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Please note that all times are shown in the time zone of the conference. The current conference time is: 19th Aug 2026, 21:29:22 EET
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Daily Overview |
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33 SES 15 A: Gendered, Sexuality and Religious Inequities and Divisions as Sources of ransformative Resources
Paper Session
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33. Gender and Education
Paper Homophobia as a Pedagogy of Masculinity in a Territory with High Incidence of Gender-Based Violence 1: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; 2: University of Calgary; 3: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Presenting Author:At 4 p.m. on 19 April 2017, a 15-year-old boy was found unconscious outside a school. Next to him, showing clear signs of physical assault, lay a placard reading “I am gay”. This attack, which foregrounds the issue of homophobia, took place in a city in southern Brazil—one of the countries with the highest rates of lethal violence against LGBTQIA+ people in the world. The school where the pupil was found is located in an area with the highest recorded levels of violence experienced by women in the municipality. Far from being coincidental, the homophobic and misogynistic violence shaping this social geography are not separate phenomena, but rather expressions of the same gender order that profoundly structures social relations in that territory (Kaufman, 1987; Messner, 2002). The central aim of this research was to analyse how adolescent boys construct meanings around homophobia, and how these meanings inform the performance and regulatory mechanisms of masculinity in everyday school life. Theoretically, the study draws on Critical Masculinity Studies, which examine the hierarchical and diverse configurations of masculinities (Connell, 2005), and the concept of sexuality as a historical dispositif (Foucault, 1978; Weeks, 1997). This conceptual foundation illuminates how heteronormativity emerges as a regime that establishes heterosexuality as a compulsory norm (Louro, 2013). Within this framework, homophobia is understood as a mechanism that demarcates boundaries between legitimate and deviant masculinities (Petry & Meyer, 2011; Rios, 2007). The research highlighted homophobia as a regulatory device of masculinities among adolescent boys in that school— a mechanism that became evident through both the heterocentric pact of silence among the boys and the dissenting voice of a gender-nonconforming pupil. The first mode of engagement—predominant in the focus group—was expressed through a silence laden with meaning: intertwined fingers, brief nervous laughter, averted gazes, and monosyllabic responses. Although little was verbalised (only six pages of transcript in fifty minutes), the unspoken was highly expressive. For the boys, talking about homosexuality was risky; articulating an opinion could place their own sexuality under suspicion. Silence, combined with restrained mockery, operated as a code of complicit masculinity, ensuring a safe distance from the topic without challenging the hegemonic norm (Connell, 2005). Occasional joking served as a mechanism of heteronormative reinforcement, positioning the “deviant” as an object of ridicule (Gastaldo, 2010). The second mode of engagement emerged in the interview with Maicon, a boy whose gender expression distanced him from normative models of masculinity, rendering his sexual orientation subject to scrutiny. He described a school environment saturated with homophobia: insults during break-time football games, graffiti on desks and walls, and verbal offences at the school gate. Homophobia, according to him, was omnipresent. His account revealed two central functions of homophobia in that context. The first, punitive or corrective, targeted performances perceived as insufficiently masculine—whether due to lack of sporting ability, strength, or behaviour aligned with the normative pattern. The second, constitutive, reaffirmed dominant masculine norms by marking what is deemed inadequate. The most striking dimension of Maicon’s narrative, however, concerned the relationship between homophobia and masculine honour. Being subjected to homophobic insults constituted a stain on one’s honour, for which the expected form of reparation was physical confrontation. Violence was not perceived as a problem but as a legitimate and necessary response to restore dignity. As he recounted, pupils who were targeted “fought back and it was ugly”. The fight, although regrettable, is narrated as inevitable within the logic of masculinity. For an adolescent who was also subjected to insults, yet possessed physical stature and athletic involvement, responding aggressively could function as a strategy of survival. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used Methodologically, the research site was defined through the use of Kernel Density Maps, which identified areas with the highest concentration of reported cases of violence against women in the municipality (Silva, Meyer, & Riegel, 2021). The selected school was located at the epicentre of one of these regions—and, significantly, it was the same school where the initial assault on the adolescent had occurred. Data were produced in two stages. First, a focus group (Dal’ Igna, 2014) was conducted with seven boys from Years 7 to 9, all of whom were members of the school’s athletics team. As elicitation material, we employed homophobic anecdotes circulating in the public sphere related to the two most prominent football clubs in southern Brazil. Second, an individual interview was held with “Maicon”, a participant who had expressed a critical and divergent stance during the group discussion. All procedures adhered to ethical guidelines, with informed consent obtained from guardians. Data analysis followed the principles of Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), combining open coding, iterative reading, and theme development, while paying attention not only to explicit verbal content but also to gestures, silences, and embodied reactions. