Syftet med min studie är att undersöka hur flickor/kvinnor och pojkar/män framställs i den barnlitteratur som presenteras för barn genom högläsning i förskolan. Detta för att bidra med kunskap om genus i barnlitteraturen, vilket bidrar till att jag som pedagog utvecklar ett kritiskt förhållningssätt till de böcker jag väljer att erbjuda barnen. Genom analys av tre olika bilderböcker har jag sökt svar på hur manliga och kvinnliga karaktärer skildras, hur man kan urskilja könsstereotypa markörer och om litteraturen bekräftar eller överskrider och utmanar könsstereotyper.   Jag har närmat mig mitt material utifrån en kvalitativ forskningsansats. Jag har även använt mig av analysmetoder, vilka har hjälpt mig att hålla mig inom ramen för det jag ville undersöka. Två olika teorier, Hirdmans teori om genussystemet (2001; 2007) och Connells maskulinitetsteori (2008),  har gett mig möjlighet att förstå de resultat som mitt material visat. Min studie visade två olika sätt att skildra karaktärer, antingen genom ombytta egenskaper eller genom en stor variation av egenskaper och handlingar, oberoende av kön. Vidare visade den ett stort gränsöverskridande och utmanande av könstereotyper och därmed av den normen för hur kvinnor/flickor och män/pojkar bör vara. / The purpose of my study is to investigate how girls/women and boys/men are being portrayed in the children's literature presented to children by reading out loud in preschool. This is to contribute with knowledge about gender in children's literature, which helps me as a teacher to develop a critical approach to the books I choose to introduce to the children. By analyzing three different picture books, I have sought answers to how male and female characters are being portrayed, how one can see gender stereotyped markers and if the literature confirms or exceeds and challenges gender stereotypes.   The process is based on a qualitative research approach. I have also used analytical methods, which have helped me to stay within the framework of what I wanted to investigate. Two different theories, Hirdmans theory of the gender system (2001; 2007) and Connell's theory of masculinity (2008) has given me the opportunity to understand my results. My study showed two different ways to portray characters, either by reversed characteristics or by a great variety of characteristics, regardless of gender. Furthermore, it showed a large cross and challenging of gender stereotypes and with that the standard of how women/girls and men/boys should be.

line of business/industry and family, to more clearly discern how male and female norms are acquired among female entrepreneurs. The purpose of this study was to gain a greater understanding and knowledge of women's conditions regarding entrepreneurship, in relation to society's norms. The study is based on a textual thematic analyses, using two themes derived from Helene Ahls “The Scientific Reproduction of Gender Inequality. A Discourse Analysis of Research Texts on Women`s Entrepreneurship”. The themes selected for this study were industry and family, which were two important themes in Helene Ahl’s research. The themes were applied using articles, in which female entrepreneurs were interviewed or portrayed. We used different sources but have mainly used the magazine Entreprenör to collect samples for the study. The theoretical framework used for this study is based mainly on Yvonne Hirdmans gender system and gender contract, we also added theories from Elvin-Nowak & Thomsson concerning horizontal and vertical segregation and Patrica Lewis theories on gender blindness. The main conclusion for this study was that there is a difference between entrepreneurs and how they present and relate to male and female norms in regard to industry and family. We found that entrepreneurs who run large companies or act in male-dominated industries show tendencies of acquiring male norms and standards while entrepreneurs who run small companies or act in female-dominated industries tend to acquire female norms.

Abstract My aim was to study gendered structures and processes and the challenges arising from them in primary teacher education. The topic was studied from structural and from agency-based and processual perspectives. The special tools used in the analyses consisted of culturally produced differences and asymmetry and the symbolic meanings given to them. The study included historical and contemporary parts. The historical part of the study acquired its focus through the structures of the first Finnish Teacher Seminar and through three annual curricula of primary teacher education in Oulu. Data for the contemporary analyses were collected during a pedagogic development project carried out at the Oulu Department of Teacher Education in the years 1988–1996 The most visible components of the gender system identifiable in the structures of the first Finnish Teacher Seminar were the following: – different aims for personal growth – sex- and grade-based division of prospective teachers: female teachers for girls of all ages and small boys, male teachers for boys aged 10 or more – differences in study subjects; especially in physical education, handicraft and pedagog – everyday chores and pedagogical tasks of the student – moral code and normative contro – different enrolment requirements The sex-related differences in the first curriculum of the Oulu College of Teacher Education were surprisingly similar to the differences seen in the first Finnish Teacher Seminar. The academic curricula proved to be ostensibly gender-neutral. But the research findings showed, in accordance with several other research findings, that formal neutrality does not eliminate institutionalised gendered features or gendered perspectives for personal and/or professional development. On the basis of the findings, the following aspects of the gender system and gender contracts in contemporary primary teacher education in Oulu could be identified: – Almost without exception, the students qualifying in the education of the first two forms were female. – Female students qualified in various subjects taught in primary school while male students rather tended to acquire their qualifications according to a more personal orientation. Their special qualifications were mostly physical education and technical work. – There was a tendency among the student teachers to notice boys differently from girls and to experience boys as more challenging, and to – interpret pupils’ school achievements in sex-related ways. This tendency was also shared by te pupils.

