Julia Hirst
Biographic Data
| ID | 4219606 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Julia Hirst |
| GIVEN NAMES | Julia |
| FAMILY NAME | Hirst |
| SIGNATURE | HIRST J |
| AFFILIATIONS | Sheffield Hallam University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9230-1828 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 10 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 22 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 10 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Relationships and sex education for the postsecular classroom
Schools in the UK and Europe, North America and Australia are introducing ambitious forms of relationships and sex education (RSE) or school-based sexuality education.For RSE to be effective it must be inclusive, recognising and respecting the needs and experiences of those who have not always been well served by sex/sexuality education.This paper considers one such groupstudents with faith backgrounds -and explores ways of delivering RSE in the …
A qualitative exploration of perceptions of anal sex
Existing research into anal sex has centred on androcentric, medicalised parameters that focus on risk and health implications, leading to a lack of focus on women's experiences. Research that has focused on women’s experiences has centred on concern around young women’s anal sex practices, with little exploration of why people participate in anal sex and neglect of its relational and pleasure-based dimensions. The present study sought to explore…
The pleasure imperative? Reflecting on sexual pleasure’s inclusion in sex education and sexual health
This article offers an empirically grounded contribution to scholarship exploring the ways in which pleasure is ‘put to work’ in sex and sexuality education. Such research has cautioned against framing pleasure as a normative requirement of sexual activity and hence reproducing a ‘pleasure imperative’. This paper draws on interviews with sexual health and education practitioners who engaged with Pleasure Project resources and training between 200…
Building Realist Program Theory for Large Complex and Messy Interventions
Program theory, that is, the specific idea about how a program causes the intended or observed outcomes, should be the central aspect of any realist evaluation or synthesis. The methods used for explicating or building initial rough program theories (IRPTs) in realist research are varied and arguably often underreported. In addition, preexisting psychological and sociological theories, at a higher level of abstraction, could be used to a greater …
‘It's got to be about enjoying yourself’
Pleasure as a component of sexualities and relationships education (SRE) has been subject to much recent discussion. Arguably, academic debate has been more prominent than practitioner perspectives, with theoretical articulations and critique superseding pragmatic attention to integrating pleasure into learning about sexualities and relationships. Though there are exceptions, sexuality education that recognises pleasure and desire for young peopl…
‘Selling it as a holistic health provision and not just about condoms …’ Sexual health services in school settings
In this article we discuss the findings from a recent study of UK policy and practice in relation to sexual health services for young people, based in – or closely linked with – schools. This study formed part of a larger project, completed in 2009, which also included a systematic review of international research. The findings discussed in this paper are based on analyses of interviews with 51 service managers and questionnaire returns from 205 …
Developing sexual competence? Exploring strategies for the provision of effective sexualities and relationships education
School‐based sexualities and relationships education (SRE) offers one of the most promising means of improving young people's sexual health through developing ‘sexual competence’. In the absence of evidence on whether the term holds the same meanings for young people and adults (e.g. teachers, researchers, policy‐makers), the paper explores ‘adult’ notions of sexual competence as construed in research data and alluded to in UK Government guidance…
Researching young people's sexuality and learning about sex
This paper describes findings from an in‐depth case study of young people's sexuality and learning about sex. Focus groups and unstructured interviews were conducted with young women and young men aged 15–16 years in a school in the north of England. Analysis focused on disjunctions between reported sexual behaviour in a park and in a bedsitting room, and the content of school sex and relationship education. Tensions between the accounts are cons…
Sociology as a Moral Discourse
This paper draws on case-study data collected from undergraduate students taking courses in social theory. The paper sets out an approach to Sociology as a discipline that promotes an understanding of moral categories. Drawing on the work of Bernstein, Benhabib and Hird, a model of 'generalised' and 'concrete other' provides a framework for understanding the discipline of Sociology and its pedagogy. A case study of student experience reveals the …
Sociology as a Moral Discourse
This paper draws on case-study data collected from undergraduate students taking courses in social theory. The paper sets out an approach to Sociology as a discipline that promotes an understanding of moral categories. Drawing on the work of Bernstein, Benhabib and Hird, a model of 'generalised' and 'concrete other' provides a framework for understanding the discipline of Sociology and its pedagogy. A case study of student experience reveals the …
Building Realist Program Theory for Large Complex and Messy Interventions
