When Does “Too Early” Become “Too Late”? Reflections of Croatian Secondary School Educators on the Persistence of LGBT Taboos in the Education System
Abstract
The article presents one of the topics generated by a thematic analysis of data collected through a focus group process within the scientific research project LGBT (In)Visibility in School: The Educators’ Perspective, which focused on the taboo position of sexual and gender diversity within the education system. In four focus groups conducted with secondary school educators in Zagreb, the participants identified certain key factors in perpetuating such a position: the understanding of the child/student as an innocent being whose sexual education should begin at a time that educators themselves are unable to determine, the perception of parents as barriers to the inclusion of topics of sexual and gender diversity in the curriculum, and the absence of a systematic, LGBT-inclusive approach to teaching about sexuality. The concluding part of the article discusses the limitations of the research conducted and makes recommendations for future empirical and practical coverage of this topic.
Downloads
References
Bartulović, M., & Kušević, B. (2020). Uprostorivanje seksualne i rodne različitosti u odgojnoobrazovnim ustanovama. [Spatialisation of sexual and gender diversity in educational institutions]. Sociologija i prostor, 58(2), 127–145. https://doi.org/10.5673/sip.58.2.1
Bartulović, M., Kušević, B., & Širanović, A. (2023). From neutrality to engagement: The modalities of understanding secondary teacher professionalism in dealing with LGBT issues. Multicultural Education Review, 15(1), 42-59. https://doi.org/10.1080/2005615X.2023.2193924
Bartulović, M., Kušević, B., & Širanović, A. (2023). Moderating role of the pedagogical relationship in LGBT inclusivity of schools in Croatia. Journal of LGBT Youth, 20(1), 143–159. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2021.1982436
Bašić, S. (2011). (Nova) slika djeteta u pedagogiji djetinjstva [The (new) image of the child in childhood pedagogy]. In D. Maleš (Ed.), Nove paradigme ranoga odgoja (pp. 19–37). Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zavod za pedagogiju.
Bekić, J. (2013). Zdravstveni odgoj na raskrižju politike moralnosti i politike identiteta [Health education at the crossroads of politics of morality and identity politics]. Političke analize, 4(16), 19–23. https://hrcak.srce.hr/142463
Bialystok, L. (2018). “My child, my choice”? Mandatory curriculum, sex, and the conscience of parents. Educational Theory, 68(1), 11–29. https://doi.org/10.1111/edth.12286
Bijelić, N. (2008). Sex education in Croatia: Tensions between secular and religious discourses. European Journal of Women’s Studies, 15(4), 329–343. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350506808095273
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
Cvijović Javorina, I. (2015). Zdravstveni odgoj u hrvatskom školstvu 2012./2013. i građanski neposluh [Health education in Croatian schools in 2012/2013 and civil disobedience]. Historijski Zbornik, 68(2), 351–364. https://hrcak.srce.hr/165467
Depauli, C., & Plaute, W. (2018). Parents’ and teachers’ attitudes, objections and expectations towards sexuality education in primary schools in Austria. Sex Education, 18(5), 511–526. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2018.1433650
Dugan, J. P., Kusel, M. L., & Simounet, D. M. (2012). Transgender college students: An exploratory study of perceptions, engagement, and educational outcomes. Journal of College Student Development, 53(5), 719–736.
Dyson, S., & Smith, E. (2012). ‘There are lots of different kinds of normal’: Families and sex education – styles, approaches and concerns. Sex Education, 12(2), 219–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2011.609053
Đaković, T., & Novosel, I. (Eds.) (2020). Ljudska prava u Hrvatskoj: pregled stanja za 2019. godinu [Human rights in Croatia: An overview of 2019]. Kuća ljudskih prava Zagreb. https://www.kucaljudskihprava.hr/2020/04/17/ljudska-prava-u-hrvatskoj-pregled-stanja-za-2019-godinu
Eisenberg, M. E., Bernat, D. H., Bearinger, L. H., & Resnick, M. D. (2008). Support for comprehensive sexuality education: Perspectives from parents of school-age youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 42(4), 352–359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.09.019
Eisenberg, M. E., Madsen, N., Oliphant, J. A., & Resnick, M. (2012). Policies, principals and parents: Multilevel challenges and supports in teaching sexuality education. Sex Education, 12(3), 317 - 329. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2011.615614
Ferfolja, T., & Ullman, J. (2017). Gender and sexuality diversity and schooling: Progressive mothers speak out. Sex Education, 17(3), 348–362. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2017.1285761
Flores, G. (2014). Teachers working cooperatively with parents and caregivers when implementing LGBT themes in the elementary classroom. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 9(1), 114–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/15546128.2014.883268
Fullan, M. G. (1994). Coordinating top-down and bottom-up strategies for educational reform. In R. J. Anson (Ed.), Systemic reform: Perspectives on personalizing education (pp. 7–23). U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, Office of Research.