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings The findings indicate that school-based homophobia functions as a veritable pedagogy of masculinity. It operates as a boundary-making language that delineates who belongs within the legitimate masculine group; as a regulatory mechanism that ranks and differentiates boys; and as a trigger for physical violence, sustained by an economy of masculine honour. The contrast between the complicit silence and the dissenting voice reveals that the boys—albeit in different ways—are entangled in the same heteronormative order: some reproduce it through omission, while others denounce it yet must negotiate with its codes to avoid being read as gay and, consequently, becoming targets of violence. Physical confrontations and threats of fights mediated through homophobic discourse appear to constitute a grammar of masculinity: an action that communicates gendered codes, a practice interpreted by the boys as evidence of manliness and virility. Finally, the study highlights the active role of the school in reproducing this homophobic curriculum. The absence of effective interventions, the tolerance of “boys’ fights”, and the lack of safe spaces to discuss gender all contribute to the normalisation of violence. There is, therefore, an urgent need for teacher education and pedagogical practices capable of destabilising the foundations of normative masculinity. It is essential to create opportunities to interrogate heteronormative knowledge and subjectivities, fostering school environments that are genuinely transformative. References Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa Connell, R. W., & Messerschmidt, J. W. (2005). Hegemonic masculinity: Rethinking the concept. Gender & Society, 19(6), 829–859. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243205278639 (incluído o DOI oficial, recomendado pela APA) Dal’Igna, M. C. (2014). Grupo focal na pesquisa em educação: Passo a passo teórico-metodológico. In D. E. Meyer & M. A. Paraíso (Orgs.), Metodologias de pesquisas pós-críticas em educação (2nd ed., pp. 197–219). Mazza Edições Foucault, M. (1978). The history of sexuality: Volume 1. An introduction (R. Hurley, Trans.). Pantheon Books. (Original work published 1976) Gastaldo, E. (2010). As relações jocosas futebolísticas: Futebol, sociabilidade e conflito no Brasil. Mana, 16(2), 311–325. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-93132010000200005 Kaufman, M. (1987). The construction of masculinity and the triad of men’s violence. In M. Kaufman (Ed.), Beyond patriarchy: Essays by men on pleasure, power, and change (pp. 1–29). Oxford University Press. Messner, M. A. (2002). Playing center: The triad of violence in men’s sports. In M. A. Messner, Taking the field: Women, men, and sports (pp. 27–62). University of Minnesota Press. Petry, A. R., & Meyer, D. E. (2011). Transexualidade e heteronormatividade: Algumas questões para a pesquisa. Textos & Contextos (Porto Alegre), 10(1), 193–198. https://doi.org/10.15448/1677-9509.2011.1.9640 Rios, R. R. (2007). O conceito de homofobia na perspectiva dos direitos humanos e no contexto dos estudos sobre preconceito e discriminação. In F. Pocahy (Org.), Rompendo o silêncio: Homofobia e heterossexismo na sociedade contemporânea. Políticas, teoria e atuação. Nuances. Silva, André. L. S., Meyer, D. E., & Riegel, R. P. (2021). Gender, women, crime, and violence: Relationships and tensions. Educação em Questão, 59(59), e124637. https://doi.org/10.21680/1981-1802.2021v59n59id24637 Weeks, J. (1997). O corpo e a sexualidade. In G. L. Louro (Org.), O corpo educado: Pedagogias da sexualidade (pp. 35–82). Autêntica. 33. Gender and Education
Paper Updating Trainee Teachers' Perceptions of the Principles of Secularism and Gender Equality 1: CY Cergy Paris University, France; 2: Université Paris Nanterre, France Presenting Author:A gradual policy development aimed at education and training is evident in institutional texts published over the last thirty years. Campell and Sanders (1997) outlined the perceptions of gender equality among American trainee teachers, highlighting their interest counterbalanced by their lack of training. During this period, political and societal influences and dynamics have come to the fore on the international and national stages. Numerous studies documenting this theme on all continents (e.g. Minara, 2023 for a sample in the Bengal region of India) take the countries of northern Europe, often cited as precursors, as their reference points. However, even in these countries, some studies lead us to conclude that integrating these values into teaching and educational practices is a long and difficult process (Lahelma and Tainio, 2019). In France, as in other European countries (Lucas-Palacios et al., 2022), major policy guidelines over the past fifteen years have affirmed the integration of gender (and sexuality) equality issues into institutional school requirements, from nursery school to university. Specifically, all primary and secondary school teachers