Knowledge/ignorance and the construction of sexuality in social work education

Jeyasingham, D 2008, 'Knowledge/ignorance and the construction of sexuality in social work education' , Social Work Education, 27 (2) , pp. 138-151.

[img] PDF - Published Version
Restricted to Repository staff only

Download (207kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

This paper explores how systems of knowledge about sexuality in social work operate alongside systems of ignorance—ways of not knowing sexuality or not knowing parts of it—which work to exclude particular ideas, behaviours and groups of people. It uses discourse analysis of literature aimed at social work students in order to examine how these systems manifest themselves in social work education. The paper analyses the following aspects of dominant discourses about sexuality and lesbians and gay men in this literature: -demands for greater visibility of lesbians and gay men; -the positioning of internalised homophobia as the defining feature of lesbians’ and gay men’s oppression; and -the ways in which not knowing lesbian or gay experience is constructed as an objective position. The paper ends by suggesting ways in which sexuality might be understood differently in social work education contexts.

Item Type: Article
Themes: Subjects / Themes > R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Health and Wellbeing
Schools: Schools > School of Health and Society > Centre for Applied Research in Health, Welfare and Policy
Journal or Publication Title: Social Work Education
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Refereed: Yes
ISSN: 0261-5479
Related URLs:
Depositing User: Users 47901 not found.
Date Deposited: 26 Apr 2011 11:15
Last Modified: 16 Feb 2022 11:21
URI: https://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/14941

Actions (login required)

Edit record (repository staff only) Edit record (repository staff only)