Gender, Reputation and Regret: The ontological politics of Australian drug education
Group 4 Moderator: Prabhdeep Kaur
Group Members: Maglin, Landon, Gurpreet and Prabhdeep
MEd: Teaching, Learning and Leadership, University of Regina
EC&I 804: Curriculum Development
Dr. Salm
November 22, 2023
Summary
The Article "Gender, Reputation and Regret: The Ontological Politics of Australian Drug
Education" by critically explores gendered dynamics embedded within drug education
materials. Analysis identifies three dynamics shaping discourse around alcohol and other drug
(AOD) consumption among young women: an exclusive focus on female AOD consumption;
reinforcement of gendered notions of reputation and comportment; and attributing
responsibility for potential harm predominantly among them. The author engages in specific
activities, like "listing scenarios," to illustrate how these materials create an unrealistic
gendered reality that portrays young women risking their reputation and femininity by
engaging with AOD consumption.
Moderator's Questions:
1. How might we reform drug education to include a balanced perspective of both women
and men in terms of responsibility and accountability?
2. What responsibility dynamics can be seen in drug education programs for young women
specifically, with regard to portrayals of them acting as guardians of normative femininity?
How does this contribute to reinforcing traditional gender roles?
3. How could drug education be revised so as to actively challenge and disrupt normative
gender moralities rather than reproduce them? What ethical concerns must be considered
during such a restructuring effort?
Nugget Explanation
The article illustrates the problematic gendered realities embedded within Australian
drug education, specifically its focus on young women as the sole agents responsible for
upholding normative femininity and normative femininity. This nugget highlights how
traditional gender norms, with young women acting both as subjects and enforcers of society
expectations, reinforce each other. It reveals a troubling trend where young women, in
particular, become targets of moral judgment based on normative expectations of femininity reinforcing normative expectations while prolonging a cycle of shame and regret. This insight
from ontological politics highlights how women's behaviors have been unfairly targeted for
regulation when it comes to alcohol and other drug consumption, creating narratives which
put responsibility and blame squarely at their doorstep. Furthermore, as per our class
discussions, the systemic issues embedded within drug education expose the urgency for
change within curriculum offerings that address gender, ethics, and responsibility more
thoroughly.
As well, this nugget serves as an insightful lens through which we can examine
potential future directions of drug education. It raises crucial questions regarding its purpose
while challenging our current 'drug-focused' focus. This nugget prompts contemplation about
how larger social norms, moralities and power dynamics contribute to youth AOD use.
Advocating for an inclusive and ethically driven educational approach, the nugget makes an
urgent plea for drug education to transcend its conventional bounds and engage more actively
with gender, responsibility, ethics, and care - key considerations when looking at drug
education as a force that not only reduces harms but actively dismantles harmful gender
norms while creating more equitable learning environments for students. It marks an essential
starting point towards making reshaping drug education into something truly beneficial to
society at large.
References
Erevelles, N. (2011). “Coming out crip” in inclusive education. Teachers College
Record, 113(10), 2155-2185.
Farrugia, A. (2017). Gender, reputation and regret: The ontological politics of Australian
drug education. Gender and education, 29(3), 281-298.
Farrugia, A., & Fraser, S. (2017). Young brains at risk: Co-constituting youth and addiction
in neuroscience-informed Australian drug education. BioSocieties, 12, 588-610.