Rey:
These experiences are influenced very much by the school's "diversity" policy and how it is implemented. In most of our schools our national anthem is taught and sung which ends with the following sentence: "every creed and race find an equal place ..." As such, teachers and students are used to respecting the many "facets" of diversity in our schools.
Best regards,
Debra
Prezado Rey;
En la universidad donde trabajo actualmente el "perfil sexual" de los alumnos está cambiando bastante pues están dejando muy claras cuales son sus preferencias. Tenemos casos de alumnos que ya asumiran publicamente, en clase de aula, en debates de disciplinas filosóficas o sociológicas. Y tenemos una política de recibir con naturalidad, orientar profesores y alumnos desta manera. Abrazos!
Hello Rey,
I'm going to respectfully disagree with Ivo Carneiro de Sousa as issues of sexuality, sexual rights and freedoms are common topics of discourse here in our university in Beijing. So no, these are not actually considered forbidden or sensitive topics. While the older Chinese teachers are often uncomfortable with anything discussing sex/sexuality, we do discuss it openly in our oral English, writing and culture courses. The University is aware of our discussions and has yet to sanction us for doing this, and I know several other Universities also allow discussions on this content.
We also have a number of students who have, and are open about their, alternative sexualities, which makes discussions of this topic quite germane in terms of developing tolerance and critical thinking.
I have also worked with students in high school and even at this age the questions and discussions have come up, particularly in light of recent US decisions legalizing marriage for the gay community.
Now, what are the attitudes in terms of these discussions? That varies; again, as I noted, a lot of the senior Chinese teachers are not comfortable even talking about it, much less being tolerant of or accepting of alternative sexual diversity. For myself, I urge the students to keep an open mind and to remember that other people's sexual choices do not harm them.
Teaching Level: High School and University
Student Ages: 16 - 23
Hope this is helpful.
Cheers,
Rob
Teachers attitudes and practices are guided by society and the legal framework within which we operate. As a teacher of children with developmental delays, I have to be doubly cautious as the slightest verbal remark or casual physical prompt may be misconstrued as sexual violations. Some of my children are quick to call out physical abuse as they have been prompted and advised by their social workers and legal advocates.
But he law works in our favor if we are sure of ourselves and have won the trust of our needy students. Students must feel comfortable in our presence. yet concomitantly we must be careful of what we say and do in their presence.
Children do not have the experiences we have:they see our actions in the light of their experiences. And many of our children with special needs have bad experiences in society.
En la Universidad se asume con mucha naturalidad, no hay ningún tipo de discriminación ni por parte de los estudiantes ni de los profesores.
As a nursing faculty, I work to foster respect for all peoples. Our students learn to practice, 'effective use of self" so they can be effective caregivers to all, regardless of race, gender, creed, nationality or gender preferences. One's worldview is important when assisting them to a higher level of wellness.
Sexual diversity has in my experience, working across phases (early years to post 16) over a period of 20+ years, been an area that is now not so difficult to discuss. In my early years of teaching I was surprised at how difficult it was to discuss sexuality and sex education with colleagues. Many younger teachers felt it was not their responsibility to talk about sexuality, nor indeed to broach the subject in anything other than very general terms. The staff room lacked the openness required to be 'open'.
My recent experiences have been in secondary teaching and I have noticed that with teachers, in particular those in senior positions, who are open about their sexuality, there is a more open discourse. Students feel happier about being open to their own sexuality and seek answers to questions without embarrassment.
This open attitude is not universal but I am observing the willingness to be open about sexuality and there is more respect for difference.
Hoping my experience at university, as a Constitutional Law Professor, can be useful for other degrees of teaching, I’ve dealt with two kinds of problems and made use of only one approach:
1. problems: a) prejudice does not mean discrimination and b) the distance between speech (tolerance) and practice (toleration);
2. approach: a legal-technical reasoning combining the three aspects concerning real education: concept, logics and language, in what concerns the humanistics of rights, to sensitize students about the prevention/solution to both problems. Detail: never confuse the dialectical reasoning development with ideological indoctrination.
There is an analysis of topics related to this important topic in the following link:
https://conrado.ucf.edu.cu/index.php/conrado/article/view/570
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