"Policy Is the Battleground": Sexuality Education Policy and Heteronormativity

• In Event: Queering Dewey and Challenging Democratic Ideals: Examining Policies and Discourses of Diversity

Abstract

Scholars of educational policy assert that “policy creates context” (Ball, Maguire, & Braun, 2012) , although they insist that “context also precedes policy” (p. 19). The policy context of sexuality education in schools is a key site for exploring how progress is made towards either improving school experiences for sexually diverse students, or inhibiting the expression of identities, sexual knowledges and rights. This paper is a theoretical (Bourdieuean) analysis of a key policy initiative which actively and explicitly challenges schools to, not only be more ‘inclusive’ of sexually diverse students and cultures, but to reframe curriculum and school cultures around sexuality education for social justice and the exploration of sexual politics.

Author

• Katie Fitzpatrick, University of Auckland