados atribuídos ao risco de contrair HIV e às formas de gerenciamento de risco entre homens heterossexualmente ativos que buscaram a PEPsexual em serviços em cinco cidades brasileiras. Metodologia: O perfil e o comportamento dos homens foram descritos utilizando a abordagem quantitativa, com dados obtidos das consultas iniciais de PEPsexual registradas em prontuários clínicos. Foram analisados todos os homens atendidos nos serviços nos anos de 2014 e 2015, sendo realizada análise descritiva. O significado do risco e o gerenciamento das vivências foram analisados utilizando a abordagem qualitativa, por meio de entrevistas em profundidade (16) com usuários dos serviços, com foco na situação que levou ao uso do método, bem como as experiências com o uso da PEPsexual. Para a análise dos dados empíricos empregou-se o método de interpretação de sentidos, de acordo com os princípios hermenêuticos-dialéticos. Resultados: Com base nas características descritas no eixo quantitativo, os participantes são, em sua maioria, adultos jovens, com idade média de 31 anos, altamente escolarizados, brancos e sem uso prévio da PEPsexual. A maioria das exposições aconteceu com parceria casual. O uso da camisinha foi mencionado pela maioria dos participantes, no entanto, a falha do preservativo foi o principal motivo pela busca da profilaxia. A maioria dos usuários relatou não conhecer a sorologia da parceria envolvida na exposição sexual, além disso as frequências de testagem sorológica para HIV, Hepatites B e C, Sífilis e Anti-HBs anteriores ao episódio da exposição sexual foram baixas. A análise dos dados qualitativos mostra que a camisinha é o principal e mais acessado método de prevenção à infecção pelo HIV, mas sua efetiva utilização foi condicionada a diversos fatores subjetivos e contextuais. As relações sexuais com parceria estável oferecem maior sensação de proteção, enquanto que a percepção de risco aumenta quando as relações são com parcerias casuais ou em ambientes associados às populações mais vulneráveis à infecção, como profissionais do sexo ou casas de swing. Evitar ou reduzir, ao máximo, o número de relacionamentos extraconjugais, utilizar mais consistentemente o preservativo e buscar informações especializadas emergiram como estratégias amplamente utilizadas pelos participantes. A PEPsexual consistiu numa oportunidade de reflexão acerca da forma de pensar e fazer prevenção não só ao HIV, mas também às outras ISTs. O estigma relacionado ao uso de antirretrovirais e a necessidade de esconder a medicação dos amigos e familiares foram elementos disparadores de autorreflexão acerca das vulnerabilidades pessoais frente à epidemia. Os participantes que planejaram ações concretas e detalhadas de prevenção após uso da PEPsexual foram também aqueles que relataram maior autopercepção do risco individual. Conclusão: As características dos usuários PEPsexual nos cinco serviços investigados revelam que os homens heterossexualmente ativos brancos, altamente escolarizados e jovens são maioria entre aqueles que buscam a profilaxia. No entanto, grande esforço deve ser direcionado às ações de prevenção à infecção pelo HIV entre diferentes segmentos dos homens heterossexualmente ativos, considerando os marcadores sociais de classe, cor, raça e geração. Os ideais de masculinidade hegemônica permearam os discursos de percepção e gerenciamento de risco à infecção pelo vírus. Ações de sensibilização devem ser direcionadas para que tais padrões de masculinidade sejam ressignificados a fim de diminuir a vulnerabilidade dos homens em geral e, mais especificamente, entre os segmentos dos heterossexuais / Introduction: The collective representations that support the ideals of hegemonic masculinity have distanced the heterosexually active men from the responses to the HIV epidemic over the last decades, which has resulted in the increased vulnerability of these individuals in several countries around the world, including Brazil. However, from the new prevention paradigm, Sexual Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEPsexual), as well as other methods based on the use of antiretrovirals, make possible new ways of managing the risks of HIV infection, while bringing new issues to be addressed. Objectives: The objective of this research is to characterise heterosexually active men and their sexual behaviours, regarding risk and prevention of HIV infection, and to explore the meanings attributed to the risk of contracting HIV and the forms of risk management among heterosexually active men who sought PEPsexual in services in five Brazilian cities. Methodology: The profile and behaviour of the men were described using the quantitative procedure, with data obtained from the initial consultations of sexual PEPs documented in clinical reports. All the records from the men who have searched the services in the years 2014 and 2015 were analysed, and a descriptive analysis was performed. The meaning of risk and the management of the experiences were interpreted using the qualitative approach, through in-depth interviews (16) with users of the services, focusing on the situation that led to the use of the method, as well as the experiences with the use of PEPsexual. For the analysis of the empirical data, the sense interpretation approach was used, according to the hermeneutic-dialectic principles. Results: Based on the characteristics described in the quantitative component, the participants are mostly young adults, with a mean age of 31 years, highly educated, white and without previous use of PEPsexual. Most of the sexual HIV risk behaviours happened with a casual partnership. The use of condoms was mentioned by most of the participants; however, condom failure was the main reason for searching the PEPsexual prophylaxis. Most participants reported not knowing the serology of the partner involved in the sexual encounter and the frequency of serological testing for HIV, Hepatitis B and C, Syphilis and Anti-HBs before the episode of sexual exposure was low. The analysis of qualitative data shows that condoms are the main and most widely used method of HIV prevention, but their effective use has been conditioned by diverse subjective and contextual factors. Stable sexual relations offer a greater sense of protection, while the perception of risk increases when the relationships are with casual partnerships or in environments associated with populations most vulnerable to HIV infection, such as sex workers or swing houses. Avoiding or minimizing the number of extramarital relationships, using condoms more consistently, and seeking specialized information emerged as strategies widely used by participants. PEPsexual consisted of an opportunity for thinking on how to prevent not only HIV but also other STIs. The stigma related to the use of antiretrovirals and the need to hide medication from friends and relatives were self-reflexive triggers about personal vulnerability to the epidemic. Participants who planned concrete and detailed prevention actions after using PEPsexual were also those who reported greater self-perception of individual risk. Conclusion: The characteristics of PEPsexual users in the five services studied reveal that heterosexually active white man, highly educated and young are the majority among those who seek PEPsexual prophylaxis; however, great effort should be focused on actions to prevent HIV infection among different segments of heterosexually active men, regarding the social markers of class, colour, race and generation. The ideals of hegemonic masculinity permeated perceptions and risk management discourses to HIV infection. Preventive actions should be undertaken to replace such masculinity patterns in order to reduce the vulnerability of men in general and, more specifically, among heterosexual segments