Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

‘Lose the Act’ : pedagogical implications drawn from transgender and non-binary learners’ experiences of schooling

Francis, Dennis and Monakali, Esethu LU orcid (2021) In Pedagogy, Culture and Society 29(5). p.715-731
Abstract

The majority of LGBT research in schools has focused almost exclusively on sexuality diversity, leaving the experiences of transgender and gender diverse youth a much neglected area of scholarly inquiry. Using qualitative in‐depth interviews, we explore the schooling experiences of transgender and non-binary youth in South Africa. Our findings highlight that transgender and non-binary youth face hostile schooling climates where discrimination, misgendering and exclusion punctuate their experience of schooling. What also emerges is that they are expected to forego their felt gender embodiment and expression and assimilate to the dominant cisnormative schooling culture. Our research, a first of its kind on trans and non-binary school... (More)

The majority of LGBT research in schools has focused almost exclusively on sexuality diversity, leaving the experiences of transgender and gender diverse youth a much neglected area of scholarly inquiry. Using qualitative in‐depth interviews, we explore the schooling experiences of transgender and non-binary youth in South Africa. Our findings highlight that transgender and non-binary youth face hostile schooling climates where discrimination, misgendering and exclusion punctuate their experience of schooling. What also emerges is that they are expected to forego their felt gender embodiment and expression and assimilate to the dominant cisnormative schooling culture. Our research, a first of its kind on trans and non-binary school attending youth in South Africa, has implications for educators, curriculum and pedagogy and points to the need for more work to understand how gender diverse youth can be supported in schools. It also points to the need for further studies that are inclusive of gender diverse youth.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
gender diverse, non-binary, pedagogy, schooling, south africa, Transgender, transphobia
in
Pedagogy, Culture and Society
volume
29
issue
5
pages
715 - 731
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85103644685
ISSN
1468-1366
DOI
10.1080/14681366.2021.1912159
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
8b29d63d-472a-460c-b7ae-d6539142f5d4
date added to LUP
2021-04-13 14:35:21
date last changed
2025-04-04 15:02:49
@article{8b29d63d-472a-460c-b7ae-d6539142f5d4,
  abstract     = {{<p>The majority of LGBT research in schools has focused almost exclusively on sexuality diversity, leaving the experiences of transgender and gender diverse youth a much neglected area of scholarly inquiry. Using qualitative in‐depth interviews, we explore the schooling experiences of transgender and non-binary youth in South Africa. Our findings highlight that transgender and non-binary youth face hostile schooling climates where discrimination, misgendering and exclusion punctuate their experience of schooling. What also emerges is that they are expected to forego their felt gender embodiment and expression and assimilate to the dominant cisnormative schooling culture. Our research, a first of its kind on trans and non-binary school attending youth in South Africa, has implications for educators, curriculum and pedagogy and points to the need for more work to understand how gender diverse youth can be supported in schools. It also points to the need for further studies that are inclusive of gender diverse youth.</p>}},
  author       = {{Francis, Dennis and Monakali, Esethu}},
  issn         = {{1468-1366}},
  keywords     = {{gender diverse; non-binary; pedagogy; schooling; south africa; Transgender; transphobia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{715--731}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Pedagogy, Culture and Society}},
  title        = {{‘Lose the Act’ : pedagogical implications drawn from transgender and non-binary learners’ experiences of schooling}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2021.1912159}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/14681366.2021.1912159}},
  volume       = {{29}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}