Narratives of change in sex education : An analysis of Swedish lower secondary level textbooks in biology and religion

• Sexuality is a central aspect of life and health and achieving sustainable sexuality is of crucial importance. Education is commonly viewed as essential for achieving sustainable sexuality as well as sustainable development in general. Fostering action competence is a key aspect of education for sustainable development, and educational policy today. The ‘action’ element of action competence directs attention to behaviours targeted at bringing about change. Understanding change is, therefore, a crucial aspect of education for sustainable development. This makes it relevant to study representations of change in education materials. Representations of change are furthermore a central part of sex education. This article takes an interest in narratives of change in textbook content on sexuality. The aim is to analyse themes in narratives of change in Swedish textbooks for early teens. Key findings include a tendency towards teleological narratives of change with non-controversial, utopian goals. Change is furthermore commonly constructed as moving from beliefs to scientific knowledge, and from discrimination to tolerance. Narratives of change often do not discuss political aspects of change, and they are often marked by utopianism and dehistoricisation. These circumstances limit the abilities of textbooks to support the development of action competence for sustainable sexuality.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Pedagogik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Pedagogy (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Didaktik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Didactics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

change

sex education

sustainable development

sexuality

ESD

Sociology

sociologi

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

ovr (subject category)