'Out in the Club' - Young Women's Experiences of the Night Time Economy in Ireland

Even though Night Time Economy (NTE) in Ireland and abroad is becoming increasingly feminized, at the same time this space is surrounded by the narratives of the dangers that are present only for young women. Such ‘moral’ panics it is argued are reinstating the patriarchal gender relations. Moreover, the current policy developments in Ireland that address the risks associated with female participation in NTE continuously position women as victims, vulnerable consumers and in need of protection by NTE staff. While such approaches address one part of the problem, it ignores the diversity of female lived experiences, such as women’s feelings of empowerment and agency, not to mention ignoring the female voices in how they would like to change the NTE so they feel safe.

Thus, through the utilisation of the Postfeminist Theoretical Framework, this study explores how young women’s (18-24 years old; max 50) lived experiences of the NTE with the specific focus on:
a. the system of power operating in the NTE
b. female experiences of agency and resistance in NTE
c. young women’s hopes/visions of safer/risk-free NTE

The study will employ semi-structured qualitative interview methods with young women. The collected data will be analysed using Thematic Analysis.