<p>This essay investigates the results of participation by teenage girls in feminist groups, the so called girl groups. These groups are descendants of the awareness-raising groups of the 1970’s feminist movement. The essay assumes the relevance of theories of heteronormativity and performativity, as well as theories surrounding two different ways to organize girl groups. It is done either through the Pippi-feminism, named after strong independent book character Pippi Longstocking, or through the collective empowerment feminism. The aim of this essay is to examine the outcome of these groups – that is, what previous participants remember and have taken to heart of what was discussed at the girl groups. Through using interviewing methods influenced by the methodology of feminist oral history, memories and experiences by these former participants concerning their involvement with the girl groups have been recorded. The informants give mostly positive accounts of their time in the girl group, emphasizing the importance of the discussions which the group brought up concerning feminism and sexuality. Another important aspect of the group was the role playing, which allowed the girls to explore new performative utterances. One important conclusion is that considering the effectiveness and importance of these girl groups, there is a need to find ways to organize similar groups for boys, so that the responsibility for a gender equal society is distributed equally between the sexes. This essay investigates the results of participation by teenage girls in feminist groups, the so called girl groups. These groups are descendants of the awareness-raising groups of the 1970’s feminist movement. The essay assumes the relevance of theories of heteronormativity and performativity, as well as theories surrounding two different ways to organize girl groups. It is done either through the Pippi-feminism, named after strong independent book character Pippi Longstocking, or through the collective empowerment feminism. The aim of this essay is to examine the outcome of these groups – that is, what previous participants remember and have taken to heart of what was discussed at the girl groups. Through using interviewing methods influenced by the methodology of feminist oral history, memories and experiences by these former participants concerning their involvement with the girl groups have been recorded. The informants give mostly positive accounts of their time in the girl group, emphasizing the importance of the discussions which the group brought up concerning feminism and sexuality. Another important aspect of the group was the role playing, which allowed the girls to explore new performative utterances. One important conclusion is that considering the effectiveness and importance of these girl groups, there is a need to find ways to organize similar groups for boys, so that the responsibility for a gender equal society is distributed equally between the sexes.</p>

This essay investigates the results of participation by teenage girls in feminist groups, the so called girl groups. These groups are descendants of the awareness-raising groups of the 1970’s feminist movement. The essay assumes the relevance of theories of heteronormativity and performativity, as well as theories surrounding two different ways to organize girl groups. It is done either through the Pippi-feminism, named after strong independent book character Pippi Longstocking, or through the collective empowerment feminism. The aim of this essay is to examine the outcome of these groups – that is, what previous participants remember and have taken to heart of what was discussed at the girl groups. Through using interviewing methods influenced by the methodology of feminist oral history, memories and experiences by these former participants concerning their involvement with the girl groups have been recorded. The informants give mostly positive accounts of their time in the girl group, emphasizing the importance of the discussions which the group brought up concerning feminism and sexuality. Another important aspect of the group was the role playing, which allowed the girls to explore new performative utterances. One important conclusion is that considering the effectiveness and importance of these girl groups, there is a need to find ways to organize similar groups for boys, so that the responsibility for a gender equal society is distributed equally between the sexes. This essay investigates the results of participation by teenage girls in feminist groups, the so called girl groups. These groups are descendants of the awareness-raising groups of the 1970’s feminist movement. The essay assumes the relevance of theories of heteronormativity and performativity, as well as theories surrounding two different ways to organize girl groups. It is done either through the Pippi-feminism, named after strong independent book character Pippi Longstocking, or through the collective empowerment feminism. The aim of this essay is to examine the outcome of these groups – that is, what previous participants remember and have taken to heart of what was discussed at the girl groups. Through using interviewing methods influenced by the methodology of feminist oral history, memories and experiences by these former participants concerning their involvement with the girl groups have been recorded. The informants give mostly positive accounts of their time in the girl group, emphasizing the importance of the discussions which the group brought up concerning feminism and sexuality. Another important aspect of the group was the role playing, which allowed the girls to explore new performative utterances. One important conclusion is that considering the effectiveness and importance of these girl groups, there is a need to find ways to organize similar groups for boys, so that the responsibility for a gender equal society is distributed equally between the sexes.

