Youth, gender, and perceptions of security in Norway

Abstract

This article examines how and where issues of gender emerged in Norwegian youths’ self-defined constructions of security. Previous work has focused on security in relation to generational gaps and gendered perspectives, but there remains a need for further empirical research of an integrated perspective of security, gender and youth. Drawing on data collected from 21 interviews, this study provides insight into how youth understand the concept of security, seeking to isolate how and where gender related issues emerge in those perspectives. The findings of the study indicate that youth definitions of security are broad and cannot sufficiently be described by any one theoretical perspective on security; however, the youth often related their concept of security to how insecurities are experienced by others. Thus, when discussions of gender or other factors of security disparity emerged, they did so with an understanding of their own privileged security perspective.

Keywords

• youth
• young people
• insecurity
• security
• gender