The Social Work of Sexuality: Rethinking Approaches to Social Work Education

Heteronormativity Prevails: A Study of Sexuality in Norwegian Social Work Bachelor Programs

“…However, most of these articles focused solely on lesbian and gay sexualities (Hicks, 2008). Most analyses of sexuality from a critical perspective (employing feminist, poststructural, and queer theories) have been conducted in social work since the mid-2000s (such as: Hicks, 2008;Hicks & Watson, 2003;Jeyasingham, 2008;McPhail, 2004;Morton, Jeyasingham, & Hicks, 2013;O'Brien, 1999). However, social work theory and research today seldom engages with queer theory, not even in texts discussing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues (Hicks & Jeyasingham, 2016).…”

“…The most important argument for addressing sexuality in social work was stated by O'Brien (1999); i.e., social work is already deeply implicated in the construction of power relations in sexuality. Social work theories, education, practice, and the profession perpetuate heterosexual hegemony, as is evident in their failure to address sexuality (Dunk, 2007;Giertsen, 2016;Hicks, 2008;Morton et al, 2013;Sperling, 2010). If sexuality is addressed in social work, then teaching, research, and practice tend to focus on minority experiences and particularly on negative experiences (Morton et al, 2013).…”

“…Social work theories, education, practice, and the profession perpetuate heterosexual hegemony, as is evident in their failure to address sexuality (Dunk, 2007;Giertsen, 2016;Hicks, 2008;Morton et al, 2013;Sperling, 2010). If sexuality is addressed in social work, then teaching, research, and practice tend to focus on minority experiences and particularly on negative experiences (Morton et al, 2013). When sexuality is understood as other than negative, such knowledge is discounted (Jeyasingham 2008;O'Brien, 1999).…”

“…This model promotes the idea of lesbians and gay men as a minority culture and forms the basis of a liberal, rights-based rhetoric (Hicks, 2008). Powerful critiques have been made of these models for focusing only on problems, giving easy answers to complex questions, and assuming a minority culture with a set of needs (Morton et al, 2013). When addressing diversity in social work, the curriculum content generally tends to focus on the marginalized and their problems.…”

Esperança e qualidade de vida de envelhescentes que se relacionam com pessoas do mesmo sexo

“…Viver uma sexualidade que, até menos de meio século, era tida como sinônimo de doença, pecado e desvio é colocar em xeque questões mais amplas e igualmente complexas. De tal modo, a geração que viveu o pânico sexual da AIDS e as políticas higienistas que patologizaram as homossexualidades até meados dos anos 90, especialmente pela disseminação do HIV nos anos 80, podem encontrar no sigilo um modo mais seguro de vivenciar suas experiências; sobretudo, pela não visibilização de uma sexualidade historicamente reconhecida como anormal, abjeta e, mesmo, perigosa (Morton, Jeyasingham, & Hicks, 2013).…”