Greytak, E. A., Kosciw, J. G., & Diaz, E. M. (2009). Harsh realities: The experiences of transgender youth in our nation’s schools. Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
Howe, R. B. (2001). Do parents have fundamental rights? Journal of Canadian Studies, 36(3), 61–78. https://doi.org/10.3138/jcs.36.3.61
Hrabar, D. (2018). Odjek roditeljskih vjerskih i filozofskih uvjerenja na odgoj i obrazovanje djece u hrvatskoj legislativi [The reflection of parental religious and philosophical convictions on the child’s upbringing and education in Croatian legislation]. Zbornik Pravnog fakulteta u Zagrebu, 68(3–4), 319–336.
Jakovac-Lozić, D. (2020). Nastojanja na putu “rane seksualizacije” djece – interes djeteta ili potreba odraslih [Endeavours in the “early sexualisation” of children – the interest of the child or need of the adults]. Zbornik radova Pravnog fakulteta u Splitu, 57(2), 479–533. https://hrcak.srce.hr/237908
Janković, S. (2011). Stavovi roditelja učenika osnovnih škola grada Rijeke o spolnom odgoju njihove djece [Attitudes of parents of primary school pupils in the city of Rijeka on the sexual education of their children] [Doctoral dissertation, Sveučilište u Rijeci, Medicinski fakultet].
Jurčić, M. (2018). Rozi megafon: od Zakona o životnom partnerstvu do ponovnog stvaranja nepovoljnog društvenog i političkog okruženja za LGBTIQ osobe. Izvještaj Zagreb Pridea o stanju ljudskih prava LGBTIQ osoba u Republici Hrvatskoj 2014. – 2017 [Pink megaphone: From the Anti- Discrimination Act to the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Report of Zagreb Pride on the Human Rights of LGBTIQ Persons in Croatia 2010 - 2013]. Zagreb Pride.
Kamenov, Ž., Huić, A., & Jelić, M. (2015). Manjinski stres i mentalno zdravlje osoba homoseksualne i biseksualne orijentacije: pregled empirijskih provjera modela manjinskog stresa iz perspektive hrvatskog društva [Minority stress and the mental health of persons of homosexual and bisexual orientation: A review of empirical tests of the minority stress model from the perspective of Croatian society]. Kriminologija i socijalna integracija, 23(2), 2–39. https://hrcak.srce.hr/162557
Kuštreba, I., Elezović, I. & Štulhofer, A. (2015). Parents’ attitudes about school-based sex education in Croatia. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 12, 323–334.
Martino, W., & Cumming-Potvin, W. (2016). Teaching about sexual minorities and “princess boys”: A queer and trans-infused approach to investigating LGBTQ-themed texts in the elementary school classroom. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 37(6), 807–827. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2014.940239
Meyer, E. J. (2022). Sex, gender, and education research: The case for transgender studies in education. Educational Researcher, 51(5), 315–323.
