The purpose of this study is to investigate the meaning of heteronormativity within the elementary special school. With the hope to contribute to an increased understanding of teachers work against heteronormative within the primary special school. The investigation is based on a phenomenographic research approach where the results are based on semi-structured qualitative interviews which have then been interpreted and analyzed with the help of the previous research and queer theory and crip theory.
The previous research creates a image of a heterosexual elementary special school, where issues related to gender, family constellations, sexual orientation and LGBTQ issues are deprioritized in teaching.
The main result shows that the teachers in this study is carrying out a constant norm-critical work regarding issues concerning gender, family constellations, sexual orientation and LGBTQ issues. Where the teachers strive to protect the students identities and the school's work to promote everyone’s special characteristics. However, it cannot be ignored that heteronormativity has a presence within the primary special school, mainly through an unawareness of heteronormativity within the teaching staff, but that there is indirect work against the heteronormativity with great development potential. Above all, the responsibility for the teaching of rights, the socialization task must be distributed more among all the subjects regarding the issues concerning gender, family constellations, sexual orientation, and LGBTQ issues. This is to be able to increase awareness of heteronormativity even more and to promote the norm-critical work within the primary special school.
Keywords
Keywords: Social studies, Elementary special school, Intellectual disabilities, Gender, Family constellation, Sexual orientation, LGBTQI, Queer theory, Crip theory and Heteronormativity