Skolprestation, genus och psykisk (o)hälsa
en kvalitativ studie av gymnasieungdomars förhållningssätt
Development psychologyUtvecklingspsykologiPsykologiPsychologyEtnicitetKlassSociala normerGöra könAdolescensKönsskillnaderPsykisk hälsaSkolprestationSocial psychologySocialpsykologiSocial Sciences
The aim of the study was to explore the psychological well-being of a group of adolescents in relation to how they regarded achieving in school, in a gender perspective. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with students aged 17-19 at a high-achieving school in a big city in Sweden. The interviews were analyzed thematically and the results showed that the adolescents acted differently as well as regarded achieving in school differently depending on gender. The young women were driven by ambition, they were high-achieving and planning for the future. The young men cared less about achieving and thought more about the present. The adolescents were "doing gender" and social norms related to achieving in school were identified. Different motives with regards to achieving in school were identified depending on class. Middle-class adolescents were driven by maintaining their standard of life while the working-class adolescents wanted to attain a higher socio-economic status than their parents. Gender was superior to class and ethnicity in relation to how the adolescents viewed achieving in school. The young women experienced more stress than the young men. The psychological well-being of the adolescents was related to how they adjusted to the social norms related to achieving in school.