Cultural Diversity and Sexuality Education: The Limits of "Inclusion"

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 4:20 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Building Cultural Competence Through Curriculum (Table 11)

Abstract

International and national literature has long-established that sexuality education does not adequately speak to the range of cultural diversities in classrooms. We argue these persistent obfuscations speak to questions around normativity, othering, diversity and ‘inclusion’. How can diversities be represented in ways that avoids overdetermining the difference of ‘cultural others’? How can diversities be addressed without simply ‘tacking-on’? Indeed, does the notion of ‘inclusion’ lie at the heart of the problem? Here we turn to current critiques that outline the western conceits and colonial logics of sexuality education. We then move to our current project in South Australia with young people from migrant backgrounds, who identify a tricky problematic around inclusion and visibility, along with the significance of co-designed curriculum.

Authors

• Monique A. Mulholland, Flinders University

• Fida Sanjakdar, Monash University

• Tess Opie