Poles apart? Gender differences in proposals for sexuality education content

Abstract

Are young women and men’s preferences for sexuality education content poles apart? This article explores gender differences in senior school students’ suggestions for issues sexuality education should cover. Findings are analysed in relation to debate about mixed and single sex classrooms and boys’ perceived disinterest in lessons. It is argued that young women and men’s content preferences were largely similar on items that a majority selected for inclusion. Topics less than half of participants named revealed a greater number of gender differences. Employing theoretical insights from feminist post‐structuralism, responses are also examined for how they position young people as sexual subjects and whether these conform to or deviate from perceptions of ‘conventional heterosexualities’. This examination enables an understanding of how young people view themselves as sexual and whether this matches their constitution within sexuality programmes. The implications of students’ content preferences and the way these position them as sexual subjects are considered for the possibilities they present for programme design and delivery.

Keywords:

• sexuality education
• gender differences
• masculinities
• sexual subjectivities

Notes

1. ‘Secondary school’ is the name given in New Zealand to schooling for Years 9–13 or Forms 3–7 (ages 13‐ to 18‐years‐old).

2. These schools were designated either a decile ‘1’, ‘4’ or ‘10’ rating by the Ministry of Education. See explanation of decile ratings in ‘Research methodology’ section.

3. Participants’ in this research were males aged 5‐ to 17‐years‐old in the UK. The sample size is not given by the authors.

4. See Note 12 for how statistical significance has been calculated.

5. Forty interviews with teachers and key professionals from organisations and agencies providing sexuality/health education in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch were conducted to identify student needs in relation to sexuality education.

6. Maori word for non‐Maori person of European descent.

7. Pasifika refers to peoples from the Pacific Islands such as Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Kiribati and Niue.

8. In New Zealand Asian refers to Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Sri Lankan.

9. In New Zealand the ‘Maori Gay, Lesbian, Bi‐sexual and Transgender community have adopted this word to identify as being Maori and queer’ (Definition from the New Zealand AIDS Foundation, Takataapui Pamphlet).

10. See Note 12.

11. These statistical results were, ‘Physical changes at puberty’ (sig. 000), ‘periods’ (sig. 000), ‘reproduction’ (sig. 000), ‘using a condom’ (.001), ‘safer sex’ (.000) and the ‘effects of drugs and alcohol on sexual decision making’ (sig.001).

12. Significance has been determined at the 5% level. This means that all figures under p<0.05 are significant. In this case ‘pornography’ (sig. 000) and ‘prostitution’ (sig. 001).

13. (sig.000).

14. ‘Private schools’ in New Zealand charge their students substantial fees compared with ‘state schools’ which are supposed to be free but in practice may ask parents/caregivers for a comparatively small fee.