The data for this paper are drawn from a qualitative research project involving a number of alternative education sites in Australia and the United Kingdom. In this paper, we focus only on the motives and teaching philosophies of a sample of teachers who have chosen to work in alternative education sites despite, for some, the prospect of…

This paper focuses on the Australian federal Parliamentary Inquiry into Boys' Education, "Boys: Getting it Right", which is shown to be an exemplary instance of recuperative masculinity politics. The paper demonstrates how, through a variety of rhetorical strategies, its anti-feminist politics are masked and how the report works with essentialised…

Frequent calls for more male teachers are being made in English-speaking countries. Many of these calls are based upon the fact that the teaching profession has become (even more) 'feminized' and the presumption that this has had negative effects for the education of boys. The employment of more male teachers is sometimes suggested as a way to…

Recalls a conflict in an Australian high school where a student committee on social justice was blocked from displaying a poster discussing homophobic attitudes. Uses this incident for a broader discussion of hegemony, school culture, and how social justice initiatives threaten that hegemony. Identifies various restricting school strategies. (MJP)