‘Sexualisation’ as an equalities
issue
Professor Emma Renold,
Cardiff University
renold@cf.ac.uk
@emmarenold
The ‘sexualisation’ of girls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjAV
L5zFrlU
The landscape of
adolescent sexuality is not
an equal opportunity zone
for all girls; geography,
among other social
markers of difference,
positions these girls
differentially, particularly
with regards to sexuality”
(Tolman 2002: 172)
Historical
continuity
Who needs protecting?:
gender, class and race
Children’s own experience?
“With real embodied
children notably absent
from the sexualisation
debates, a pressing
question is “where are
the children in all this?”
(Epstein, Kehily and Renold 2012)
Renold, E., Kehily, M.J. and Epstein, D. (2012) Making sense of the
sexualisation debates: schools and beyond, Gender and Education 24 (3)
“the straightforward cause
and effect model of
sexualized images producing
sexualized girls meets
cultural demands for simple
understandings and solutions
to complex social problems”
(Duits and van Zoonen, 2011
pp. 494)
Thinking critically about the
‘sexualisation of culture’
• ‘Sexualisation’ as a contested term
• ‘Sexualisation’ as a negotiated process
• ‘Sexualisation’ as an equalities issue
• ‘Sexualisation’ as a child protection
issue?
CASE STUDIES
Duits,L. and Van Zoonen, L. (2011) Coming to terms with sexualisation, European Journal of Cultural Studies, 14 :491
491ttp://ecs.sagepub.com/content/14/5/491.full.pdf
Nazli: Afraid of boys
Odecia: Going steady
Pricilla: Falling through the net
Discussion:
How is each girl negotiating the ‘sexualisation of culture’?
What equalities issues are raised in each case study?
(gender/race/class/religion etc.)
To what extent does each case study raise child protection
issues?
Girls in your schools …
Which girls in your school might be more
at risk from sexualised media/consumer
cultures?
How might you want to address these
risks?
What resources and training are
available to you? What support do you
need?
Policy, guidance and legislation
ACTIVITIES
Gender, Body Image and the
‘Sexualisation of Culture’
- Watch the ‘more than a face’ animation by
Feminist Webs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cTyk1UFuZ05
- What would be the key issues for you if you
made a similar film? (single issue, multiple
issues)
- What would you call it?
- Whose voices and what kinds of experience
might you include?
- Format (e.g. documentary style, images
with voice over)?
- Sound track? Style? (serious or satire?)
Feministwebs.com
Create your own sexual rights manifesto
Young people are sexual beings. They have sexual needs, desires, fantasies
and dreams. It is important for all young people around the world to be able to
explore, experience and express their sexualities in healthy, positive,
pleasurable and safe ways. This can only happen when young people’s
sexual rights are guaranteed.
http://testifyingtotruth.wordpress.com/2011/09/02/sexual-rights-ippf-youthmanifesto/
The right to:
e.g. have control over your own body
e.g. sexual pleasure
e.g. not be called a ‘slag’
e.g. speak out about/get support on what’s going
on for you?
Training
•
•
Family Lives: SRE Teen boundaries project (sexualisation, sexual
violence, sexual bullying)
http://familylives.org.uk/professionals/courses/teen-boundaries
FPA Fantasy vs reality: the impact and influence of pornography
on young
peoplehttp://www.fpa.org.uk/professionals/trainingcourses/coursesine
nglandscotlandandwales/youngpeople/fantasy-vs-reality-impactandinfluence-of-pornography
•
Bishtraining’s –Working with young people around
porn.http://bishtraining.com/index.php/working-with-youngpeoplearound-porn
Resources
•
SexEdukation: “Sex, the media
and pornography in SRE: a starting
point resource for teachers” (Hoyle
and Williams 2012 – see handout)
•
SECS: Sex and Ethics in a Caring
Society (curriculum, lesson plans,
readings, activities) http://sexandethics.org/
•
Freedom to achieve: preventing
violence, promoting equality – a
whole school approach
(WomanKind, 2010)
http://www.womankind.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2011/02/WKREPORT_web-24-NOV2010.pdf
Young Sexualities, equalities and
well being: children’s experiences
(new research by Cardiff University, NSPCC,
Children’s Commissioner’s Office for Wales)
Write down one issue that concerns you about
how the ‘sexualisation of culture’ is impacting
on children’s lives (boys and girls)
THANK YOU 