Det ska böjas i tid det som krokigt skall bli ? Om reproduktion av kön på bibliotek
Gender (Sex)Libraries and SocietySex role in literatureSocial structure.GenusBibliotek och samhälleKönsroller i litteraturenSociala strukturer.
This Master's Thesis studies the attitude that library employees have regarding a sex and gender-neutral treatmentof their clients. The analysis is based upon replies to a questionnaire which was submitted though channels directedat library employees, like BIBLIST and BiblFeed. The respondent?s replies contained a number of welldevelopedcomments making the resultant analysis both quantitative and qualitative in nature.In performing the analysis a theoretical framework combining Hirdman?s gender system with symbolic interactionismhas been used together with literature about gender roles.The questionnaire showed that gender neutrality is a complex concept that can be interpreted in many differentways and is therefore easily misunderstood. It is obvious that sex is an important category when respondents aredealing with their clients, but also that sex and gender are problematic concepts which respondents find difficultto know exactly how to relate to. A lot of the respondents see a need to address gender issues, but a lot of themalso state that gender is a biological concept and therefore impossible or unnecessary to have to relate to. In general,in the replies to the questionnaire availability tops the list over important questions to be addressed in thelibrary while sex and gender have very low priority.My belief is that gender norms are possible to change and that sex and gender issues should be prioritized by virtueof being recognised as an availability issue. It is everybody?s individual fundamental values that together formsociety?s common fundamental values. If we all put on our gender glasses and are prepared to alter how we treatone another we can, eventually, make sex and gender less important categories and begin to see our clients as individuals.