Five Narratives on the Intersections between Sexuality Education and Culture

Overview & Synopsis

Culture is increasingly mentioned as an influence on sexuality education amongst scholars, policymakers, and sexuality education practitioners. Yet there are conflicting and sometimes unclear conceptualisations of how exactly culture affects sexuality education. Based on a systematic literature review of articles on culture and sexuality education in settings around the world, this article uncovers five narratives on how culture and sexuality education are commonly linked together. Discussing culture as a cliché, a source of conflict, an opportunity, its authority, and the politics of culture, this article highlights the multi-faceted nature of culture and its influence on sexuality education. It also outlines some implications of these narratives for scholarly work, policy and practical developments in the field of sexuality education.