Normed Children: Effects of Gender and Sex Related Normativity on Childhood and Adolescence

Gender and sex related norms within a broader understanding of sex and gender in its social dimension have an impact on us from the first to the last day of our lives. What are the effects of such norms on the education of children and adolescents? Conveyed via parents/family, school and peers, they are an inseparable part of human relations. After its favorable reception in German speaking countries the book will be also available in English. It shows that the traditional assumption of a dualistic, bipolar normativity of sex and gender, particularly in the light of the biological dimension, leads to children being taught gender-typical behavior in order to assign their own gender. The contributions in this volume explore the reasons for these practices and open the debate on the divergence between the prevailing norms and the plurality of different life plans. In addition, the book helps to disengage the topic of sex and gender from a hitherto narrowly circumscribed context of sexual orientation. The contributions point the way towards a culture of respect and mutual acceptance and show new methodological approaches by including in future research projects more than the two sexes and genders of female and male.

Gender and sex related norms within a broader understanding of sex and gender in its social dimension have an impact on us from the first to the last day of our lives. What are the effects of such norms on the education of children and adolescents? Conveyed via parents/family, school and peers, they are an inseparable part of human relations. After its favorable reception in German speaking countries the book will be also available in English. It shows that the traditional assumption of a dualistic, bipolar normativity of sex and gender, particularly in the light of the biological dimension, leads to children being taught gender-typical behavior in order to assign their own gender. The contributions in this volume explore the reasons for these practices and open the debate on the divergence between the prevailing norms and the plurality of different life plans. In addition, the book helps to disengage the topic of sex and gender from a hitherto narrowly circumscribed context of sexual orientation. The contributions point the way towards a culture of respect and mutual acceptance and show new methodological approaches by including in future research projects more than the two sexes and genders of female and male.