‘Virginity is a virtue: prevent early sex’: teacher perceptions of sex education in a Ugandan secondary school

Sex education is a politically contentious issue in many countries, and there are numerous, competing ideologies relating to the most appropriate methods to teach young people about sexual and reproductive health. This paper examines policy and practice in Uganda in light of two contrasting ideologies, namely morally conservative and comprehensive rights-based approaches to sex education. After a brief description of these approaches, findings from a preliminary qualitative study among teachers working in a non-governmental organisation-run secondary school in Uganda are discussed. Teachers’ responses are analysed against the background of current Ugandan sex education policies. The paper considers the implications of the conservative morality informing both Ugandan government policy and teachers’ implementation of sex education at the focus school. It is argued that, in the light of young Ugandans’ attitudes towards and often varied experiences of sexuality, a comprehensive rights-based approach to sex education may be more appropriate in the described setting

SENDRATARI SAMPIK INGTAI SEBUAH ASIMILASI BUDAYA BALI DAN CINA

Abstract: The story of Sampik Ingtai as one of stories resulting from the assimilation of Balinese and Chinese Culture has stimulated the create a performance art entlited “Sampik Ingtai Ballet” with the central theme of “loyayty”. Their pledge of loyalty made the story end in tragedy because the two characters died, and they were only happy in the here after. The creation of Sampik Ingtai Ballet is based on the richness of unique movement and rules of Balinese dance, The movement elements are them formulated and harmoniously. Combined with the elements of Chines drama theater and are developed by modern composition principles. It is expected that the new performance art will have its own identity and uniqueness

Using ethnographic methods to explore masculinities at school: reflections on participant observation with young men in New Delhi, India

This paper outlines findings on masculinities and violence from my multi-method PhD study, which explored young people's experiences of learning about gender and sexuality in three co-educational, English-medium secondary schools in New Delhi, India. In particular, the paper discusses the value of including an ethnographic approach when exploring masculinities in the study. This includes reflections on my embodied experiences of doing research with 15-17 year old boys. In particular, I reflect on how these boys reacted to me as a woman who looked Indian but was not-quite Indian, and who seemed like an authority figure but did not act like one. In turn, I consider how my personal responses to their behaviour affected my participation, observation and interpretations within the schools. These reflections are part of the process described by Cornwall & Lindisfarne (1994), which involves linking my position as a gendered political agent, my gendered socialisation in the field, and the ways I reposition myself within an academic context

Negotiating masculinities and learning to 'be a man' at school in New Delhi, India

Schools are seen as crucial sites in which young people ‘learn’ gender, both directly and indirectly. Nayak & Kehilly (2008) have argued that schools are ‘one of the most formative arenas in which young people experience and contribute to the (re)production of social norms’, including those relating to gender and sexuality. Meanwhile, last year, the Justice Verma Commission called for schools to ‘act as counter-socialisers to tackle gender bias and discrimination’ (Verma et al 2013). This paper draws on findings from my multi-method PhD study, which focuses on young people's experiences of learning about gender and sexuality in three co-educational, English-medium secondary schools in New Delhi, India. The paper focuses on the ways in which boys negotiated masculinities and learned to 'become men' in their everyday lives at school. Findings are discussed in three main areas; how schools act as agents in reproducing masculinities; how students themselves are agents in (re)producing masculinities at schools; and other sites of learning which contribute to boys' understandings of 'being a man'

Modeling membrane nanotube morphology: the role of heterogeneity in composition and material properties.

Membrane nanotubes are dynamic structures that may connect cells over long distances. Nanotubes are typically thin cylindrical tubes, but they may occasionally have a beaded architecture along the tube. In this paper, we study the role of membrane mechanics in governing the architecture of these tubes and show that the formation of bead-like structures along the nanotubes can result from local heterogeneities in the membrane either due to protein aggregation or due to membrane composition. We present numerical results that predict how membrane properties, protein density, and local tension compete to create a phase space that governs the morphology of a nanotube. We also find that there exists a discontinuity in the energy that impedes two beads from fusing. These results suggest that the membrane-protein interaction, membrane composition, and membrane tension closely govern the tube radius, number of beads, and the bead morphology

A feminist political economy analysis of public policies related to care: a thematic review

Unpaid care work is directly linked to the economic empowerment of women and girls. There is a large and robust body of evidence about the extent of unpaid care work that women and girls do, and its contributions to both the economy and human development outcomes. But is this evidence being used to inform public policy? Doing so would include recognising the role of women and girls in the provision of unpaid care; the need to reduce the drudgery of unpaid care; and the need to redistribute unpaid care work (from women to men, and from the family to communities and the state), thus laying the basis for true gender equality. This review of secondary material aims to identify the political economy conditions of where, why, when and how unpaid care concerns become more visible on domestic policy agendas