and all education managers should receive 18 hours of training during their university internship. The French Republic's education system (Fifth Republic) incorporates the principles of secularism and social democracy in particular. The principle of secularism is seen as a protector and emancipator, supporting republican values: liberty, equality, fraternity (MEN, 2026). In 2013, the School Reform Act (8 July 2013) officially introduced the theme of equality into teacher training programmes (from primary to higher education). While today the idea of equality seems to be widely accepted by professionals in schools and universities and supported by a large part of French society, what is the reality? The aim of this paper is to go beyond quick and sometimes subjective assertions and to document the reality of current trainee teachers' perceptions, in the hope of responding to the specific call from the Gender and Education Network ‘Knowledge and Action’. Together with a colleague who specialises in secularism in schools, we have designed a training course for trainee teachers at a university institute in the Paris region. For the past three years, we have both been running this annual training course, which consists of: i) a general presentation course covering secularism, equality and related issues, as well as practical case studies (3 hours) ii) in-depth workshops chosen by the trainee (2 x 3 hours) with professionals on a variety of practical topics all related to the integration of secularism, equality and the fight against discrimination in secondary education iii) a platform course enabling trainees to discover a wide range of institutional and educational resources, culminating in the production of a written summary outlining the design of a classroom activity in a specific subject or interdisciplinary subject. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used For this paper, our results will be drawn from the written work outlining their classroom activity projects, which concludes the platform course. The data analysed is from 2023 and 2024, i.e. 168 reports in 2023 and 461 in 2024. For 2024, the population of trainee teachers (all teaching subjects) is divided into different types (levels) of education: middle school (students aged 11 to 15) n = 120, general high school (students aged 15 to 18) n = 158, vocational and technical high school (aged 15 to 18) n = 34, without indication of internship assignment n = 144. We produced a statistical analysis at two levels: a lexicographical level (multiple correspondence factor analysis - MCA - using the open-source software Iramuteq) and a qualitative multifactorial analysis (MCA) using Excel stat software. For the lexicographic analysis (MCA), the texts were coded according to six variables: type of assignment (five categories), gender (four categories), number of contributors to the text (three categories), subject area (17 categories), and type of production (two categories). For the MQA, we selected the following variables: type of institution (middle school, high school, vocational high school), and the use of the words secularism, equality, religion, and diversity in the written work. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) shows a structure divided into four fairly balanced categories (representing 20% to 26% of the active words analysed) that are linked in pairs. The category of educational terms is linked to that of factors producing or revealing gender inequalities. The class of values of the Republic is linked to that of the types of actions or personnel likely to be involved in these actions. Qualitative multifactorial analysis (QMA) highlights statistically related variable associations. The resulting graph highlights statistical similarities between secularism and religious issues on the one hand, and gender equality and cultural aspects on the other. Quotes concerning the fight against LGBT discrimination are statistically linked to vocational and technical schools. Quotes about cultural diversity (the fight against stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination) are statistically linked to secondary schools and vocational high schools. Other more detailed results, including a study of sexist comments during general presentation classes (January 2026), will be presented during the communication in order to highlight i) knowledge relating to gender and sexual equality, ii) the prospects for pedagogical implementation by trainee teachers of secondary school subjects in our sample, and iii) noticeable developments. References Campbell, P. B., Sanders, J. (1997). Uninformed But Interested : Findings of a National Survey on Gender Equity in Preservice Teacher Education. Journal of Teacher Education, 48(1), 69 – 75. Lahelma, E. & Tainio, L. (2019). The long mission towards gender equality in teacher education: Reflections from a national project in Finland. Nordic Studies in Education, 39, 69 -84. Lucas-Palacios, L., García-Luque, A., Delgado-Algarra, E.J. (2022). Gender Equity in Initial Teacher Training: Descriptive and Factorial Study of Students’ Conceptions in a Spanish Educational Context. International Jounal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19, 8369. Minara, Y. (2023). Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions about Gender Equality, International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Growth Evaluation, 4(4), 427-431. Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale (2026). Les valeurs de la République. Education.gouv.fr. En ligne [consulté le 26 janvier 2026] 33. Gender and Education