Modrić, J., Šoh, D., & Štulhofer, A. (2011). Stavovi o cjelovitoj seksualnoj edukaciji u hrvatskim školama: rezultati nacionalnog istraživanja mladih [Attitudes towards comprehensive school-based sex education in Croatian schools: Results from a national study of youth]. Revija za sociologiju, 41(1), 77–97. https://hrcak.srce.hr/67819
Montague, P. (2000). The myth of parental rights. Social Theory and Practice, 26(1), 47–68. https://doi.org/10.5840/soctheorpract20002612
Mrnjaus, K. (2014). Vrjednovanje programa spolnog odgoja s pedagoškog stajališta [A pedagogical evaluation of the programme of sex education]. Riječki teološki časopis, 22(2), 293–320. https://hrcak.srce.hr/133736
Narodne novine, 10/2019 (2019). Odluka o donošenju kurikuluma za međupredmetnu temu Zdravlje za osnovne škole i srednje škole u Republici Hrvatskoj [Decision on the adoption of the curriculum for the cross-curricular topic Health for primary and secondary schools in the Republic of Croatia]. Narodne novine: službeni list Republike Hrvatske. https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2019_01_10_212.html
Pađen, H., & Huić, A. (2021). Medijacijski učinak samoefikasnosti u odnosu između znanja nastavnika o homoseksualnosti i pružanja podrške homoseksualnim učenicima [The mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between secondary school teachers’ knowledge about homosexuality and their supportive behaviours towards homosexual students]. Psihologijske teme, 30(2), 185–204. https://hrcak.srce.hr/260438
Payne, E. C., & Smith, M. J. (2018). Refusing relevance: School administrator resistance to offering professional development addressing LGBTQ issues in schools. Educational Administration Quarterly, 54(2), 183–215. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X17723426
Peter, C. R., Tasker, T. B., & Horn, S. S. (2015). Parents’ attitudes toward comprehensive and inclusive sexuality education: Beliefs about sexual health topics and forms of curricula. Health Education, 115(1), 71–92. https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-01-2014-0003
Robinson, K. H., Smith, E., & Davies, C. (2017). Responsibilities, tensions and ways forward: Parents’ perspectives on children’s sexuality education. Sex Education, 17(3), 333–347. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2017.1301904
Rukavina Kovačević, K. (2014). Programske smjernice spolnog odgoja u školi: između nametnutog i očekivanog [Headlines for school sex education: Between the imposed and the expected]. Riječki teološki časopis, 22(2), 249 - 292. https://hrcak.srce.hr/133640
Shannon, B., & Smith, S. J. (2017). Dogma before diversity: The contradictory rhetoric of controversy and diversity in the politicisation of Australian queer-affirming learning materials. Sex Education, 17(3), 242–255. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2017.1302325
Snapp, S. D., Burdge, H., Licona, A. C., Moody, R. L., & Russell, S. T. (2015a). Students’ perspectives on LGBTQ inclusive curriculum. Equity & Excellence in Education, 48(2), 249–265. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2015.1025614
Snapp, S. D., McGuire, J. K., Sinclair, K. O., Gabrion, K., & Russell, S. T. (2015b). LGBTQ-inclusive curricula: Why supportive curricula matter. Sex Education, 15(6), 580–596. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2015.1042573
Tomac, L. (2021). Holizam ili cenzurizam? Komparativna analiza kurikula četvrtog modula Zdravstvenog odgoja [Holism or censorship? Comparative analysis of the curriculum of the fourth module of Health Education]. Odgojno-obrazovne teme, 4(1), 23–39.
Ullman, J., & Ferfolja, T. (2015). Bureaucratic constructions of sexual diversity: ‘Sensitive’, ‘controversial’ and silencing. Teaching Education, 26(2), 145–159. https://doi.org/10.1080/10476210.2014.959487
Ullman, J., & Ferfolja, T. (2016). The elephant in the (class)room: Parental perceptions of LGBTQ-inclusivity in K-12 educational contexts. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 41(10), 15–29. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2016v41n10.2
Vučković Juroš, T. (2015). Socijalna isključenost seksualnih manjina u Hrvatskoj [Social exclusion of sexual minorities in Croatia]. Revija za socijalnu politiku, 22(2), 195–218. https://hrcak.srce.hr/143520
Walker, J. (2004). Parents and sex education - looking beyond ‘the birds and the bees’. Sex Education, 4(3), 239–254. https://doi.org/10.1080/1468181042000243330
Westman, J. C. (1999). Children’s rights, parents’ prerogatives, and society’s obligations. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 29, 315–328. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021301200499
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors are confirming that they are the authors of the submitted article, which will be published online in the Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal (for short: CEPS Journal) by University of Ljubljana Press (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Kardeljeva ploščad 16, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia). The Author’s/Authors’ name(s) will be evident in the article in the journal. All decisions regarding layout and distribution of the work are in the hands of the publisher.
- The Authors guarantee that the work is their own original creation and does not infringe any statutory or common-law copyright or any proprietary right of any third party. In case of claims by third parties, authors commit themselves to defend the interests of the publisher, and shall cover any potential costs.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.