Beneath the Surface (Under ytan) An Equal project about understanding and changing norms and values in school

Beneath the SurfaceBeneath the Surface(Under ytan)(Under ytan)

An Equal project about understanding and changing norms and values in school

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VisionVisionTo raise the issue of sexual orientation and homophobia in schools so that an environment is created where everyone is included regardless of sexual orientation

Brief FactsBrief Facts Project Period: August 2005–April 2007 Twelve partner organizations including

government authorities, trade unions, educational institutions and special-interest groups

Six pilot municipalities spread throughout Sweden Collaboration with similar projects in France,

Lithuania and Slovenia

Target GroupsTarget Groups Teachers School administration and personnel Students and teachers in teaching programs Municipal politicians and employees within the

educational area Trade union representatives Students

ActivitiesActivities Research Development of educational resources, methodologies

for raising awareness in a school environment, and inspirational material for school use

Work with training institutions on the issue of how norms are created and reproduced in a school environment

Activities Activities cont.

Support teachers in working with sexual orientation issues and homophobia

Create awareness and offer competence-raising education for school administration and personnel

Work with municipalities’ plans and protocols

Research Project:Research Project:How Heterosexuality Is Made Normative in How Heterosexuality Is Made Normative in School and Teacher EducationSchool and Teacher Education Four parts:

Strategy studies Teachers’ education School environment School as a workplace

…and a survey addressing teachers:

““A challenge ofA challenge of HeteronormativityHeteronormativity”

MethodMethod Start with yourself, then proceed with your students Focus on the heterosexual norm and work with an

integrated perspective Start in preschool Include teachers’ education institutions

MaterialMaterial “Life in the Teachers’ Lounge. On Sexual Orientation

and the Working Environment in School” “Silence in the Classroom? On Teachers’ Work with

Sexual Orientation” “What Lies Beneath the Surface?” Two more books and a research anthology

in progress

Content in a Training SessionContent in a Training Session Personal values exercises The heteronorm and heteronormativity Terms and concepts The importance of being able to be open Film and discussion



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Research on Openness in the WorkplaceResearch on Openness in the Workplace2003: Swedish National Institute for Working Life study on working conditions and vulnerability

General population sample Occupation sample LGBT organizations sample Ca. 14,000 responses (50% response rate)

Differences in ExperiencesDifferences in ExperiencesDegrading and ridiculing opinions about homo- and bisexuals in general occur at work: 28% of homo- and bisexual women answer “yes” 8% of heterosexual women answer “yes”

Men: 25% and 15%

Swedish National Institute for Working Life, 2003

OpennessOpennessNot open to colleagues 25% in the LGBT organizations sample 50% in the general and occupation sample 33% of all homo- and bisexual teachers

Even fewer are open towards “customers and clients”


OpennessOpenness Of those who are not open, 40% refrain from taking

part in conversations with colleagues and others for fear of being “outed”.

60% of those who are not open think that most of their colleagues know that they are homo-/bisexual anyway.


Study ConclusionsStudy Conclusions There are significant differences in experiences

between heterosexuals and homo-/bisexuals. A large number are not open. A gender perspective is necessary in the analysis.

Similar conclusions were drawn in a 2003 study atKarlstad University in Sweden.



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Documents

Beneath the Surface (Under ytan) An Equal project about understanding and changing norms and values in school