Sexuella gråzoner inom heterosexuella praktiker: En studie av kvinnors upplevelser av gränslandet mellan sexuellt samtycke och icke-samtycke

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to examine how sexual consent is constructed, understood and practised within heterosexual structures. Through interviews with six women and three professionals within the organisation RFSU, this thesis explores how social and cultural values and expectations play a vital role in the construction of sexual consent and sexual grey areas. Based on feminist theories about sexuality and a social constructivist approach, our empirical material has been analyzed on the basis of selected parts of John H. Gagnon and William Simon’s sexual script theory, Charity Wilkinson's theoretical view of the concept of unwanted sex and Shantee Foster's studies about consensual unwanted sex. In the analysis of our material, we have noticed a discrepancy between the understanding of sexual consent and the communication and practice of the same. The results show that heterosexual scripts along with a heteropatriarchal system makes it difficult for women to act fully autonomously in sexual situations.