Enacting Swedish Sex Education: A Sociomaterial Exploration of Facts and Values

• In Event: Paper Session 1

Abstract

Swedish sex education is based on two pillars: (i) facts primarily on anatomy and reproduction, (ii) democratic values focusing on identity, norms and sexuality. This paper addresses the following questions: How are facts and values enacted in Swedish sex education and How do facts and values relate to each other?
A sociomaterial approach is helpful in exploring the tension between facts and values within the complex area that is sex education. The empirical material comes from a practice-based research study on sex education in Swedish secondary schools, as well as from policy documents.
The study finds three ways in which the tension between facts and values appears: hierarchical, side by side, and entangled.

Authors

• Karin Gunnarsson, Stockholm University

• Simon Ceder, Konstfack - University of Arts, Crafts and Design

• Auli Arvola Orlander, Department of Mathematics and Science Education

• Sara Planting-Bergloo, Stockholm University

• Lisa Ohman, Stockholm University