Vanita Sundaram

Gender, identities and intersectionality in medical education research.

A not dissimilar debate took place 40 years ago in linguistics and foreign language teaching with the emergence of a general recognition that just teaching ‘rules’ about, for example, grammar had value at an elementary level but no further as their use must be accompanied by an understanding that language must be appropriately used. ‘Sit down, you fool’ is clear and correct English, but probably inappropriate if you say it to your boss. What is needed was labelled, in Hymes magisterial paper, as communicative competence. The question is not whether people have the skills, but whether they deploy them appropriately

Social pedagogy and the teacher: England and Norway compared

Social pedagogy as practice refers to actions on the part of adults to promote the personal development, social education and general well‐being of the child alongside or in place of parents in a range of educational and social care settings (e.g. pre‐school play groups, residential care homes, youth clubs). This paper focuses how the notion of social pedagogy as practice has been applied in England and Norway in the context of recent developments in policy and practice regarding the interface between education services and childcare and welfare services. In Norway, the notion of social pedagogy reflects many aspects of the way the term is often understood in continental Europe. In England, the term is only just beginning to be used in this way following a major policy development, ‘Every Child Matters’, which has led to a review of the role of the teacher in the context of integrating education and child welfare services. The paper considers the implications of such recent developments for changes in the role of the teacher.

The Danish Youth Survey 2002: asking young people about sensitive issues

Objectives. To explore ethical, legal and practical issues related to conducting a youth survey in Denmark on sexual experiences before the age of 15 and thereby achieve reliable data on child sexual abuse. Study design and methods. The relevant authorities were consulted on possible legal and ethical objections. By a pilot study based on conventional self-administered questionnaires, information was obtained about the reactions of school boards, teachers and 9th grade students. Results. The necessary conditions were present for the implementation of a nationwide anonymous youth survey without obtaining parental consent. The Central Scientific Ethical Committee had no objections. In a number of fields, Danish legislation accords 15-to-18-year-olds the competence to make independent decisions regarding their personal circumstances, and the UN Convention of Children’s Rights states that a child’s viewpoints must be accorded appropriate significance in relation to that child’s age and maturity. In the pilot study, no negative reactions were observed among the students and school authorities. About 25% of the students had difficulties in filling the questionnaire. No student made use of the accompanying offer of counselling. Conclusion. An anonymous youth survey based on computer-assisted self-interview (CASI) would increase the validity of youth surveys on child sexual abuse to which no ethical or legal objections were found.

The Role of Basic Education in Post-Conflict Recovery.

The last decade has seen a growing recognition amongst international donors, development agencies, non-government organisations and academics of the vital role education can play in bringing about recovery following violent conflict, natural disaster and other crises. This has led to the development of increasingly targeted and sophisticated programme planning and management tools, for use by government ministries, UN agencies and non-governmental organisations in fragile contexts. Drawing on the 2010 independent study of UNICEFs Education in Emergencies and Post-Conflict Transition Programme, this paper explores the transformative role education can play in post-conflict recovery. It argues that while basic education assistance can have a catalytic role in helping states during the early stages of a transition out of violent conflict, there is the need for a better understanding of its role in building peace at the national, sub-national and community levels. The paper also argues for the development of a solid evidence base to inform policy and practice at all national, regional and community levels so as to demonstrate conclusively the important role played by education during and in the aftermath of conflict.

Is Sexual Victimization Gender Specific?: The Prevalence of Forced Sexual Activity Among Men and Women in Denmark, and Self-Reported Well-Being Among Survivors

The present study investigates the prevalence of sexual victimization and correlations between sexual victimization and indicators of poor health in two representative samples of men and women in Denmark. Specifically, the authors explore the prevalence of self-reported victimization among adolescents (N = 5,829) and adults (N = 3,932) and analyze differences in self-reported health outcomes between male and female victims and corresponding controls. Gender differences are found in the reported prevalence of sexual victimization. Significantly more females than males reported forced sexual experiences in both samples. Associations between sexual victimization and poor health outcomes are found for both genders. Comparable patterns of association for men and women are found on a number of variables, particularly those pertaining to risk behavior.

