Mayo offers an invaluable answer to the burning question “How does power circulate?” through her compelling account of the interplay of policy, politics, and philosophy that shapes sex education in public schools. Disputing the Subject of Sex illustrates with remarkable lucidity how diverse conceptions of identity shape legislation and lived experience of what can and cannot be spoken within the contested “public” of schools. Through even-handed analysis of controversies surrounding such topics as AIDS, condoms, and sexuality, the book invites readers across disciplines and political spectrums to see precisely how ideas of “normal” and “deviant” are constructed through theory and practice.

Megan Bolder, University of Toronto

This is a paperbound reprint of a 2004 book. Mayo analyzes public school curricula controversies concerning sexuality. She applies social constructionism's attention to the interplay of identity, activity, and social context in constituting sexuality to show the institutional limitations on sexual identity expressed through New York State AIDS education and multicultural curricula. She also analyzes the abstinence-only curriculum, Sex Respect , showing how it and similar programs inadvertently publicize sexual identity.

Reference & Research Book News August 2007

Mayo provides an in-depth examination of sexuality in public school curricula and school communities. This eye-opening text should be read by all who have a vested interest in not only the institution of education, but also the community. Recommended.

Choice Reviews