Controversial Credits: Secondary Students’ Education on Heteronormativity
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2018-04-11
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Abstract
In January of 2016, the Alberta Government launched new Guidelines for Best Practices: Creating Learning Environments That Respect Diverse Sexual Orientations, Gender Identities, and Gender Expressions (Alberta Education, 2016). This document was in response to the growing awareness of the ongoing oppression, marginalization, and discrimination affecting gender and sexually diverse children, youth, families, and faculty in schools across the province. These guidelines were met with a series of reactions, with much backlash and controversy erupting in Southern Alberta, which exemplified the ongoing homophobic and transphobic sentiments commonplace to many of the residents in this area. This study explores the experiences of secondary students in public secular schools related to the topic of gender and sexual diversity and the impact of the heteronormative discourse operating within their schools and community on their developing attitudes, identities, and emotional and mental well-being. I employed a multi-method qualitative research framework involving 1) critical discourse analysis of the documents from three courses where topics pertaining to gender and sexuality are most likely to occur; and 2) multiple in-depth semi-structured interviews with 6 secondary students. The central questions driving this study were: Are high school students’ perceptions of heteronormativity shaped by religious and secular aspects of the high school curriculum? If so, how? What practical insights can be applied to school policies and practices to inform more safe and inclusive school environments? To answer these questions, I drew upon critical theory and social justice scholars to explore how the forces of heteronormativity and privilege, particularly Christian privilege, are produced and reproduced in schools and how these forces maintain an ongoing oppressive and hostile school environment for gender and sexual minority students. The chief finding of this study is that, despite the efforts made through the recent release of the Guidelines for Best Practice (Alberta Education, 2016), gender and sexual minority youth are not experiencing a safe and inclusive school environment, with ongoing oppression experienced in multiple school spaces. This dissertation concludes with a discussion of participant-infused insights and wisdom for educators and educational leaders interested in creating more safe and inclusive learning environments.
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Surette, T. E. (2018). Controversial Credits: Secondary Students’ Education on Heteronormativity (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/31790