Uses and Misunderstandings of the Concept of Gender in Educational Discourse in Brazil

Abstract

Gender is a complex concept and has practically become synonymous with sex in common discourse and even in academic discourse. This paper points out uses and misunderstandings of gender in the field of education in Brazil and their implications for educational policies and practices. First, it focuses on the substitution of gender for sex, as a sociological variable, in forms and tables, and the confusion between sex parity and gender equity, which reduces gender to an individual trait or identity. Second, it demonstrates the misunderstanding expressed in perceptions and discourses of university professors of both sexes, situated in predominantly masculine courses where the gendering of knowledge fields and careers remains invisible or unproblematic; and highlights the lack of acknowledgement of the problem in the discourses of female Mathematics professors, situated within a discipline where women participation remains reduced. Finally, it argues about the importance of mainstreaming gender in higher education and research. The research was supported by a CNPq grant.