Daniel Monk

New guidance/old problems: recent developments in sex education

Sex education is a controversial area of public policy and over the last 20 years it has also been highly politicized. The election of the Labour government in 1997 raised the hopes of childrens rights and health campaigners for a move away from the traditional moralistic approach adopted by the previous administration in favour of a more progressive and pragmatic approach. To date the government has attempted, unsuccessfully, to repeal Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, has amended the statutory framework for sex education in the Learning and Skills Act 2000 and in July 2000 issued new guidance on sex and relationship education. This article examines how these recent developments attempt to reconcile parental and local control with the need for a more uniform provision and how they attempt to pragmatically acknowledge the sexual activity of young people and at the same time deny young people autonomy and uphold the norm of children as ideally non-sexual.

Challenging homophobic bullying in schools: the politics of progress

In recent years homophobic bullying has received increased attention from NGOs, academics and government sources and concern about the issue crosses traditional moral and political divisions. This article examines this ‘progressive’ development and identifies the ‘conditions of possibility’ that have enabled the issue to become a harm that can be spoken of. In doing so it questions whether the readiness to speak about the issue represents the opposite to prohibitions on speech (such as the notorious Section 28) or whether it is based on more subtle forms of governance. It argues that homophobic bullying is heard through three key discourses (‘child abuse’, ‘the child victim’ and ‘the tragic gay’) and that, while enabling an acknowledgement of certain harms, they simultaneously silence other needs and experiences. It then moves to explore the aspirational and ‘liberatory’ political investments that underlie these seemingly ‘common-sense’ descriptive discourses and concludes with a critique of the quasi-criminal responses that the dominant political agenda of homophobic bullying gives rise to. The article draws on, and endeavours to develop a conversation between, critical engagements with the contemporary politics of both childhood and sexuality.

Home Education: A Human Right?.

Those advocating home education often talk about their ‘right to home educate’ as a ‘human right’. This alignment creates a powerful moral and strategic argument in the face of anyone seeking to limit or deny home education. Attempts to restrict parents in exercising this ‘right’ are intensively monitored and aggressively challenged both at a local and international level (Petrie, 1995, 2001; Stevens, 2001, CSFC, 2009, 2010). Proponents argue that this right is based on the philosophy that home education does not harm children, and that parental education choice is core to a democracy.

Introduction to ‘Sexual Movements and Gendered Boundaries: Legal Negotiations of the Global and the Local’:

This special issue examines the interplay between national and international legal arenas in the governance and regulation of gender and sexuality. For scholars of gender, sexuality and law, there is much to cheer at the international level. We might, for instance, celebrate the unprecedented visibility and activity of both feminist and lesbian and gay movements. The result of that increased profile is a strengthening of policy and laws governing a variety of social justice issues, from violence against women to HIV/AIDS. ‘Women’s rights as human rights’ has become a familiar slogan, bandied about by even the most unlikely international bureaucrat. Similarly, lesbian and gay rights, while hotly resisted by many, have attracted a phalanx of notable supporters. Influential human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have dedicated ‘gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered’ departments, and the complex human rights machinery of the United Nations is increasingly recognizing and responding to human rights violations of lesbian and gay men (Wintemute, 1995; Sanders, 1996; Stychin, 2003; Miller and Vance, 2004). This increased visibility and an apparent erosion of traditional exclusions present opportunities and challenges for scholars and activists alike. For the contributors to this special issue (Bunting, 2005; Munro, 2005; De Vries, 2005; Doezema, 2005; Millbank, 2005) from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and the UK, this new international climate represents not so much the end point of a progressive narrative, but, rather, the point of entry into the debate – a critical moment for asking new questions.

The Pleasures and Perils of Inheritance

Facing death, reflecting on one’s legacies (material and ethical, personal and political) and the legal and interpersonal attempts to resolve or prevent inheritance conflicts, all bring to the fore constructions of memory and identity, intergenerational relations, and the complexities of doing and undoing family and kinship. Consequently, drawing attention to inheritance, keeping sight of it, and bringing it into play is a useful piece of the puzzle of ageing across a range of disciplines and this article provides an overview of some of the key themes in this emerging field.

Homophobic bullying: a queer tale of childhood politics

Homophobic bullying in schools is an issue that in recent years has attracted considerable attention in the UK and internationally. It has been identified as an issue of concern by academic1 and governmental sources;2 but also by the Conservative Party while it was in opposition and some religious bodies — organizations with little (or ambivalent) history of sympathy to LGBT issues.3 Consequently it is possible to argue that it is now a legitimate and depoliticized object of social concern across civil society.

Queering genealogy through wills

Wills are an overlooked source. Alongside birth, death and marriage certificates they are official legal texts that provide a record of families, kinship and personal life. They have a particular significance for research about gender and sexuality. This paper, by Daniel Monk, highlights some of the insights that they can provide and discusses the methods (and associated pitfalls) for accessing and reading them.