A new publication of the Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences highlights gender issues in educational settings and the workplace and shows how gender stereotypes continue to shape children’s development and self-concept and even influence their future career path.
“Gender and Education in Luxembourg and Beyond: Local Challenges and New Perspectives.” features 17 contributions exploring different aspects of gender issues and aims at providing a starting point for a discussion about gender and education in Luxembourg and beyond.
Education is key for reducing gender inequalities based on stereotypes
Children are not born as girls or boys, but they develop their gender identity by adapting to social and cultural norms. Gender identity and stereotypes play a role from early childhood on. The daily experience of these stereotypes directly and indirectly influences children’s interests and skills, and later their choice of career paths. Education, both formal and informal, is therefore an important lever for creating an egalitarian world in which individuals can develop naturally according to their personality rather than constructed categories.
Sylvie Kerger, senior lecturer at the Department of Education and Social Work, and Laurence Brasseur, researcher and museologist, have co-edited “Gender and Education in Luxembourg and Beyond: ”. “Coming from a range of different backgrounds, the authors of this book all share a common endeavour: the fight against gender inequality and the belief in the importance of an egalitarian education. Contributions draw on research findings, case studies and professional experience, including reflection pieces. We hope that this book will provide a point of departure for a reflection on existing educational practices – in Luxembourg and beyond”, Kerger and Brasseur explain.Local Challenges and New Perspectives
About “Gender and Education in Luxembourg and Beyond”
“Gender and Education in Luxembourg and Beyond: ” discusses gender issues in non-formal and formal educational contexts as well as the workplace. Local Challenges and New Perspectivesand Miriam-Linnea Hale analyse stereotypical representations in the media and the effect these can have on an individual’s life, especially on their well-being and career choices.André Melzer
Carole Blond-Hanten presents the results of a social experiment, in which the author used a game to de-construct gender stereotypes that children and adults might have. Enrica Pianaro gives a guide to queer education and explains how queer and feminist theories can help to rethink formal education. Sylvie Kerger and Laurence Brasseur take a closer look at primary school textbooks and show how an intersectional perspective expands our thinking about gender representations in didactic materials.
Hélène Barthelmebs-Raguin is also interested in teaching materials: the findings of her comparative study of the French and Luxembourgish curricula reveal a masculinisation of literature and a clear lack of female authors. Staying in the field of the arts, Dany Weyer reflects on how young people can explore gender identities and roles through drama and theater in the classroom. Merlin Rastoder, Lucija Duric and Claude Houssemand show how professional gender representations influence students’ career choices.
“Gender and Education in Luxembourg and Beyond: Local Challenges and New Perspectives” edited by Sylvie Kerger and Laurence Brasseur is published by Melusina Press. A digital and a print version are available