Gender issues and sexuality with children in school context: a comparative study between Brazil and Portugal

Abstract

This article is part of a PhD study whose theme approaches the discussion of  gender issues and sexuality in school context in the countries Brazil and Portugal in the framework of Sexuality Education (SE). Since the concept of sexuality has been transformed, involving not only biological, but also historical, social and cultural aspects, we can understood the importance of a systematic, permanent and structural work about this theme in the schools. Thus, SE acquires an important role in this discussion, as it can encourage the debate on naturalization and standardization of behaviors and gender stereotypes, which may also contribute to the prevention of sexual and gender violence against children and young people at school and in different social institutions. In this sense, this research proposal aims to analyze how the educator of elementary school I in Brazil and the primary school teacher in Portugal understand gender issues and sexuality in school everyday. It is, then, a qualitative and quantitative methodology, seeking to examine the laws and public policies implemented in the framework of SE, the opinion and the degree of knowledge of educators on sexuality and gender issues and the approaches of these themes with children, as well as to understand how happen the work on sexuality and gender issues in Brazilian elementary schools I and Portuguese primary schools.