Min uppsats handlar om diskussionen om sterilisering i media i samband med steriliseringslagarnas införande 1934, genomförande och avskaffande 1976. Undersökningen har även undersökt hur diskussionen förhöll sig till manligt och kvinnligt. För att möjliggöra denna undersökning har tre frågeställningar besvarats. De två första av dessa handlar om argumenten för och emot steriliseringslagarnas införande och avskaffande. Den tredje frågeställningen handlar om vilka det var som debatterade i frågan och hur man såg på sterilisering av män och kvinnor. Studien utgår från en genusteori, vilken grundar sig i Yvonne Hirdmans genussystem och genuskontrakt. Med hjälp av detta perspektiv har tidningsartiklarna analyserats för att se hur maktrelationen mellan män och kvinnor framträder i media. Undersökningen har även funnit hur genussystem lyser igenom i tidningarna men också sett hur genusperspektivet har förändrats över tid. / My thesis is about the discussion that arose in media in connection with the introduction of the sterilisation laws in 1934, their implementation as well as the abolition of them in 1976. The research also focuses on how the discussion related to different gender. To enable this study three research questions have been answered. The first two questions relate to arguments pro and against the implementation and abolition of the sterilisation laws. The third question is regarding who debated the issue and how they viewed sterilisation of men and women. The study departs from a gender perspective, based on the Swedish historian Yvonne Hirdman’s research, in order to expose the power relation between men and women as they appear in media. The study show how the public discussion changed in the 1950s to a more negative view on sterilization and that ideas of gender had an impact on the discussion. During the 1960s and 1970s women took part in the public discussion with and introduced new perspective on sterilisation laws.

This study attempts to examine how gender roles appear in the adaption of Margaret Atwood’s published book, The Handmaid’s Tale TV series, which introduces the fictional and dystopian society Gilead, where the infertility rates decreased as the result of climate change. This study focuses on the first, second and third seasons of the TV series from 2017-19. A qualitative method was used to study how groups of males and females are portrayed in a hierarchy. This study examines how males and females are represented in The Handmaid’s Tale through a content analysis with multimodal critical discourse analysis as a method, completed with gender system theory and feminist standpoint theory.  In the study, we focused on four groups of females and two groups of males that were included in an obvious ranking in the hierarchy of Gilead. All of the groups were analyzed separately to observe how their gender roles were represented in the TV series. Consequently, we compared the male groups to the female groups to examine the differences between their representation and ranking in the hierarchy in Gilead. The results of this study shows that males are dominant and females are submissive in Gilead, which confirms the gender theory used in this study. The low-ranking groups of females, such as the handmaids or the marthas also confirmed the existence of the feminist standpoint theory. It shows that the groups of males were placed in the highest ranking in the hierarchy in Gilead, even though some of the women seemed to be powerful, it was not enough to dominate all of the male groups in the hierarchy.

The diploma thesis A Gender Analysis of Reading-Books for Pupils of 1st and 2nd Years of Primary Schools focuses on the topic of gender in education. Specifically, it examines the ways in which female and male characters are represented in the texts and illustrations in textbooks and considers whether these are stereotypical views of gender and whether these are gender-sensitive views. The research consists of a quantitative content analysis of three reading-books and of qualitative interpretation of their gender correctness and sensitivity. It is set in a framework of theoretical foundations of psychology, sociology, feminist theory and gender studies. The work is based on the premise that the school as an institution plays an important role in gender socialization of children and the thesis therefore aims to find out whether and eventually how these reading- books promote gender equality. Key words: gender, gender stereotypes, gender system, socialization, school, textbooks

