TEACHERS’ REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT GENDER AND DIVERSITIES IN AN OLINE DISCUSSION FORUM

Abstract

In this paper, I discuss an investigation about teachers’ representations of different subjects in a discussion forum of a continuing education course in the on-line context about gender and diversity. The aim is to amplify the understanding of how the homoerotic theme is presented in the participants’ discourse. The data analyzed is based on the Critical Discourse Analysis and is supported by studies about gender and sexuality. This study was conducted using an interpretative research methodology, and the analysis focused on identifying the discursive representations that emerged in the linguistic choices of the users’ course. The results showed that teachers, despite the training course, tended to interpret through a heteronormative hegemonic discourse (BUTLER, 2006) in order to describe an individual with a homosexual identification.