Can we compare violence data across countries

Objectives. The paper aims to explore what knowledge can be obtained about violence through population-based data and additionally, through inter-country comparisons of violence data. Study design and methods. Data on lifetime and 12-month experiences of violence and/or severe threats of violence were obtained from self-administered questionnaires supplementary to nationwide, cross-sectional health interview surveys conducted in Greenland in 1993–94 (N=2,425) and in Denmark in 2000 (N=16,684). The overall response rate achieved for the self-administered questionnaire was 63 % (N=1,393) in Greenland and 63 % (N=10,458) in Denmark. Results. A comparison of violence data shows that overall, the violence prevalence was significantly higher in Greenland than Denmark. Experienced violence and/or severe threats amongst Greenlandic women was almost as prevalent as amongst Greenlandic men — especially so for severe lifetime violence. This was not the case for the Danish sample. Significantly more Danish men than Danish women reported experienced violence and/or severe threats for all age groups. Conclusion. Comparing violence data across countries enables us to describe actual differences in violence prevalence, as well as to highlight potential methodological discrepancies and cultural and gender differences in understanding and, thus, reporting of violence. This knowledge can be implemented in the development and improvement of existing and new prevention strategies.

Violence as understandable, deserved or unacceptable? Listening for gender in teenagers' talk about violence

Youth violence is a topic of increasing global concern. Research has primarily focused on young peoples responses to existing definitions of violence in seeking to understand how best to develop violence prevention. Little work has explored how young people themselves define violence and the factors which influence their acceptance, and use, of violent behaviour. The present study investigated young peoples understandings of what constitutes violence, their acceptance of violence and justifications made for doing so. The study was distinct in its focus on young peoples characterisations of violence. The findings revealed that gender norms mediate understandings of what constitutes violence and discourses around the perceived acceptability of violence. Particular forms of violence were clearly identified as being more acceptable and ‘deserved’ than others and young peoples perceptions were shaped by their understandings of appropriate and normative gender behaviour.

Young People’s Community Engagement: What Does Research-Based and Other Literature Tell us About Young People’s Perspectives and the Impact of Schools’ Contributions?

Abstract This narrative synthesis based on a literature review undertaken for the project ‘Creating Citizenship Communities’ (funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation) includes discussion, principally, about what research evidence tells us about young people’s definitions of community, of types of engagement by different groups of young people, actions by schools and what they might do in the future to promote engagement. Community is seen as a highly significant and contested area. Young people are viewed negatively by adults but are in some contexts already positively engaged in communities. There seem to be gaps in the literature about what young people understand about community. There is, broadly, some consensus about how to promote engagement.

Discursive Silences: Using Critical Linguistic and Qualitative Analysis to Explore the Continued Absence of Pleasure in Sex and Relationships Education in England.

In this paper, we present an analysis of ‘pleasure’ in sex and relationships education (SRE) in England. Drawing together two distinct sources of data and different but complementary analytical frameworks, we argue that pleasure is largely absent within SRE and that this discursive silence serves to produce highly gendered and heteronormative understandings of sexual agency, autonomy and empowerment. A critical linguistic analysis of the current Department for Education (DfE) SRE guidance for England reveals that sex is positioned as a ‘risky’ and dangerous activity, which is clearly linked to child protection; sex is not discussed as pleasurable. Focus group discussions conducted with young women in the North East of England highlight the ways in which gendered discourses about pleasure construct expectations for ‘appropriate’ sexual identities and behaviours. These may be linked to negative experiences such as sexual harassment and bullying and compromised sexual subjectivity. We suggest that existing DfE SRE guidance in England be re-examined with particular reference to addressing gender equality, including in relation to access to a discourse of sexual pleasure and rights.

Global perspectives and key debates in sex and relationships education: addressing issues of gender, sexuality, plurality and power

Electronic reproduction. ; Palo Alto, Calif. ; Available via World Wide Web. ; Description based on print version record. ; Original ; 9781137500205 ; 1137500204 ; (DLC) 2015037405 ; 4 ;