Intersections of class and sexuality in the classroom

Abstract

This research note aims to address concerns about schools as sites where students wrestle, materially and subjectively, with classed based notions of femininity, the promotion of heterosexuality, and the support of hetero‐normative, middle class families against and in contrast with their own working class families, identities and experiences. Two relatively neglected issues in education, those of sexuality and class, are addressed in order to highlight the interconnections in living out these often analytically separated categories. This piece draws upon the findings of an ESRC funded project ‘Working class lesbians: classed in a classless climate’, which examines the life experiences and identities of self‐identified working class lesbians in the UK.

Notes

1. There is no UK wide National Curriculum: The National Curriculum operates in England and Wales whereas in Scotland guidance is provided to education authorities and schools in the form of the 5–14 National Guidelines, published by the Scottish Executive Education Department and Learning and Teaching Scotland.

2. I conducted four focus groups with the following pre‐established groups: Young Lesbian Group (Edinburgh), Manchester Lesbian Group (Manchester), Older Lesbian Group (Glasgow) and the Rural Lesbian Group (the Highlands).

3. Section 2a (Local Government Act, Scotland, 1986) also known as Section 28 (Local Government Act, 1988) stated that local authorities should not intentionally promote homosexuality, publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality or promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a ‘pretended family’ relationship. Section 2a was finally repealed by the Scottish Parliament on the 21 June 2000 while the UK parliament took another three years to repeal Section 28, passing legislation in July of 2003.