Generational confrontation and gender issues: an active struggle within and outside schools in Uruguay

Abstract

This article reflects on the role that gender issues currently have in the processes of generational confrontation between adolescents and their adult referents in the framework of the construction of their identities, as well as the politicization of sexuality with a human rights approach based on the active militancy of the students within their own schools at the level of Secondary Education. To this aim, the paper presents a brief historical presentation of the formal education system in Uruguay, explores the characteristics of sex education in our country and theoretical conceptualizations about adolescence are approachedas a stage in the life cycle. The theoretical framework adopted for this paper is predominantly multidisciplinary, highlighting the articulation between authors in the field of education sciences, social sciences and health sciences. The idea of?? this work arose from: a. clinical experience with adolescent population; b. social research coordinated in the field of education on gender, sexuality and sexual diversity in the city of Montevideo; c. outreach activities on the different topics that make up the gender agenda, conducted in secondary education institutions in Montevideo with teenagers and teachers.