“Pornography - just sex?” : A quantitative study based on young women and mens attitudes towards pornographic material, views on gender andperceptions and expectations about sex

Pornography is today easy to find on the internet and is used by a majority of young women and men. This study aims to investigate how pornography use affects young women and men. Our study intends to answer if the are differences between young women and mens pornographic consumption and attitudes towards the material. The study also aims to investigaste if there are connections between young women and mens attitudes towards pornographic consumtion and views on gender. It will also investigate if there are connections between young women and men regarding perceptions and expectations about sex. Our study is based on a quantitative approach in the form of a survey study with 211 respondents (132 women and 79 men). The theoretical framework is based on Hirdmans gender theory and Gagnon and Simons theory about sexual scripts. Our main results shows that there are big differences in pornography use and attitudes towards the material. On one hand, men are more likely to use pornography and have a neutral attitude. On the other hand, women are more likely to have a negative attitude against pornography. The motives for consumption are the same for both sexes. Our study can show that there is a connection between women, the attitude against pornography and the view on gender. Women who have a negative attitude against pornography are more likely to think that it is important to question gender roles. Men don’t link pornography with gender equality, for them pornography is only sex. The respondents agrees that other peoples perceptions and expectations can be influenced by pornography, but not their own. Although our study shows interesting findings they may not be a consequence of pornography. Our respondents can be influenced by other factors than pornography use