The Discourse of Drama

Regulating Girls in an Icelandic School

in Girlhood Studies
Author:
Bergljót Thrastardóttir PhD Student, School of Education, University of Iceland bth38@hi.is

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Steinunn Helga Lárusdóttir Professor Emerita, School of Education, University of Iceland shl@hi.is

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Ingólfur Ásgeir Jóhannesson Professor, School of Education, University of Iceland ingo@hi.is

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Abstract

In this article, we consider how girls are positioned in school by what we have chosen to call the discourse of drama. The widely held notion that Nordic girls have it all along with this drama discourse are seen to be the key narratives that reinforce a hegemonic form of girlhood. This ethnographic study focuses on the relations of students between the ages of 13 and 15 in the light of uninformed school staff-member practices. Our findings suggest that girls, despite living in what is seen to be a country that upholds gender equality, are silenced through this discourse of drama. We suggest that teacher education should lead to the facilitation of a gender-inclusive school environment free of stereotypical ideas of gender as a fixed binary.

Contributor Notes

Bergljót Thrastardóttir (ORCID: 0000-0002-3362-9572), a PhD student in the School of Education, University of Iceland, also an Assistant Professor at the University of Akureyri, has research interests in gender and education, and students’ views and experiences. Email: bth38@hi.is

Steinunn Helga Lárusdóttir (ORCID: 0000-0001-5319-859X) is Professor Emerita in the School of Education, University of Iceland. Her expertise lies in educational administration and her research focuses on school leadership and administration, values, and gender. Email: shl@hi.is

Ingólfur Ásgeir Jóhannesson (ORCID: 0000-0002-8212-5944) is a Professor in the School of Education, University of Iceland. His expertise lies in curriculum and instruction and his research interests include education policy, teacher expertise, and gender and education. Email: ingo@hi.is

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