Abstracts

This page contains several abstracts of periodical articles pertaining to gays, lesbians, and bisexuals in higher education and curriculum issues. If interested in them, we encourage you to seek them out. All sh ould be available in the WIU Library or through Inter-Library Loan.


ERIC NO. ED383270
TITLE: Queers, Education Schools, and Sex Panic.
AUTHOR: Rofes, Eric
ABSTRACT: This paper examines education's role in addressing lesbian, gay, and bisexual issues, focusing on the role of graduate schools of education. It discusses the mission of schools of education and reviews points of conflict concerning the purpose of such schools. It then provides evidence of the vast array of contemporary lesbian and gay issues which confront educators, pointing out that if education schools were to fulfill the essence of their missions, considerable resources would be channeled into research, theory, and analysis of lesbian and gay issues in the educational arena. The paper also examines bulletins, course catalogs, and application materials from 16 graduate schools of education in order to assess the stated relationship between schools of education and lesbian and gay issues. It then discusses the personal experiences of an education graduate student interested in the study of gay and lesbian issues, as well as historical accounts of sex scandals and moral panics in educational institutions. It concludes by stating that the linkage of gay educators and children triggers real or imagined sex panic which functions to police many aspects of academic life. However, it urges educational leaders to find the courage to fulfill the mission and preserve the integrity of the discipline by interrogating controversial and vexing questions. An appendix lists the bulletins, course catalogs, and application materials reviewed. (Contains 99 references.)

ERIC NO. EJ502734
TITLE: Gay and Lesbian Studies and the Theatre Curriculum.
AUTHOR: Able, Sam
JOURNAL CITATION: Theatre Topics; v4 n1 p31-44 Mar 1994
ABSTRACT: Argues for the participation of theater programs in the development of a gay and lesbian curriculum. Predicts that gay and lesbian studies will soon take its place alongside existing cross-disciplinary programs in women's, African American, Native American, and other area studies. Presents examples of how to introduce gay studies into theater courses.

ERIC NO. EJ496477
TITLE: A Course on Homosexuality.
AUTHOR: Cage, Mary Crystal
JOURNAL CITATION: Chronicle of Higher Education; v41 n16 pA19-20 Dec 14 1994
ABSTRACT: A Kent State University (Ohio) course on the sociology of gays and lesbians has attracted both criticism and high enrollments. Most students are women; many are heterosexual. The course focuses on the history of the gay rights movement and theories of the basis of homosexuality.

ERIC NO. ED377257
TITLE: Improving the School Experience for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Students.
ERIC Digest No. 101.
AUTHOR: Schwartz, Wendy
ABSTRACT: This ERIC digest discusses meeting the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered school youth, i.e., supporting their ability to learn while maintaining an environment for them that is free from physical and psychological abuse. It describes the various policy initiatives protecting the rights of lesbian and gay students and indicates that urban schools are now developing programs to help lesbian and gay students feel included and respected. Initiatives include the use of gay and lesbian support groups that can offer services such as counseling, peer support, health information, and referrals; curricula changes that include positive references about gays and lesbians and inclusion of gay studies courses; and appropriate training for school staff that can be delivered by gay service organizations. Special schools geared toward gays and lesbians, such as Harvey Milk High School in New York City, have also been developed. A list of suggestions is provided for districts and schools that want to develop supportive environments for gay and lesbian students without necessarily implementing a full-scale program or adding significantly to their budgets. (Contains 10 references.)

ERIC NO. EJ487288
TITLE: Ten Percent of Those We Teach and They Serve: A Case Study of Incorporating Gay and Lesbian Studies into the Curriculum.
AUTHOR: Grossman, Arnold H.
JOURNAL CITATION: Schole: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education; v8 p51-60, 1993
ABSTRACT: Describes how New York University developed educational experiences about gay and lesbian persons for college students; includes the philosophy behind the curriculum, developmental processes, course development, student profiles and course evaluation, theoretical approaches to course content, and teaching strategies.

ERIC NO. EJ481050
TITLE: Fault Lines in the Contact Zone.
AUTHOR: Miller, Richard E.
JOURNAL CITATION: College English; v56 n4 p389-408 Apr 1994
ABSTRACT: Discusses the possibility of constructing a writing classroom in which unsolicited oppositional discourse might be allowed to flourish. Describes one student essay about gay-bashing and the huge response of college composition professionals to its public discussion. Argues that teachers can provide a space where cultures can meet and grapple.

ERIC NO. EJ466715
TITLE: Gay and Lesbian Teenagers: A Reading Ladder for Students, Media Specialists and Parents.
AUTHOR: Williams, Robert F.
JOURNAL CITATION: ALAN Review; v20 n3 p12-17 Spr 1993
ABSTRACT: Discusses issues related to the use of gay and lesbian literature in secondary English classes. Provides a 60-item annotated bibliography of texts that might be used in such classes, including both fiction and nonfiction titles.

ERIC NO. EJ461460
TITLE: Enhancing Academic Communities for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Faculty.
AUTHOR: Tierney, William G.; Rhoads, Robert A.
JOURNAL CITATION: New Directions for Teaching and Learning; n53 p43-50 Spr 1993
ABSTRACT: Heterosexism and homophobia, revealed by surveys to be common on university campuses, must be countered by positive, proactive administrative and faculty action, including statements of nondiscrimination, equal treatment, unequivocal response to acts and words of intolerance, and encouragement of research and curriculum on this and related issues.

ERIC NO. EJ454617
TITLE: Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Students--Radically or Invisibly at Risk.
AUTHOR: Piernik, Thomas E.
JOURNAL CITATION: Campus Activities Programming; v25 n6 p47-51 Dec 1992
ABSTRACT: New research and structures of higher education must be explored to create positive learning environments for gay, lesbian, and bisexual students, whose needs may be different from those of traditional students. This requires attention to college and classroom environment, curriculum, and services, including campus activities, career and personal counseling, and residential life.