It’s all in there, no it isn’t: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Adolescent Education Programme of India as it relates to gender and sexuality hierarchies
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Date
2024-10
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University of New Brunswick
Abstract
This qualitative study takes up Critical Discourse Analysis and thematic document analysis to show how power operates through taken-for-granted schooling policies and practices in India. Specifically, this work addresses power by identifying gaps and inequitable discourses in the Adolescent Education Programme (AEP) regarding gender and sexuality. My data analysis has revealed three salient themes, all of which act as mechanisms of gender inequity: (i) the perpetuation of patriarchal gender norms, (ii) the privileging of heteronormativity, and (iii) biases and discrimination against sexual and gender minorities. Sexuality education geared toward youth in India has the potential to address culture-specific gender norms and attitudes before they crystallize. However, for this to happen, it is vital for Indian youth to engage critically with the discourses sexuality education enacts and perpetuates by critiquing, challenging, and questioning issues of power, marginalization, and representation.