I denna uppsats intervjuas fem unga kvinnor om sina erfarenheter av att delta i separatistiska grupper av och för kvinnor och icke-binära med neuropsykiatriska funktionsnedsättningar (NPF). Studiens syfte är att bidra med kunskap om vad unga kvinnor med NPF kan få ut av att delta i en separatistisk samtalsgrupp, för att på så sätt synliggöra deras erfarenheter samt öka kunskapen om målgruppens möjligheter att förbättra sin livskvalité genom att stärka sig själva. Forskningsfrågan handlar därmed om vilka funktioner deltagandet i en separatistisk grupp kan fylla för kvinnor med NPF, givet deras livssituationer samt den position de befinner sig i som kvinnor med icke-normativa funktionssätt. Studien bygger på fem halvstrukturerade intervjuer som analyserats enligt tematisk analysmetod. Det teoretiska ramverket byggs upp kring utgångspunkter och begrepp inom fälten intersektionalitet och empowerment. Resultatet visar att informanterna har delat känslor av utanförskap och avvikelse; både i relation till sina könsroller och i relation till sina funktionssätt, vilket också kan förstås som maktlöshet. Denna maktlöshet förklaras genom intersektionalitet som att informanterna, i egenskap av att vara kvinnor med NPF, tillhör sociala kategorier som underordnas i jämförelse med andra sociala kategorier, vilket också tycks få en negativ inverkan på deras liv. Mot denna bakgrund har informanterna därför sökt sig till separatistiska grupper med en förhoppning om att finna en förstående gemenskap samt öka kunskapen om sina livssituationer. Informanternas deltagande i grupperna kan även förstås ur ett empowermentperspektiv. Dels som empowerment i egenskap av motmakt och dels empowerment som emotionellt stärkande process. Vad denna studie visar är således att deltagandet i en separatistisk grupp kan fylla olika stärkande funktioner. Dels möjliggörs, genom deltagandet, empowerment i form av motmakt - då den separatistiska gruppen blir en arena för reflektion, lärande och handling samt en trygg och stärkande gemenskap och samhörighet. Dels möjliggörs emotionell empowerment, genom att samhörigheten bidrar till ett ökat engagemang för målgruppen, till förbättrad självbild, till ökat mod samt till en lust att fortsätta engagera sig - det vill säga till en högre nivå av emotionell energi. / In this paper, five young women are being interviewed about their experiences of participating in separatist groups for women and non-binary with neuropsychiatric disabilities (NPF). The purpose of this study is to contribute with knowledge of what young women with NPF can gain from participating in a separatist conversation group; thus to visualizing their experiences and raising awareness of the target group's ability to strengthen themselves. The research question is about addressing the functions of participating in a separatist group, given the target group’s life situations and their social position as women with a non-normative way of functioning. The study is based upon five semi-structured interviews, analyzed according to the thematic method of analysis. The theoretical framework is built around terms and perspectives in the fields of intersectionality and empowerment. The result shows that the informers have shared feelings of exclusion and deviation; both in relation to their gender roles and in relation to their ways of functioning, which can also be understood as powerlessness. This powerlessness, explained through intersectionality, points out that the informers, as in being women with NPF, belong to social categories that subordinate to other social categories, which also seems to have a negative impact on their lives. Against this background, the informers have searched for separatist groups, in hope to find an understanding community and to increase knowledge about their life situations. To participate in these groups can also be understood from an empowerment perspective. Partly as empowerment in the meaning of counter-power, and partly as empowerment as an emotionally strengthening process. What this study shows is therefore that participation in a separatist group can fill different strengthening functions. Through participating in a group, empowerment in the form of counter-power is made possible; thus the separatist group becomes an arena for reflection, learning and action as well as a safe and strengthening community and togetherness. Secondly, emotional empowerment is made possible by the fact that the togetherness contributes to increased commitment, to improved self-image, to increased courage and to a desire to continue to engage - in other words; to a higher level of emotional energy.