The male heterosexual norm : An analysis of the Swedish classification system from a feminist and queer theoretical perspective

The aim of this Masters thesis is to conduct an analysis of the Swedish classification system the SAB-system from a feminist and queer theoretical perspective. The theoretical framework of the study is feminist and queer theory as well as theories from Library and Information Science, mainly classification theory. The study takes its departure from the idea of classification systems as social constructs, reflecting their time, place and society. Paul Ricoeurs critical hermeneutics is used as methodological guidance. This gives room for a critical perspective in the interpretation. The method also emphasizes the importance of viewing the system in its social context. The study reveals a male bias, or a male norm, in the system. Women are treated as a special group whereas men are seen as the norm against which women, as the other, are defined. I have also identified a heterosexual norm in the system. The study indicates that several subjects might be placed and labeled differently from a feminist and queer theoretical perspective. The analysis shows a lack of feminist and gender related terms and concepts in the system. It also shows that the system scatters concepts, which are related within feminist theory, throughout the system. This is due to the systems inability to adequately represent the interdisciplinary nature of feminist and gender studies. In relating my results to a social context I show that the treatment of the sexes in the system can be said to correspond to a gender system in society. However, the system does not correspond to the ideology of the dominating political agenda represented by the governments policy and the strive for equality between men and women.Uppsatsnivå: