I wanted the school, but the school didn't want me.

Experience report based on discussion circles about gender issues

Abstract

This experience report analyzes discussion circles about gender issues held in 2023 at a public university in Rio de Janeiro. The objective of this text stems from this experience, lived in a municipality in Baixada Fluminense, and consists of analyzing how the conservatism present in Brazilian society interferes with the approach of schools, participants in the discussion circles, in relation to gender diversity issues. The research is qualitative in nature and is based on the analysis of transcripts of filmed activities, using thematic content analysis after exploratory readings of the research corpus. The established thematic axes were: prejudice, gender issues in school, teachers' difficulties, and the family-school relationship. According to the teachers' perspective, compared to previous periods, children are bringing gender issues into the classroom at an earlier age. This phenomenon has generated tensions between the way families and schools approach the topic. In many cases, parents expect teachers to adopt a conservative stance on the topic, aligned with heteronormative standards, or to refrain from addressing the issue altogether. As a result, some teachers hesitate to address these issues due to the tensions and pressures involved.