The<i>policyscape</i>of transgender equality and gender diversity in the Western Australian education system: a case study

Cumming-Potvin, W.; Martino, Wayne

doi:10.1080/09540253.2018.1483491

Cited by 16 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Indeed, Spade advocates for a shift in focus from an individual human rights framing of discrimination to one that addresses more broadly regimes of gender classification and categorization: "Such a shift requires us to examine how administrative norms or regularities create structured insecurity and (mal)distribute life chances across populations" (p. 9). In this respect, as part of our case study we provide a snapshot into how three key informants are making sense of the policy and what the implications are for creating spaces in schools for addressing trans marginalization and gender expansive education (Ullman, 2017;Cumming-Potvin and Martino, 2018).…”

Section: Trans-informed Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Supporting Transgender Inclusion and Gender Diversity in Schools: A Critical Policy Analysis

Omercajic

Martino

2020

Front. Sociol.

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In this article, we conduct a policy analysis of transgender affirmative policies in Ontario and examine their implications for addressing gender justice and gender democratization in the school system. By adopting a case study approach, we provide a critical analysis of these policies and of how stakeholders with familiarity and knowledge of trans-affirmative policies from two school boards in Ontario are making sense of their impact with respect to addressing trans inclusion in schools. As such, our study offers insight into two trans-affirmative policies and their implications for both supporting transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary students and envisioning gender-expansive education in the school system. We draw on interviews with key informants-two teachers and a school board official-as a basis for reflecting on the need to move beyond a discourse of accommodation in trans inclusive policies to one that explicitly articulates a pedagogical commitment to gender justice and gender democratization in schools.

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Section: Trans-informed Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Supporting Transgender Inclusion and Gender Diversity in Schools: A Critical Policy Analysis

Omercajic

Martino

2020

Front. Sociol.

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“…The last decade in Australia has witnessed increased legislative parity for sexuality diverse individuals with their heterosexual counterparts and greater recognition of the diversity of gender. Alongside these shifts, however, there exists a simultaneous presence that continues to undermine the gains made by these minoritised communities, which is exhibited at the highest levels of government (Butson 2018;Cumming-Potvin and Martino 2018;Ferfolja and Ullman 2020a) and which produces marginalising discourses that construct gender and sexuality diversity as problematic. As such, a tension exists in schools, where teachers have beheld a broader culture of acceptance of gender and sexuality diversity yet function within a vocal and perceptible national political agenda that positions equity issues in education as extremist (Ferfolja and Ullman 2020a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inclusive pedagogies for transgender and gender diverse children: parents’ perspectives on the limits of discourses of bullying and risk in schools

Ferfolja

Ullman

2021

Pedagogy, Culture & Society

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“…In all, more than 1,200 participants responded to the survey, and after the inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied, 1,194 surveys were analyzed. It is worth noting that large-scale survey research does not permit nuanced insight into specific board and school contexts, which have been the focus in our previous case study research (see Cumming-Potvin & Martino, 2018; Martino et al, 2020; Martino & Cumming-Potvin, 2019). This focus on context specificity was not the purpose of the study.…”

Section: About the Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“We Have No ‘Visibly’ Trans Students in Our School”: Educators’ Perspectives on Transgender-Affirmative Policies in Schools

Martino

Omercajic

Kassen

2022

Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education

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Background/Context: In Ontario, and Canada more broadly, anti-discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression is enshrined in the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which have required schools to address trans inclusion. However, the ways in which educators understand or enact these policies, and whether they are even aware of them, remain largely underexplored. Purpose/Research Question/Focus of Study: Our purpose was to learn more about educators’ awareness and understanding of trans-inclusive policies in schools and the extent to which such policies were informing practice. Participants: While this research is based on survey data comprising 1,194 respondents, this article examines comments provided about trans-affirmative policy from 463 educators. Research Design: This study involves large-scale survey research conducted on 1,194 educators in Ontario K–12 schools; the survey was disseminated via social media and educational affiliates. We draw primarily on the qualitative data component of the survey, where educators provided detailed comments about and insights into trans-inclusive policies. We employed a reflexive approach to coding and thematic analysis to identify key themes. Findings/Results: Although our quantitative data depicted a favorable assessment of support for trans-affirmative policies—94% of respondents found their school’s policy to be very or somewhat relevant—our findings highlight a discrepancy between policy and practice, and a lack of commitment to addressing cisgenderist, cisnormative, and cissexist systems. The themes that emerged from our coding and analysis of the qualitative data were: (1) educators’ understanding of policy as accommodation; (2) individualized approaches to trans inclusion; (3) lack of administrative support and intervention; (4) the gap between policy and practice; (5) transphobic and cissexist resistance to supporting gender diversity; (6) the need for trans-affirming and gender-expansive curriculum, and (7) the problem of generalized approaches to equity and acceptance of diversity. In addition, we discuss several educator comments that raise important questions about race and the need for intersectional approaches to addressing equity and trans inclusion in schools. Conclusions/Recommendations: We advocate for a paradigm shift with respect to the necessity of employing a trans epistemological framework that addresses the need for gender-expansive education which focuses on the harmful effects of cisgenderism, cisnormativity, and cissexism in the education system. Central to addressing gender justice and trans marginalization in schools for all students, we conclude, is the need for policy makers to ensure accountability and budgetary allocation for the provision of resources and professional development for educators in schools.

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Thepolicyscapeof transgender equality and gender diversity in the Western Australian education system: a case study

Abstract: In this paper, our purpose is to investigate policy informing texts and discourses referencing transgender equality and gender diversity in the Western Australian education system. Drawing on scholarship from transgender, queer and policy studies (Bacchi

Cited by 16 publications

References 35 publications

Supporting Transgender Inclusion and Gender Diversity in Schools: A Critical Policy Analysis

Supporting Transgender Inclusion and Gender Diversity in Schools: A Critical Policy Analysis

Inclusive pedagogies for transgender and gender diverse children: parents’ perspectives on the limits of discourses of bullying and risk in schools

“We Have No ‘Visibly’ Trans Students in Our School”: Educators’ Perspectives on Transgender-Affirmative Policies in Schools

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