The point of departure of this project is the NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation)TV series “Skam”. NRK describe SKAM [...] “as a fictional teen TV series made by NRK that focuses on universal teen challenges like love, friendship, identity, peer pressure, sex, religion and status [..]” (NRK.no).

The TV series has been sold to many countries in and outside Europe, and
SKAM has been widely considered by both youth and adults, nationally and internationally. According to reviewers, the series has even been described that it's concerning how it is to be young today. In what can be perceived as a dominant interpretation of the series, differences in reception are a little evident. The main aim of the project is to try to find out how the TV series is perceived among different groups of youth. They will be about the same age as in the series, primarily in 3rd grade at upper secondary schools, students over 18 years old. We are involving youth groups from different geographical and social backgrounds, and gender will also become an important variable.

According to Jo Sondre Moseng (2011a), the themes for what are termed “teen-pics” have remained more or less constant since this type of film genre first appeared in the 1950s. These themes include independence, love, gender, sexuality, group pressure and friend relationships, but whereas the teen-pic is about youth and is made by adults, we are concerned with films made by youth, even though they are not all about youth.

There are signs indicating that the generation gap is changing character today since both youth and adults have to relate to so many of the same challenges arising from the rapid pace of change. However, in a hypercomplex society in which reflexive observations are a necessary condition for managing complexity, individual and subjective perspectives will tend to dominate (Qvotrup 1998 and 2004; Selwyn 2005). Furthermore, it is natural in such a context that adults and young people in different phases of life and with different life experience should also have different views of themselves and society. In accordance with this, the teen-pics analysed by Moseng should differ from a serie like SKAM. In the films about youth made by adults, the solution to the challenges experienced by youth is to struggle for more insight and finally to be able to establish an adult’s identity (Moseng, 2011b, p. 165). If SKAM represents the voice of the youth it is interesting to know what distinguishes this series from the typical youth movies made by adults. We expect that in SKAM there are no simple solutions of this kind, as it’s not about becoming adults. This is in line with Thuens (2008) description of the radical change in how young people is viewed, not via adults eyes, but on their own terms.

Central to the research project is also the question of what is perceived as positive? Do young people identify with the content because it can be linked to their own experiences, or is the series perceived primarily as good fiction with more generally relevant topics for youth and for others? If Skam can be linked to their own experiences the question is if it has a separate voice of youth that describes youth from their own point of view and unlike the adults' description of youth in “teen-pics”, and what that voice is about (Fritze & Haugsbakk, 2016). If Skam is percieved as a god fiction with relevant topics, how does it differ from other teen-pics?

In the project, the key research questions will be attempted answered through interviews with young people. In addition to three focus group interviews with 3rd grade at three upper secondary schools, we have conducted a questionnaire survey with all involved students at the relevant school stage (a total of approximately 200 students have answered the questionnaire). It is desirable to bring students from general and from vocational subjects, as well as from rural areas and from the city.

The main aim is to get deeper insight into the differences in how the TV series Skam is perceived by different youth groups, and what might be the cause.

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