Creating ‘participatory spaces’

Involving children in planning sex education lessons in Kenya, Ghana and Swaziland

Bibliographic Data

ID19516152
AuthorsMary Cobbett (University of Cambridge, corresponding author), Cahal Mclaughlin (0000-0002-8603-8610, University of Cambridge), Colleen Mclaughlin, Susan Kiragu (University of Cambridge)
Year2013
Volume13
Issuesup1
PagesS70-S83
Publication date2013-08-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSex Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1468-1811 • E-ISSN: 1472-0825
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14681811.2013.768527
OpenAlexW2039914523
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited24

Sexuality education in African contexts is riddled with socio-cultural complexity, tension and taboo. Such tensions are compounded when the focus of intervention is primary school children who are presumed 'innocent'. However, sub-Saharan Africa remains the region of the world most severely impacted upon by the human immunodeficiency virus and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, thus heightening the need to talk to children about sex and sexuality. This paper explores the role of consulting pupils, participation and dialogue as methodological innovations that have the potential to enable new ways of thinking about sex and sexuality and the transcendence of 'dead end debates' about what should and should not be taught. The paper is based on data from an action research project in Kenya, Ghana and Swaziland. The data show that the desire to create a space characterised by consultation, listening and dialogue in which adults and children could participate 'as if' they were social equals was inevitably not straightforward or ever fully realised. Nevertheless, pupils were able to make their voices heard at many points in these spaces and powerful moments of dialogue did exist with some of the adults undergoing significant changes of opinion throughout the process. We thank the researchers who were involved in data collection in the three countries; these are Gina Oduro in Ghana, Angela Githitho-Muriithi in Kenya and the Swaziland team of Eunice Mthethwa, Duncan Scott and Sharlene Swartz. Notes 1. All respondent names used in this paper are pseudonyms

Active listening · Commonwealth · Human sexuality · Participatory action research · Pedagogy · Political science · Social science · Sociology · Taboo · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Children's Rights and Participation · Gender Studies · Law · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare

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