The shame of casual sex: Narratives of young Swedish women

Abstract

This study is based on the narratives of four young Swedish women, who were interviewed about their experiences of heterosexual casual sex. The analyses are based on phenomenological sociology and focus on sequences in which the participants orient towards shame in connection with casual sexual encounters. The results show that the participants struggle with shame before, during, and after casual sex, that they do so in relation to a great variety of people, places, and situations, and that they through their experiences encounter a complex set of socializing forces. Hence, despite coming of age in a very liberal sexual environment, the social conditions of the young women's casual sexual encounters appear as highly challenging. Different audiences, selves, and voices, which do not always blend well together, create a crossfire of conflicting ideals, expectations, and feelings. To alleviate the sexual shame that often seems to beset young women, methods of sex education need to focus on scrutinizing cultural practices rather than the individual.