The construction and representation of sexual and gender diversity in Namibian school textbooks: global discourses or Southern African realities?
SOURCE: Journal of Namibian Studies
OUTPUT TYPE: Journal Article
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2019
TITLE AUTHOR(S): A.Brown, F.Reygan
KEYWORDS: EDUCATION, GENDER DIVERSITY, INEQUALITY, NAMIBIA, SEXUALITY, TEXTBOOKS
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 10937
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/14259
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/14259
OUTPUT TYPE: Journal Article
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2019
TITLE AUTHOR(S): A.Brown, F.Reygan
KEYWORDS: EDUCATION, GENDER DIVERSITY, INEQUALITY, NAMIBIA, SEXUALITY, TEXTBOOKS
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 10937
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/14259
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/14259
If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Baudin at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za.
Abstract
Liberal, western approaches to non-normative sexuality and gender have been roundly critiqued by queer education theorists for their regulation of sexuality and their perpetuation of cisgenderism and heteronormativity. School textbooks are a key regulatory site for the control of gender and sexuality and create zones of inclusion and exclusion in school systems. In Southern Africa sexuality and gender diversity has become a key site for global culture wars between locally embedded understandings and more global (read Western) discourses. Therefore we analysed 5 school textbooks in the Life Skills subject area in Namibia and found a clear attempt at liberal constructions and representations of sexual and gender diversity. This contrasts with local and national level understandings of non-normative sexualities and genders and is strongly influenced by Namibia's signatory status to a wide number of global education agreements that reflect a liberal humanistic understanding of sexual and gender rights.-
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