Tjejer och killar i skolan - en studie i mellanstadielärares syn på avvikande beteende

The purpose of this study was to examine how boys and girls are selected to participate in social group work in school. More specifically it sought to analyse what kind of gender discourses arise when teachers discuss girls’ and boys’ problematic behaviour. Four teachers who work at a school in a large city in Sweden were interviewed. They work in grades five and six and collaborate closely with the social workers leading groups at school. These teachers therefore have great influence on where the social workers choose to focus their effort. By the use of social constructivism and a gender perspective the interviews were analysed to find out what general ideas about gender, discourses, influence the teachers. The discourses were then used to discuss how boys and girls create their identity. A conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that the teachers tend to speak very differently about problematic boys and girls, placing them in opposite positions. While the girls are considered mature, relationship focused and difficult to understand, the boys are considered the opposite: immature, independent and easy to read. The teachers also tend to be influenced by society’s view on heterosexuality as the natural sexuality, hence the positive attitude towards the division of boys and girls in same sex groups based on their interest in each other. In shaping their identities, boys and girls can therefore be seen as forced to take a strong position based on their sex. To be a girl certain behavioural traits are necessary and to be a boy other traits are required. To be a girl you should like boys, to be a boy you should like girls. As school plays an important part in boys’ and girls’ development, all who work there, both teachers and social workers, need to be aware of the influence played by generally accepted gender discourses