Of the forbidden frontiers of the body: exploring teachers’ narratives about students’ sexuality in the south Indian state of Keralam
Article
Jose, P, Chunawala, S, Chari, D. (2024). Of the forbidden frontiers of the body: exploring teachers’ narratives about students’ sexuality in the south Indian state of Keralam
. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUALITATIVE STUDIES IN EDUCATION, 37(5), 1393-1409. 10.1080/09518398.2023.2181446
Jose, P, Chunawala, S, Chari, D. (2024). Of the forbidden frontiers of the body: exploring teachers’ narratives about students’ sexuality in the south Indian state of Keralam
. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUALITATIVE STUDIES IN EDUCATION, 37(5), 1393-1409. 10.1080/09518398.2023.2181446
The intersection of childhood and sexuality is a relatively less researched topic in India. This paper presents teachers’ narratives and explores cultural beliefs concerning childhood sexuality. The investigation attempts to understand ways in which the cross-cutting modalities of religion, caste, gender, and sexuality of the teacher and the student shape students’ sexual subjectivities. The “Domains of Power” as outlined by Patricia. H. Collins is used to analyse teacher interviews to understand how dominant sexualities are privileged and attain their power within schools. Further, a descriptive analysis is provided for how power relations inform interactions between students and teachers and how such interactions shape teachers’ expectations of students’ sexual knowledge, experiences, and expressions.