Research has shown that there is a lack of pre and in service training in regards to media and sexuality studies (Albury, 2013) . Many teachers tend to take a “defensive education” approach when it comes to attacking the “hot topics” such as pornography, sexting, and online relationships. As educators want to avoid drawing negative attention from parents and the vast community, and consequently choose the “safer” option and avoid controversial topics (Albury, 2013). In turn, Schools rely on pre-produced recourses as appose to engaging in the youths own media practices. The general dismissal of media as a source for sex education can detrimentally effect students engagement as it lacks relating these “real issues” to the students’ everyday lives. The students will be exposed to these issues outside of school, and thus it seems pointless to shelter them from the appropriate and helpful information that can be provided in a school setting. As appose to having media acting as a distraction to learning, teachers should aim to adjust their approach to include students preferred content in order to increase engagement. Incorporating reparative media representations avoids an over-reliance on models of critical interpretation that largely acts to dismiss a text that could be considered as normative. Thus teachers should aim to creating an appropriate intertwining of pleasure and pedagogy (Albury, 2013). As a whole, educators should aim to avoid explaining how a text might be empowering or demeaning but rather to examine what it is that the youth do with these texts (Sedgwick & Frank, 2003). Consequently health educators should intend to keep an open mind and be responsive to different methods of learning, pedagogy and literacy. Below is a key example of how contemporary approaches towards media are intertwined with health education.
Anecdotal Media Activity
During a tutorial at Monash university we were asked to take a selfie that doesn’t show your face that your friends might recognize you by (Captured Below). I chose to take a picture of my socks as “fun socks” is a quirk of mine that my friends are aware of.
This demonstrates to the students how anyone can create messages in the media, and explores how an audience may decode these messages. The point could be highlighted that the students close friends would view this text (their selfie) completely different to how a stranger would. Linking how students “develop a capacity to respond to health information, advertising and other media messages, enabling them to put strategies into action to promote health and wellbeing in both personal and community contexts” (VCAA, 2018). Additionally the activity could be scaffolded to address the challenges and opportunities presented by digital media and health technologies, linking to VCAA unit 2: Managing Health and development (2018). Finally, developing ones media literacy is an integral part of health studies, as the two disciples tend to intertwine within the world and would explain why media analysis is a common form of assessment for VCE health and human development.
The broadening of Australian law in 2005 now acts as a Barrier towards this contemporary health approach, where we consider students becoming media and health literate through participation. Considering the Australian law defining child pornography as potentially any sexually suggestive depiction of a person who appears younger than 18 years (Albury, 2013), it is very understandable that educators want to remain in the “pre-classified” realm of recourses. As it can be very easy to introduce students to a space where they may incriminate themselves or others. Additionally, educators need to understand how the young people use media, to create useful resources. However, given the infinitude of media access for the youth, it is practically impossible to identify the source of certain beliefs and practices (Albury, 2013). So the question still remains, how we can comprehend how a text can influence beliefs and attitudes in consideration of sexual health and relationships?
Reference:
Albury, K. (2013). Young people, media and sexual learning: rethinking representation, Sex Education, 13:sup1, S32-S44, DOI: 10.1080/14681811.2013.767194
Sedgwick, E. K., & Frank, A. (2003). Touching feeling: Affect, pedagogy, performativity. Duke University Press.
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2018). VCE Health and Human Development Study Design. Retrieved from Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority: https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/hhd/HealthHumDevSD-2018.pdf
A Participatory Approach to Health Education 