Studying gender and sexuality in school health education: an exploration of the intersection between the official curriculum and student-led activism

Abstract

In response to their experiences of heteronormative and cisnormative cultures in school contexts, some young people undertake various forms of action within their schools with the intention of changing practices, school environments, or school policies. This student-led action can be understood as a form of activism but it may also be seen as the enactment of sexual citizenship. Both activism and sexual citizenship usually sit outside of the formal curriculum in schools. So, what happens when activism and sexual citizenship are recognised in official curriculum policy and are formally studied as part of school programmes in senior high school? In this article, we draw on findings from two ethnographic projects conducted in two different school sites in Aotearoa New Zealand to explore the intersection between official curriculum practices in relationships and sexuality education (RSE) and student-led activism. We wonder what emerges at the intersection of activist approaches and sexual citizenship when these are domesticated by official technologies for curriculum design and assessment.