Paper Knowing and Acting Your Age: Foregrounding intersections of age and gender in everyday learning University of Plymouth, United Kingdom Presenting Author:Resaerch Question Meeting the needs of an ageing European population is a key social and political issue. The implications for Education need much further interrogation and it is vital that this is addressed from the perspectives of older people themselves. The paper discusses the initial findings of the Leverhulme Trust funded research project Invisible Education post 65: reconstituting everyday lives and learning (2025-2027). The aim of the Leverhulme project is to develop a nuanced picture of everyday learning post the age of 65 and a new posthuman theorization of life post 65. The project objectives are to explore the ‘invisible education’ (Quinn, 2023a) of 100 diverse people in the UK over the age of 65 to address the following questions: How and what are people learning in everyday life post 65 both intentionally and incidentally? How does this relate to their earlier experiences of formal Education? How do formations and intersections of class, gender, ethnicity, disability, and sexuality shape everyday learning post 65? How does recognition of everyday learning change understandings of life post 65? What are the implications for education and social justice? Theoretical Framework In Invisible Education (Quinn, 2023a) I conceptualise ‘invisible education’: everyday learning that is unseen, and often purposefully denied. Calling it invisible education, rather than ‘informal learning’ underlines its force, but also suggests a category that is open to fresh insights. Drawing on posthuman theory, my own empirical research with diverse adults, and on multiple knowledge sources such as memoir, poetry and art, I conceptualise invisible education as an involuntary but meaningful response when engaged in everyday life and activities and the questions and problems they provoke. This theoretical position has been further developed with a focus on how gender and everyday learning are mutually constitutive (Quinn, 2023b). This paper takes this critical posthuman position: the human is not the sole focus, rather agentic assemblages of human and more than human elements. but structural inequalities produced by humanism are also addressed (Bozalek and Zembylas, 2016). The paper focuses on how invisible education is shaped by intersections of age, class and gender. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used The project methodology is ‘postqualitative’, not attempting to represent a human-centric world, but following and exploring multiple emerging relations (Murris, 2021). The methods are structured to explore how being in the world generates such relations. Participants are accessed via liaison with 10 interest groups involving people over 65. The aim is to interview five active members of each group and, through snowballing with group members, also access and interview five older people who are not active outside the home. The participants are co-producers of the research rather than the objects of study. The interviews are being conducted on the move in homes and localities and there are creative workshops with the interest groups. This paper will draw on data from 40 participants in Cornwall, Plymouth, Scotland and the West Midlands and on discussions and artefacts generated through the creative workshops with a Community Larder/Foodbank, an Arts and Craft Group, a Men’s Shed group and Age Scotland. The project acts to foreground class and gender. The project locations have ranged from an inner -city area perceived as deprived to a relatively wealthy rural area. Two of the interest groups are perceived as highly gendered as feminine or masculine and the other two are more diverse. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings The project is developing the theoretical and empirical work on everyday learning and gender already achieved in (Quinn, 2023a, 2023 b), deepening the focus to those over 65. The project is revealing the many ways people aged over 65 are still learning in their everyday lives. It shows how this is constituted through multiple relations with other humans and the more than human, such as animals and the sea. Learning co-exists with forms of work such as caring. It also reveals how matters of place and intersectional factors such as class and gender shape this learning. Exploring this data challenges the limited ways both older life and adult learning are commonly framed. Rather than focus on ‘wellbeing’, (which is the dominant and normative discourse when it comes to age), the paper considers the possibility of ‘authentic’ ageing. Considering shaping factors of gender and class how far are older people learning to shape lives that feel right for them? The paper will discuss both the initial findings and the challenges of conducting the research as an older researcher. What is it to know and act your age? References Bozalek, V., and M. Zembylas. 2016. “Critical Posthumanism, New Materialisms and the Affective Turn for Socially Just Pedagogies in Higher Education”. South African Journal of Higher Education 30 (3), 193-200. https://doi.org/10.20853/30-3-652. Murris, K. Ed. (2021) Navigating the Postqualitative, New Materialist and Critical Posthumanist Terrain, London: Routledge Quinn, J.(2023a) Invisible Education: Posthuman Explorations of Everyday Learning, London: Routledge Quinn, J. (2023b). Learning and gender in everyday life. Studies in the Education of Adults, 55(2), 441–453. https://doi.org/10.1080/02660830.2023.2255406 | ||