Dogma before diversity: the contradictory rhetoric of controversy and diversity in the politicisation of Australian queer-affirming learning materials

Abstract

This paper discusses contradictory imperatives in contemporary Australian pedagogy – the notions of ‘controversy’ and ‘diversity’ as they relate the subjects of genders and sexualities. It is a common view that both gender and sexuality are important organising features of identity, society and politics. Consistent effort is made in the Australian educational context to combat discrimination, prejudice against sexually, and gender ‘diverse’ people. However, the state’s commitment to diversity policies must be balanced with a secondary focus on appeasing those who are hostile to non-heteronormative expression, or who view such expression as inherently ‘political’ in nature and therefore inappropriate for the school setting. Australia has arguably demonstrated this dilemma recently in two notable controversies: an intervention in planned school screenings of Gayby Baby, a documentary exploring the experience of children in same-sex families, and media furore over the trans-positive All of Us teaching kit. Using these case studies, this paper explores the competing imperatives of controversy and diversity, commenting on the tendency for the lives and experiences of LGBTIQ people becoming consequently politicised. To do so, is arguably detrimental to the meaningful participation of LGBTIQ people as social citizens.     

An existential model for counselling women

Historically, theories of personality and therapy have tended to be biased against women Feminist ideology appears to be inadequate as a replacement for more traditional theoretical frameworks. Alternatively, the existential theory of Frankl (1969, 1975) appears particularly promising as a model for therapy with women. Data in support of this position were reported.University of WinipegUniversity of AlbertaPaper presented at Ninth International Round Table for the Advancement of Counselling. Thessaloniki, Greece, April 1980. The opening paragraphs also introduced an earlier paper by the authors at the CRIAW Conference, Edmonton, November 1979.     

An Internationalization Competency Checklist for American Counseling Training Programs

Through a mixed method design the researchers sought to develop an internationalization competency checklist that U.S. counseling training programs could use as a pragmatic guide in their efforts to internationalize their curriculum and training environments. Based on a six-domain framework and using content analytic method, 70 potential internationalization competency items were generated. The items were further validated by 66 counseling professionals in the field who were knowledgeable about counseling training and have experience with international activities, resulting in 43 items with 60% or more positive endorsement. These 43 items were selected to form an International Competency Checklist. Practice and research implications of the study’s findings are discussed.     

Co-streaming classes: a follow-up study in improving the user experience to better reach users

Co-streaming classes have enabled library staff to extend open classes to distance education students and other users. Student evaluations showed that the model could be improved. Two areas required attention: audio problems experienced by online participants and staff teaching methods. Staff tested equipment and adjusted software configuration to improve user experience. Staff training increased familiarity with specialized teaching techniques and troubleshooting procedures. Technology testing and staff training were completed, and best practices were developed and applied. Class evaluations indicate improvements in classroom experience. Future plans include expanding co-streaming to more classes and on-going data collection, evaluation, and improvement of classes.     

'Goslob is a Boy's Name'

This class-based case study explores how firmly established are primary school children's gender expectations and how far a primary school environment serves to reinforce or challenge their expectations. Children of differing ages responded to a specially written story framework. Their responses indicated a gender stereotyping which influenced interpretation. Implications for teaching are discussed.     

Evaluating change in interagency collaboration of a state-level interagency education team: a social network approach within a utilization-focused framework

Improving collaboration among organizations is a goal of interagency educational teams, but collaboration is typically thought of as an ambiguous concept that cannot be quantified. To assess the collaborative strength of a state-level interagency team in a Midwestern state, team members completed the Levels of Collaboration Scale (Frey et al., American Journal of Evaluation 27(3):383, 2006) for three consecutive years. The team members then utilized the results of the social network analysis to support and sustain collaborative efforts. Findings revealed that the number of partnerships increased and the depth of collaboration expanded across the 3 years. Social network analysis results were utilized to develop collaboration strategies, thus influencing the expansion of the network across the 3-year period.     

