Education professionals' representations about sexuality and gender

Gender and sexuality are heterogeneous control devices, as objects of power and knowledge, which are operated in school. In a perspective of overcoming the dichotomy between objectivism and subjectivism, this article analyzes the representations of sexuality in the context of gender relations, highlighting the academic and pedagogical practices of education professionals about these issues. It is qualitative research through interviews with professionals and consultation to planning the content taught in the early years of elementary school of the a public school in a city in the state of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. The representations of the interviewed about sexuality are not limited to sexual intercourse, though this appears much more as an individual manifestation of social or collective, so that sexuality is considered part of the personality of individuals and element inherent in human development. Therefore, the representations reproduce certain areas of knowledge and hegemonic knowledge of developmental psychology that predominate in the process of initial and continuing teacher education in Brazil. The academic background of most professionals did not allow a deepening of gender issues based on respect for sexual diversity and deconstruction of sexist and homophobic behavior.