Culture and sexuality in Finnish health education textbooks

In Finland, Young people's sexuality education has not been examined from a multicultural perspective, with the exception of a few policy-oriented papers. This paper examines how cultural diversity is addressed in chapters on sexuality and sexuality education in Finnish health education textbooks. The analysis is based on material contained in textbooks used in grades 7-9 and upper secondary schools. Findings suggest that cultural diversity is included in textbooks in one of two ways: either to demonstrate the uniqueness of liberal, emancipated and progressive Finnish' sexuality; or as a way of distancing Finland and Finnish values from the rest of the world. In these textbooks, culture is understood as belonging to non-Finnish others' and a culture that itself as not being Finnish. This somewhat tendentious treatment of cultural diversity leaves teachers with limited tools with which to promote anti-discriminatory education. The textbooks also overlook the diverse backgrounds of young people growing up in Finland today.