Heterosexuality in Practice Education

1. Heterosexuality in Practice & Education Innovation and creativity in social work learning Joy Trotter UK Joint Social Work Education Conference with the UK Social Work Research Conference Social Work: People, Place and Politics Homerton College, Cambridge 9th-11th July 2008

2. abstract & session plan This workshop provides a reflective model (Ruch, 2008) to help participants explore their approaches to heterosexuality in their own experience, practice and/or education and aims to provide a range of new approaches and strategies for the future. In the first part of the workshop participants will be asked to read �case material� (Hockey et al, 2008) and then invited to reflect on one person�s responses to it. In the second part of the workshop, inspired by the material generated earlier, participants will consider their own practice &/or teaching in relation to GSCC�s �core values� (individuality, rights, choice, privacy, independence, dignity, respect & partnership). introduction 5 mins read case material 5 mins reflective model 45 mins �values� group work 15 mins close 5 mins

3. heterosexuality - is it relevant? To theory �everyday sexuality� � a human attribute, of central concern to social work (Dunk, 2007) monogamous heterosexual coupledom is destined for intimacy problems (Fraser, 2005) women�s dependence on marriage serves political functions (Fram et al, 2006) social work men are �heroes and/or �gentle-men�� (Christie 2006) To research, learning and teaching �subjectivity� ADP, �strengths� perspectives & cultural competence frameworks To practice 80% (70 � 90?) of service-users� and carers� �abortions hit all-time high, with more terminations for under-16s� (Boseley, 2008) service-users� and carers� experiences and histories of families, marriage, adoption, abortion, domestic violence, divorce, access, etc. To us all of the above (and more) Marriage � political functions: Maintains men�s labour market advantage Reinforces traditional notions of nuclear family � where men have greater control Substantiates sexist/ageist/classist/racist beliefs about young, feckless, working-class, black single-parent women � thus not deserving of government assistance abortions hit all-time high Guardian headline included "The main goal, of course, is to reduce the number of pregnancies in young women. The under-18 pregnancy rate has fallen to its lowest level for 20 years, but that success will only be achieved in the younger age group if confidentiality is constantly protected and prioritised." Kaye Wellings, professor of sexual and reproductive health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineMarriage � political functions: Maintains men�s labour market advantage Reinforces traditional notions of nuclear family � where men have greater control Substantiates sexist/ageist/classist/racist beliefs about young, feckless, working-class, black single-parent women � thus not deserving of government assistance abortions hit all-time high Guardian headline included "The main goal, of course, is to reduce the number of pregnancies in young women. The under-18 pregnancy rate has fallen to its lowest level for 20 years, but that success will only be achieved in the younger age group if confidentiality is constantly protected and prioritised." Kaye Wellings, professor of sexual and reproductive health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

4. reflective model Stage one � presentation 15 mins Stage two � group discussion 15 mins Stage three � reflections and responses 15 mins

5. case material (Hockey et al, 2008, pp. 82-83) Andrew Jones (21), who lived in Hull and worked as a night-club barman, described the mismatch between his permissive sexual practice and adult heterosexuality. This concern was expressed in terms of his emotional confusion around �one night stands�. He said: Unfortunately, and I hate to say it, but � I didn�t really like going out with girls, I liked having sex with them, but that was � I didn�t like � going out with a girl for a few months, fucking her and then fucking off. As his interview shows, Andrew felt that his emotional responses to this situation failed to conform to prevailing assumptions about heterosexual sex and relatedness: �� every time I had sex, afterwards, � I don�t know, I started distancing myself from them, and I don�t know why.� Peer group pressure made Andrew more than aware of what an appropriate response might have been. He said: I had quite a few angry people about that, which I can fully understand � ex-girlfriends, and a lot of their friends, when I was out they�d lay into me or whatever, have a bit of a go at you, which is fine, yeah, I understand why they do it, but [�] I didn�t appreciate it at the time, and I don�t think they understand, understood how I felt, but then again, neither did I, so � Joanne Smith (21) also lived in Hull and was employed in seasonal hotel work. Though she now has a boyfriend, she described earlier teenage years when, like Andrew, she found herself unable to engage with heterosexual coupledom, yet felt her response required some kind of explanation. Rather than his straightforward, albeit �inexplicable� unwillingness to enter into a �couple� relationship, Joanne felt neither �casual sex� nor a relationship were what she wanted. She began by saying: Yeah, just that sort of thing, see each other at the end of the night, snog each other, see each other when you was in like, whatever clubs you was in, and that, been like now and again, but not anything really serious, which is what I wanted at the time. However, Angela reminded her that she had previously said �that you�d turned round to him and said �oh this is doing my head in�. Was it the fact that you were just having sex casually that was doing your head in, without any meaning?� I don�t really know how to describe it, it was um, just sleeping with him and not anything, not any relationship with it and what-have-you, which I was thinking, well, I don�t really want a relationship, but then I don�t really want this either. I wanted something in between, but it didn�t work out like that � I don�t know what I had in mind, but I wasn�t happy how it was, so, but then I wasn�t happy how it ended up either, so, something, like I say, in between, but (I) found that with him, it was either all or nothing, I think, with him.

6. Skills for Care (2005) & GSCC (2003)

7. references Boseley, S. (2008) Abortions hit all-time high, with more terminations for under-16s. The Guardian, Friday June 20, 2008 Christie, A. (2007) Negotiating the uncomfortable intersections between gender and professional identities in social work. Critical Social Policy, 26(2), 390-411. Dunk, P. (2007) Everyday sexuality and social work: locating sexuality in professional practice and education. Social Work and Society, 5(2), 135-142. Fram, S. F., Miller-Cribbs, J. and Farber, N. (2006) Chicks aren�t chickens: women, poverty and marriage in an orthodoxy of Conservatism. Affilia, 21(3), 256-271. Fraser, H. (2005) Women, love, and intimacy �gone wrong�: fire, wind and ice. Affilia, 20(1), 10-20. General Social Care Council (2003) Code of Practice for Social Care Workers and Code of Practice for Employers of Social Care Workers [www.gscc.org.uk] Hockey, J., Meah, A. and Robinson, V. (2008) Mundane Heterosexualities: From Theory to Practices. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Ruch, G. (2007) 'Thoughtful' Practice: Child Care Social Work and the Role of Case Discussion. Child and Family Social Work, 12(4), 370-379. Ruch, G. (2008) �Developing sustainable inter-professional working structures and cultures: the role of reflective case discussion forums�, paper given at the Practical Learning: achieving excellence in the human services [PEPE] conference, Edinburgh 23-25 January 2008. Skills for Care (2005) Common Induction Standards [www.skillsforcare.org.uk]

8. Heterosexuality in Practice & Education Innovation and creativity in social work learning thank you Joy Trotter j.trotter@tees.ac.uk