title: 'My sexual self, I stifled it': sexual subjectivities among young Portuguese women.
abstract: Recent research has examined young women's sexual subjectivities and desires, yet has neglected the ways women in their twenties account for their sexual selves. The present study focuses on the discourses and discursive constructions available for young Portuguese women when talking about their sexual subjectivity. Data were collected through six focus group discussions with young Portuguese women. The goal was to analyse discursive constructions and their potential implications for sexual empowerment and resistance. In the course of the work, it was possible to identify several different discursive devices, the most pervasive of which were Pandora's Box, Protocol and Process. Each of these constructions tended to be negative or contain negative judgements about women's sexuality. Even in contexts where a positive discourse on women's sexual desires emerged, significant constraints were encountered in achieving of a fulfilling and positive sexual experience.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Education and Psychology, University of Minho, Portugal. cecilvieiracosta@gmail.com
authors.forename: Cecía
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Conceição
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: López
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011174:Portugal; D011209:Power, Psychological; D012649:Self Concept; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult