1. Gender & Street Work 2 studies of Swedish Street Work Malin Andersson, Malin Lundström & Jeny Rengman

2. Presentation Malin Andersson & Malin Lundström, Street Workers in the city centre of Gothenburg Malin Andersson & Malin Lundström, Street Workers in the city centre of Gothenburg Jeny Rengman, Streetworker in Biskopsgården, suburb in Gothenburg Jeny Rengman, Streetworker in Biskopsgården, suburb in Gothenburg

3. Street Work- study 1 Background 70% boys & 30% girls “Is it possible that the girls are much less represented in the Street OR are we more inclined to acknowledge the boys?”

4. The tension of Gender Opinion/Idea about gender Street Worker Male/Female Meeting in public spaces Opinion/Idea about gender Target Group Boys/Girls

5. Study 1 Gender & Street Work The web-based questionnaire was answered by 60 Street Workers, from all around Sweden, 37(62%) women and 23 (38%) men. The web-based questionnaire was answered by 60 Street Workers, from all around Sweden, 37(62%) women and 23 (38%) men. In the Gothenburg area there are 54% female Street Workers and 46% male. In the Gothenburg area there are 54% female Street Workers and 46% male.

6. Gender & the role of the Street worker Does the fact that you are male/female Street worker have any significance in the contact with young people? Does the fact that you are male/female Street worker have any significance in the contact with young people?

7. Respondents 80 % Their sex was significant in the contact with youth’s the contact with youth’s 14 % The sex does not matter 6 % No opinion

8. stereotypical aspects on gender as an asset in the Street Work: ” I think that I have a softer way of presenting myself than my male colleagues, which can lead to, that the one’s that feel a little more insecure and reserved have it easier to contact me” (female) “Yes. My experience as a Street Worker shows that the youth associate the male Street Worker to safety and structure whilst the female Street Worker is more caring and warm.” (male)

9. Gender- as an advantage “I think that some girls have easier to relate to me on the basis my sex, but I also think that some boy’s turns to me just because I am a woman. The sex is always relevant in the contact between persons.” (female) “Yes, because sometimes some youths can be more comfortable to talk to a man or a woman. I also get some cases were the purpose is that the young person in question needs a male role model. “ (male)

10. Professionality & building relations “Considering the expectations concerning how a man/woman are and should be play a role, at least in short term. After a relation has been created it is less important.” (male) “My sex is of course affecting the meeting with youths. I am a man and even if I see my self as a professional Social Worker, I will always be a man.” (male)

11. Gender as an disadvantage “For some girls that we meet in our work it can be a little bit more exciting to meet our male Street Workers in our group, especially the younger ones. I can also experience some difficulties being a woman in the contact with the older boys, some who have a special attitude towards women. However, I can as a woman, get a very close relation to some girls that I get in contact with” (female) “For some girls that we meet in our work it can be a little bit more exciting to meet our male Street Workers in our group, especially the younger ones. I can also experience some difficulties being a woman in the contact with the older boys, some who have a special attitude towards women. However, I can as a woman, get a very close relation to some girls that I get in contact with” (female) “In several of the areas we work in, the boys will not talk to any female Street Worker. There are lot of sexual hints and sexual harassments. It is often a more difficult situation for me as a woman to get a meaningful contact with the boys." (female) “In several of the areas we work in, the boys will not talk to any female Street Worker. There are lot of sexual hints and sexual harassments. It is often a more difficult situation for me as a woman to get a meaningful contact with the boys." (female)

12. The female respondents problematize their sex in a much greater extent than the male Street Workers The female respondents problematize their sex in a much greater extent than the male Street Workers - Is it an asset to be a male Street Worker?

13. Gender & contact-making in Street Work In doing Street Work, do you find it easier to make contact with boys or girls or is there no difference? In doing Street Work, do you find it easier to make contact with boys or girls or is there no difference?

14. Contact with boys and girls 58,3% No difference contact-making boys and girls 20% easier to make contact with boys 13,3 easier to make contact with girls 8,3% had not reflected about this

15. “Out on the streets the boys are more numerous, and dominant in all kinds of ways”.(Female) “They (boys) are easier to establish a contact with; they are not as suspicious as girls”.(Female) “In the street work my experience is that boys are more likely to make active contact”(Female) “Girls should be encourage to explore the world, boys should be encourage to reflect more” (Male)

16. “Actually I think it’s important to treat youths neutral in terms of gender, to avoid recreating existing patterns of gender in our society. Then it can be instrumentally important to meet youths on the basis of a specific situation and their (own) way of being ( that’s most likely are influenced by old pattern of gender). It’s a balance I some situations. I’m aware that I in some situations break conventions just to provoke, stretch the “line of gender”. (Man)

17. Do you think it’s important in Street Work to make a distinction between girls and boys? Do you think it’s important in Street Work to make a distinction between girls and boys?

18. 50% of the respondents consider it’s important to do a distinction when it comes to gender, in the street work. 50% of the respondents consider it’s important to do a distinction when it comes to gender, in the street work. 33 % respondent didn’t think it we should make a distinction 33 % respondent didn’t think it we should make a distinction 16 % hadn’t reflected on the matter 16 % hadn’t reflected on the matter

19. “You just don’t reach them (girls) in the same way, you probably need to develop a personal strategy”. (female) “It’s not common that a girl takes the initiative and demand your attention in the same way as boys does”. (male) “It’s common that they (girls and boys) are spending time in different surroundings, and this means that you have to be aware of this”. (male)

20. Does this mean that we, as professional Street Workers, are enhancing stereotypical gender roles without further reflection? Does this mean that we, as professional Street Workers, are enhancing stereotypical gender roles without further reflection?

21. Does this means that we in a group of youths don’t notice the girls but only see the boys that to a higher extent take more of the space and open up to dialog than the girls? Does this means that we in a group of youths don’t notice the girls but only see the boys that to a higher extent take more of the space and open up to dialog than the girls?