Individualisering of seksualisering? De seksuele leefwereld van laaggeschoolde jongeren in Vlaanderen

Samenvatting

This article describes the implications of individualization as a structural or societal process on the perception of sexuality of low-educated Flemish youth. The qualitative research consists of 26 weeks of participatory observation in two Flemish secondary schools -- one class studying "Science and Math" in a general education secondary school, and another studying "Cooking and Hotel Management" in a vocational secondary school -- and 22 in-depth interviews with pupils aged 17 to 21. For the less-educated youngsters, the process of individualization on a cultural level seems to find its counterpart in a sexualization of the youth period. Through the emphasis on physical and temporal proximity in their lifeworld, the degrees of freedom of the respondents are immediately consumed in an individualistic and sexually hedonistic way. The lack of reflexivity and (long-term) consequence assessment, combined with the imperative of self-preservation, due to the limited possession of economic and cultural capital, overshadow the implementation of the individualization process on the microlevel. 17 References. Adapted from the source document.