ASSESSING THE VIEWS AND NEEDS OF MALE, ISLAMIC ETHNIC MINORITY YOUTH IN GERMANY CONCERNING SEXUALITY, ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS AND SEX EDUCATIO

Due to recent events and developments Islamic immigrants receive mainly negative attention in

popular media and political debates, where stereotypical and prejudicial ideas focusing on gender and sexuality are

portrayed. An intersectional lens shows how these immigrants are likely to find themselves as part of marginalized

groups within society, making identity formation especially concerning sexuality and gender challenging for migrant

adolescents. Having to integrate contradicting information from two different cultures, sex education can facilitate

identity formation and ensure a healthy sex life. However, migrant adolescents may have special needs considering

their situation. So far, research has focused on migrant girls, turning a blind eye to the situation of boys. Therefore,

eleven male participants between the ages of 15 and 19 were questioned based on a semi-structured in-depth

interview. Interviews were analyzed according to the six steps of the thematic content analysis as defined by Clarke

and Braun.

Participants overall portrayed a high awareness for the different views on gender, sexuality and relationships within

their home culture and the German culture. While personally leaning towards a rather modern definition of the

genders, they described great respect and understanding for their parents’ views. Also, they described numerous

stereotypical masculinity ideals being portrayed in German popular media. Concerning romantic relationships,

participants see their parents as role models, also striving for their sense of commitment, faithfulness, honesty and

respect. In relation to sexuality, romantic relationships appear inevitable in order to find a sexual identity. Sex

education can lay the groundwork for a healthy sex life and adolescents described a definite need for detailed

information. Considering their specific situation opening the definition of sex education, including the concept of

gender might be advisable. In addition, it may be considered to include parents into the process of sex education in

order to decrease tension.