Perceived gender dichotomies in public space in Husby : A qualitative study about how locally anchored women with interest in feminist questions reflect upon gender and public space

Abstract: The research aim of this study is to explore how locally anchored women with interest for feminist questions perceive and reflect upon the production and reproduction of gender dichotomies in public space in Husby. Moreover, space is flexible and part of a socio-spatial-dialectic which is both produced and reproduced through social interaction which contain power hierarchies. These dialectic notions and gender contracts have been utilized in this study in order to explore perceptions regarding production and reproduction of gender dichotomies. This is a qualitative study and data was collected through semi-structured interviews with locally anchored women in Husby with interest in feminist questions. The results revealed that patriarchal orders and fear of male violence, the city planning, habits, traditional gender contracts, lack of jobs and apartments, and intersectional tendencies were perceived by the interviewees as factors which influence production and reproduction of gender dichotomies in Husby.