Intersecting Power Relations in Teachers' Experiences of Being Sexualized or Harassed by Students

Lahelma, Elina; Palmu, Tarja; Gordon, Tuula

doi:10.1177/136346000003004006

Cited by 30 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…They notice this in the gender joking in the staffroom and in attempts by male teachers to put them 'in their place'. They often feel treated as sex objects by their male colleagues as well as by their pupils (Joyce, 1987;Coulter, 1995;Bailey, 1996;Miller, 1997;RopersHuilman, 1997;Lahelma et al, 2000).…”

Section: Gender In Teaching 529mentioning

confidence: 97%

Gender in teaching: a literature review

Sabbe

Aelterman

2007

Teachers and Teaching

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Internationally, both in popular and scientific media, debates occasionally emerge concerning the possible (negative) consequences of feminisation tendencies in the teaching staff. In these discussions, various assumptions about the 'nature' of male and female teachers and masculinity and femininity are expressed. Male and female teachers are often presumed to differ in teaching styles, capacities and effects on both the teaching profession and the pupils. The arguments used in these debates only seldom refer to particular theoretical grounds or to empirical evidence. Moreover, apart from Sandra Acker's essay 'Gender and teachers' work' in 1995, educational research lacks an up-to-date review of teacher gender. Therefore, this article aims to provide insight into contemporary theoretical gender perspectives. It also intends to connect these with empirical research that takes teacher gender into account. Most of the research studies referred to in this article do not explicitly state their underlying theoretical principles. Yet, since these studies have distinct research foci, research questions, methodologies and conclusions, they appear to depart from a variety of gender conceptualisations. Therefore, in this article the differences between these conceptualisations will be examined and the divergent theoretical assumptions underlying these studies will be revealed. The two most widespread and disparate perspectives in gender theory are the essentialist perspectives on the one hand and the constructionist perspectives on the other. The differences between them are made up by the degree to which explanations are deterministic and focused on the individual rather than on the social and cultural level. Drawing upon this theoretical contrast, we divided the body of research on teacher gender into two divergent research traditions: sex differences research and gender dynamics research. The research questions, underlying theoretical principles and methodologies of these two traditions are examined. Gender theoryA puzzling assortment of gender theories can be observed in scientific literature.

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Section: Gender In Teaching 529mentioning

confidence: 97%

Gender in teaching: a literature review

Sabbe

Aelterman

2007

Teachers and Teaching

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“…[…] The lesson ends without Magnus going to maths support. (Field note, Swedish context) According to Lahelma, Palmu, and Gordon (2000) students may use sexual harassment when trying to challenge a teacher's position of power. As in the example 452…”

Section: Journal Of Vocational Education and Training 451mentioning

confidence: 98%

Framing and classifying the theoretical and practical divide: how young men’s positions in vocational education are produced and reproduced

Niemi

Rosvall

2013

Journal of Vocational Education & Training

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Research material from ethnographic studies of vocational upper secondary educational programmes in Finland and Sweden presented here indicates that the discourse of schoolwork as being either theoretical or practical is firmly fixed. However, the students on the researched programmes were aware of recent changes in the labour market that raise a need for generalisation, or at least knowledge of both practical and theoretical aspects of their programme-specific subjects. They referred to the changes with notions suggesting that a practical and theoretical divide was neither meaningful nor helpful for their education. We discuss how a stereotyped idea of what was thought of as 'man's work' made it difficult for students who wanted to accomplish tasks considered as theoretical and how the teachers' framing of pedagogic practice intensified or ameliorated this difficulty. We also address the dichotomy between theoretical and practical by contemplating students' positions within different pedagogical practices. We suggest that some kinds of practices might diminish the dichotomy and could improve the students' possibilities for fully engaging in their studies. IntroductionThis article explores vocational students' conceptions of work and the labour market in relation to the discourse of work as being either theoretical or practical (cf. Halliday 2000;Young 2008). The data analysed were produced in ethnographic studies of selected Vehicle programmes in Sweden and Metalwork and machinery programmes in Finland 1 . Both contexts are traditionally dominated by young men of working class background. These young men have often been portrayed as being opposed to school, rejecting education and attracted to vocational programmes with practical rather than theoretical content (Epstein 1998;Francis and Skelton 2005;Frosh, Phoenix, and Pattman 2002;Willis 1977). However, recent research has highlighted variations within this group, which is actually very heterogeneous, and found that quite a large proportion of the boys consider their academic learning to be important (Abraham 2008;Hallam and Ireson 2006). The subject of our text is this recent finding, and how the young men attending the researched programmes

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“…They must become accustomed to being subjected to the gaze of the students, even to comments about their bodies, clothes and movement (Coulter, 1995;Lahelma et al, 2000). Teachers occupy a position of authority, but Temporal, spatial and embodied relations 231 this authority is constantly challenged, diverted*/ through jokes for example*/ or sidestepped.…”

Section: Embodimentmentioning

confidence: 98%

Temporal, spatial and embodied relations in the teacher's day at school

Holland

Gordon

Lahelma

2007

Ethnography and Education

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In this paper, we draw on a cross-cultural ethnographic study conducted in two secondary schools in Helsinki (Finland), and two in London (UK). In our analysis of everyday life in schools, space is not merely a backdrop to activities that take place, it also shapes processes and activities, and spatial relations are simultaneously temporal. Here, we follow teachers' daily time-space paths in schools, from corridors to staff rooms to classrooms and breaks. We explore how spatial arrangements limit and control teachers' movement and their use of time-space, examining how their bodies and emotions are implicated in this process. Whilst interested in the ebb and flow of power in the school in relation to student/teacher interactions, we wanted to move beyond a dichotomous conceptualisation of authority and resistance and the top down hierarchy of the official school, therefore, as well as processes of differentiation, those of connection and negotiation were also of interest.

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Intersecting Power Relations in Teachers' Experiences of Being Sexualized or Harassed by Students

Cited by 30 publications

References 13 publications

Gender in teaching: a literature review

Gender in teaching: a literature review

Framing and classifying the theoretical and practical divide: how young men’s positions in vocational education are produced and reproduced

Temporal, spatial and embodied relations in the teacher's day at school

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