The diploma thesis Comparison of methods of gender socialization in the Sluníčko magazine in 1977 and 2012, focuses on the topic of gender in printed magazine for the youngest children. Specifically, it examines and compares the methods for portraying female and male characters in the text and illustrations in the Sluníčko magazine in 1977 and 2012. It analyzes the ways gender is viewed and considers its impact on gender socialization of children. The research consists of a quantitative part, which aims to evaluate the frequency of the representation and of qualitative part, which aims at content analysis and interpretation of the meanings hidden in the text and illustrations. For the analysing texts and illustrations were selected of two areas, family relationships in the private sector and relationships at work in the public sphere. At the theoretical level were used sociology, psychology, feminist theory and gender studies theories. The way-out of this research is the assumption that aesthetic and educational ambitions of Sluníčko magazine combined with aging readership of this magazine is a important element of gender socialization of children and, therefore, the aim is to find out whether the gender socialization is implemented in a gender-sensitive way.

During the 1930s, Sweden went through several societal crisises. There was a labor market crisis and a population crisis that were also covered by a gender conflict. To address these crises, reforms were introduced around women in society. There was a great deal of political discussion about whether women should be able to live their lives as housewives, which led to the idea of ​​housewives' holidays and holiday homes for working women. What was the political significance of the holiday home? Why did it come to an end in 1977? What remains of the legacy from Vadtorp? For whom and why was Vadtorp preserved? How can one interpret the association in relation to the gender system?  Archive material has been used to be able to answer the survey. By closely reading the material and drawing connections to secondary sources, one has been able to answer these questions. The survey shows how the holiday home in Vadtorp should have had a political impact as the holiday home should have been one of the first holiday homes for working women. The woman became more equal to the man and Vadtorp was discontinued. It is possible to interpret how there was an underlying ideological idea in the dissolution of the holiday home.

This paper aims to examine the debate regarding free period products in Sweden. Whether politicians on a local and national level view free period products as a private or political matter as well as how the view of gender in different societal levels reflect on political statements will also be examined in this study. The paper will take a feminist approach by using a feminist theory called “Gender Systems” created by Yvonne Hirdman. The Gender System theory identifies three themes, the social, economic, and political order. These three themes were used to categorize and analyze the political debate on free period products. The course of action was to analyze political motions and statements in newspapers by politicians regarding free period products. The method of this study was a content analysis. The conclusion of this study is that the debate regarding free period products is larger on a local than national level. Also, motions on a national level have not reached a breakthrough, in contrast to the local level, where motions have been passed and free period products are offered in some schools or at sport facilities. Lastly, the study showed that some politicians aim to challenge norms about menstruation and distinguish the question about free period products as political and of great importance in the work towards gender equality. However, some politicians see the question of period products as a private matter. In the debate we found that more politicians are positive towards free period products, nevertheless, the question has not gained a national breakthrough.

This dissertation is an ethnography of communication, situated in the context of a feminist utopian community, that examines members' use of communication and communicative embodiment to counter what they consider to be oppressive United States gender practices. By integrating speech codes theory and cultural discourse analysis with theories of the body and gender, I develop analyses of spoken and written language, normative language- and body-based communicative practices, and sensual experiences of the body. I argue that there are three key ways communication and communicative practices are used to counter gender oppression: the use of gender-neutral words, the "desensationalization" of the body, and egalitarian nudity practices. Additionally, I argue that "calm" communication, as a normative style of communicating on the farm, underprivileges both male and female members of color and of the working class. From the perspective of members, gender was understood to be a category distinct from sex and analyses demonstrated that sex as an identity was a factor in interpretations of gender performances. Sex identities were also necessary for community feminist practice. Communication practices in the community articulated with feminist, health, environmental, and egalitarian discourses to normalize forms of embodiment such as female shirtlessness and public urination to counter dominant U.S. forms. It was found that making sense of normative communication practices required a cultural understanding of how both spaces and bodies were constituted as public and private. Community spaces were understood by members to be either relatively public or private with the public spaces being the more regulated spaces. Members contested the meanings of bodies as public (and therefore able to be regulated) or private (and therefore not able to be regulated). Normative communication practices in the community indicated that members work to preserve boundaries between private bodies in public spaces by developing rules for privacy, confidentiality, and non-communication. Community feminist communicative practices were understood to be liberatory because (1) the small size of the community allowed members to co-create feminist discourses that resignified body parts and gendered identites and (2) the community provided a space in which women could embody feminist discourses as everyday, sensual performances. This study has implications for the theorizing of embodied verbal and nonverbal gender-based cultural communication practices and for understanding community-based counter discourses as well as sex and gender as cultural identities.