Regulating sexual and gender minority youth: Heteronormativity through Hong Kong schooling

ABSTRACT

Limited research exists on school social work that addresses the issues, needs and concerns facing Hong Kong’s sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth. This qualitative study interrogates how heteronormativity produces gender and sexuality oppression within the secondary school system. It situates Hong Kong schooling in a heteronormative context shaped by the intersecting influences of Chinese cultures, intimate family life, Christianity and media/public attitudes. It also highlights how heteronormativity is enforced and reproduces gender and sexuality oppression in multiple ways (through peer relations, curriculum and class teacher relations and school social work practices). Understanding how heteronormativity manifests and works is urgently needed to challenge heteronormativity through Hong Kong schooling.

关于香港性与性别小众面对的问题, 需要及关注的学校社会工作研究还很有限。这一质性研究审视异性恋霸权如何在中学系统中产生性别与性的压迫，指出香港学校教育处于一种由传统文化, 亲密的家庭关系, 基督教及媒体/公众态度塑造而成的异性恋霸权背景。研究同时强调异性恋霸权如何以多种途径实施或再产生性别与性的压迫 (包括通过同辈关系, 课程与班级老师关系及学校的社会工作实践)。理解异性恋霸权及其运作对于挑战其在香港学校教育的现实有迫切需要。

KEYWORDS:

• Heteronormativity
• gender
• sexuality
• school social work
• schooling

Acknowledgments

I thank Dr Maurice Kwong-Lai Poon, who provided insightful feedback during the revision process. I also thank Dr Lucy Porter Jordan and Professor Petula Ho Sik Ying, who jointly supervised the dissertation from which this work stems. I also thank Johannes Hoerning, Martin Forth, Iris Hoiting, Wang Wei and Lu Ke for their insightful comments and feedback on earlier drafts.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. See Ho and Tsang (2012, 103–122) for an expanded historical overview of discursive subject formation among SGM in Hong Kong.

Additional information

Funding

I thank the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at The University of Hong Kong for their generous postgraduate scholarship and the Swire Scholarship Fund for their support of my doctoral studies.