In my thesis, I focused on the opinions and attitudes of young people about gender inequality. I was interested in whether young people know and recognize gender inequality. I researched how young people feel the consequences of gender inequality, how they deal with them and what their opinion is about the pursuit of gender equality in society. Through research, I wanted to define the strategies that young people use in the pursuit of gender equality in their communities, as well as possible ideas on how they can contribute to the fight for gender equality. I was interested in how young people occupy roles in a society where gender inequality persists and what consequences they see when meeting social expectations. At the same time, I was interested in the impact of promoting gender stereotypes and roles in media and pop culture. In the theoretical part, I defined gender inequality and pointed out areas where gender inequality manifests itself in society. I presented the differences between the sexes in connection with social inequality and the consequences of a male-centered society. I explained the influence of social gender norms on adolescents and defined the factors that influence the attitude of adolescents towards gender equality. I highlighted the plight of transgender and gender diverse youth in connection with gender inequality. I presented the expectations of young people about their future in a society dominated by gender inequality. In addition, I also highlighted the importance of involving young people in striving for and achieving gender equality.
I conducted the research using an online survey, quantitatively processed the numerical data of the closed questions, and qualitatively analyzed the verbal descriptions of the open questions using open and axial coding.
I found out that young people are aware of and perceive gender inequality in different forms. They notice inequalities in many areas of their lives. Many young people express a desire for change in the area of gender inequality, as they confront stereotypes and expectations related to gender. The media plays an important role in shaping these expectations, especially toxic content that deepens gender inequality. Despite the different opinions about this influence of the media on gender inequality, the majority of young people express the need for greater inclusion of non-traditional representations in the media.
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