Commonwealth Media

TELEVISION COVERAGE OF THE 1983 GENERAL ELECTION by Barrie Gunter, et al. (Brookfield, VT: Gower, 1986—$37.95)

COMMUNICATIONS: THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO THE UK TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY edited by Manus Egan (London: Macmillan/Dedham, MA: Artech House, 1986—price not given, paper)

GEOGRAPHY, THE MEDIA AND POPULAR CULTURE edited by Jacquelin Burgess and John R. Gold (London: Croom Helm, 1985—price not given, 273 pp.)

TELEVISION, SEX ROLES AND CHILDREN: A DEVELOPMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL ACCOUNT by Kevin Durkin (Milton Keynes, UK: Open University Press, 1985—148 pp.)

HEALTH EDUCATION AND THE MEDIA edited by D.S. Leathar, et al. (Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1981 and 1986—602 and 262 pp.)

THE DESIGN DIMENSION: PRODUCT STRATEGY AND THE CHALLENGE OF GLOBAL MARKETING by Christopher Lorenz (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1986—167 pp.)

LANGUAGE AND THE NUCLEAR ARMS DEBATE: NUKESPEAK TODAY (London: Francis Pinter, 1985—244 pp.)

STUDENTS IN THE PRESS: 1955–75 by Michael Clarke (Dept of Sociology, University of Birmingham, PO Box 363, Birmingham BI5 2TT—L5.00, 185 pp.)

TEACHING THE MEDIA by Len Masterman (London: Comedia, 1985—L14.00/6.95, 341 pp.)

LAW AND THE MEDIA edited by Stuart M. Robertson (Ottawa: Canadian Bar Foundation, 1984–86—$38.00 for five paperback volumes)

TELLING TALES by John Fraser (Toronto: Collins, 1986—$19.95, 218 pp)

A FUNNY WAY TO RUN A COUNTRY: FURTHER MEMOIRS OF A POLITICAL VOYEUR (Edmonton: Hurtig, 1986—$19.95, 217 pp.)

CHINS AND NEEDLES: POLITICAL CARTOONS by Andy Donato (Toronto: Key Porter Books, 1986—$10.95, paper, 206 pp.)

PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE LAW by Christopher Du Vernet (Vancouver: International Self-Counsel Press, 1986—$7.95, paper, 150 pp.)

FROM COAST TO COAST: A PERSONAL HISTORY OF RADIO IN CANADA by Sandy Stewart (Toronto: CBC Enterprises, 1986—$12.95, paper, 191 pp.)

INSIDE SEVEN DAYS: THE SHOW THAT SHOOK THE NATION by Eric Koch (Toronto: Prentice-Hall of Canada, 1986—$19.95, 350 pp.)

KOOKS AND KUKES, COUNTS AND NOACCOUNTS by William C. Heine (Edmonton: Hurtig, 1986—$24.95, 200 pp.)

THE NEWSMONGERS: HOW THE MEDIA DISTORT THE POLITICAL NEWS by Mary Anne Comber and Robert S. Mayne (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1986—$22.95, 178 pp.)

THE MEDIA, THE COURTS AND THE CHARTER edited by Philip Anisman and Allen Linden (Toronto: Carswell, 1986—$45.00, 488 pp.)

THE JOURNALIST'S LEGAL GUIDE by Michael G. Crawford (Toronto: Carswell, 1986—$35.00, 288 pp.)

HENRY MAYER'S “IMMORTAL WORKS:” SCHOLARLY, SEMI-SCHOLARLY AMD NOT VERY SCHOLARLY AT ALL: A DESCRIPTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY WITH INDEX, 1940–1985 by Murray Goot (Canberra: Department of Political Science/Australian National University, 1986—price not given)

COMMERCIAL MEDIA IN AUSTRALIA: ECONOMICS, OWNERSHIP, TECHNOLOGY, AND REGULATION by Allan Brown (Manchester, NH: University of Queensland Press, 1986—$43.50)

ABORIGINAL INVENTION OF TELEVISION: CENTRAL AUSTRALIA 1982–1986 by Eric Michaels (Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, GPO Box 553, Canberra ACT 2601—price not given, paper)

GIRLS AND TELEVISION by Patricia Palmer (Social Policy Unit, Ministry of Education, GPO Box 33, Sydney 2001)

AN AUSTRALIAN FILM READER edited by Albert Moran and Tom O'Regan (Sydney: Currency Press, 1985—A$24.96)