Gender and Sexuality Outside The Norm: Teaching Anatomy and Physiology in Brazil

Abstract

Anatomy and/or Physiology professors, by using biological determinism in their educational practices, can reverberate binary and sexist stereotypes under the validation of scientific studies (ANDRADE, 2013). The objective of this study was to verify, through an online questionnaire, what is the conception of Physiology and/or Anatomy professors of Higher Education Institutions in all five regions of Brazil about some concepts — such as sex, gender, sexuality, sexual orientation and prejudices — and whether they include these topics in their classes. We took as our theoretical foundation: post-structuralist studies; scientific productions about gender and sexuality in Brazilian higher education; and studies in Anatomy and Physiology about gender and sexuality. The research statistically evaluates the questionnaire’s data under different perspectives, such as gender, sexual orientation, age, and region of Brazil. Analysis related to sexual orientation revealed that dissident professors from the cisheteronormativity were more favorable to approach “issues of gender and sexuality” in the university than heterosexuals. Furthermore, age showed that there is a higher agreement between generations concerning sexism and misogyny than to issues involving sexual and gender diversity. To conclude, we find the development of new studies with Brazilian higher education professionals urgent, considering the dimensions of the curriculum and the university surroundings for inclusive education to all genders and sexualities, dissidents of the norm.