Examining dominant discourses of sexuality in sexuality education research

Abstract

This article is concerned with some of the theoretical and methodological complexities of collecting young people's preferences for sexuality education content and using them to inform educational practice. Data are drawn from focus groups and questionnaires undertaken by 16–19‐year‐olds. Participants' suggestions often reflect dominant discourses of sexuality circulating in wider society, providing insight into social norms and cultural contexts in which they live. Suggestions do not reflect dominant discourses in any simple way, but involve a complex interplay of these and subordinate meanings of sexuality. When working within a methodological framework that values and centres young people's perspectives, these proposals can be problematic. As dominant discourses of sexuality often reinforce social inequalities, programme implementation of young people's suggestions may perpetuate these. How to reconcile a commitment to a methodological paradigm that prioritises young people's perspectives with the creation of sexuality education which promotes social justice is discussed.

Acknowledgements

This research was made possible by a Foundation for Research Science and Technology Post‐Doctoral Fellowship. The author also wishes to acknowledge the students, teachers, principals and community organisations who participated in this research for their time, candour and commitment to improving sexuality education.

Notes

1. See next section for Warner's (1993) definition of ‘heteronormativity’.

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

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

4. In New Zealand, ‘Asian’ refers to Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Sri Lankan.

5. This is a popular New Zealand soap opera based around the lives of doctors and nurses working at an emergency medical centre.

6. Significance is determined at the 5% level. This means that all figures under p<0.05 are significant.