Program theory, that is, the specific idea about how a program causes the intended or observed outcomes, should be the central aspect of any realist evaluation or synthesis. The methods used for explicating or building initial rough program theories (IRPTs) in realist research are varied and arguably often underreported. In addition, preexisting psychological and sociological theories, at a higher level of abstraction, could be used to a greater …
Sociology as a Moral Discourse
This paper draws on case-study data collected from undergraduate students taking courses in social theory. The paper sets out an approach to Sociology as a discipline that promotes an understanding of moral categories. Drawing on the work of Bernstein, Benhabib and Hird, a model of 'generalised' and 'concrete other' provides a framework for understanding the discipline of Sociology and its pedagogy. A case study of student experience reveals the …
Sociology as a Moral Discourse
This paper draws on case-study data collected from undergraduate students taking courses in social theory. The paper sets out an approach to Sociology as a discipline that promotes an understanding of moral categories. Drawing on the work of Bernstein, Benhabib and Hird, a model of 'generalised' and 'concrete other' provides a framework for understanding the discipline of Sociology and its pedagogy. A case study of student experience reveals the …
Researching young people's sexuality and learning about sex
This paper describes findings from an in‐depth case study of young people's sexuality and learning about sex. Focus groups and unstructured interviews were conducted with young women and young men aged 15–16 years in a school in the north of England. Analysis focused on disjunctions between reported sexual behaviour in a park and in a bedsitting room, and the content of school sex and relationship education. Tensions between the accounts are cons…
Developing sexual competence? Exploring strategies for the provision of effective sexualities and relationships education
School‐based sexualities and relationships education (SRE) offers one of the most promising means of improving young people's sexual health through developing ‘sexual competence’. In the absence of evidence on whether the term holds the same meanings for young people and adults (e.g. teachers, researchers, policy‐makers), the paper explores ‘adult’ notions of sexual competence as construed in research data and alluded to in UK Government guidance…
‘Selling it as a holistic health provision and not just about condoms …’ Sexual health services in school settings
In this article we discuss the findings from a recent study of UK policy and practice in relation to sexual health services for young people, based in – or closely linked with – schools. This study formed part of a larger project, completed in 2009, which also included a systematic review of international research. The findings discussed in this paper are based on analyses of interviews with 51 service managers and questionnaire returns from 205 …
‘It's got to be about enjoying yourself’
Pleasure as a component of sexualities and relationships education (SRE) has been subject to much recent discussion. Arguably, academic debate has been more prominent than practitioner perspectives, with theoretical articulations and critique superseding pragmatic attention to integrating pleasure into learning about sexualities and relationships. Though there are exceptions, sexuality education that recognises pleasure and desire for young peopl…
Building Realist Program Theory for Large Complex and Messy Interventions
Program theory, that is, the specific idea about how a program causes the intended or observed outcomes, should be the central aspect of any realist evaluation or synthesis. The methods used for explicating or building initial rough program theories (IRPTs) in realist research are varied and arguably often underreported. In addition, preexisting psychological and sociological theories, at a higher level of abstraction, could be used to a greater …
The pleasure imperative? Reflecting on sexual pleasure’s inclusion in sex education and sexual health
This article offers an empirically grounded contribution to scholarship exploring the ways in which pleasure is ‘put to work’ in sex and sexuality education. Such research has cautioned against framing pleasure as a normative requirement of sexual activity and hence reproducing a ‘pleasure imperative’. This paper draws on interviews with sexual health and education practitioners who engaged with Pleasure Project resources and training between 200…
A qualitative exploration of perceptions of anal sex
Existing research into anal sex has centred on androcentric, medicalised parameters that focus on risk and health implications, leading to a lack of focus on women's experiences. Research that has focused on women’s experiences has centred on concern around young women’s anal sex practices, with little exploration of why people participate in anal sex and neglect of its relational and pleasure-based dimensions. The present study sought to explore…
Relationships and sex education for the postsecular classroom
Schools in the UK and Europe, North America and Australia are introducing ambitious forms of relationships and sex education (RSE) or school-based sexuality education.For RSE to be effective it must be inclusive, recognising and respecting the needs and experiences of those who have not always been well served by sex/sexuality education.This paper considers one such groupstudents with faith backgrounds -and explores ways of delivering RSE in the …
Sociology (9 works) · Psychology (8 works) · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (6 works) · Gender Studies (6 works) · Social Psychology (6 works) · Human sexuality (5 works) · Sex education (4 works) · Developmental psychology (3 works) · Epistemology (3 works) · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy (3 works)