One of the population groups most acutely infected and affected by HIV/AIDS are adolescent females. Coercive practices and gender inequalities have been cited as important determinants of women’s HIV risk. This research aims to explore adolescent girls’ understanding of their identity and heterosexual sexuality. In addition, this study intends to assess the implications that gendered powered relations held for understanding the risks and dilemmas that young women are confronted with in relation to HIV/AIDS contraction. This research presents the findings of a qualitative and quantitative study conducted using a self-constructed questionnaire that was administered to a purposive sample of adolescent girls aged 13-18. Content analysis is used to analyse the data, the aim being to extract themes as they emerged from the data. Some of the following themes were identified as significant in the girls’ responses: The physical changes that occur during adolescence were highlighted alongside the viewpoint that adolescence is a time of inconsistency and turmoil. Self-worth was closely linked and related to socially desirable characteristics, and in addition gendered behaviour was widely endorsed amongst these girls. Romantic relationships were an important component of these girls’ lives. However, many described their relationships as being less sexual and more emotional in nature. The awareness of sexual readiness and choice hold positive implications for HIV/AIDS. A common consensus existed regarding practicing safe sex and almost all respondents agreed that the onset of sexual intercourse should be postponed until the age of 18 years or older. It appeared that although adhering to feminine stereotyped behaviour could be protective in the sense that it may result in less risky sexual engagement, it however, was also apparent that it could render females less powerful within their heterosexual relationships, thereby increasing their vulnerability to HIV infection. Although only a small proportion of the respondents experienced being forced into a sexual encounter against their will, an underlying fear of sexual coercion or threat nevertheless, emerged. It is concluded that sex education should engage with gender-stereotyped behaviour especially during early and middle adolescence when identities are being formed and developed.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:57:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 isabel.pdf: 1058986 bytes, checksum: e20efcd5cf981bdfd9ed317fd48b5875 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-05-10 / Having like reference a reflection of B. F. Skinner about Education and its considerations about the use coercive practices noxious effects and considering that these ones do present in our society, it developed the present work that had as objective to identify there was the coercive practices use during teachers' Fitness pedagogical activities, and, in positive case, propose intervention in the sense of decreasing the frequency of such practices. The work was going developed in a Beneficent Institution located in São Paulo's city. They were participants three professionals that exercised the educator function in footsal, volleyball, and capoeira modalities. The data were going obtained for question (structured and informal situations) and for observation in natural context (the different modalities classes). The intervention proposal involved three stages: 1) Pre-intervention observation of three classes, of each modality, for coercive practices presents detection during the pedagogical activities; 2) Intervention - classes observation and discussion of encounter, with the educator about situations evidenced in the pedagogical interactions; the observed classes set varied between 8 and 10, for teacher; 3) Post-intervention observation of three classes, of each modality, with the goal of verifying the intervention effects. In Pre-intervention, it detected the coercive practices use in three different situations: a) the inadequate behaviors occurrence by the students; b) the incorrect behaviors occurrence; and c) like form of motivating the group. It verified that the occurrence of such coercive practices was current of the educators inability in the performance of your function and how certain contexts favored the inadequate behaviors appearance: a) organization lack during the teaching activities; b) lines frequent use during the movements teaching; c) information clearness excessive number and lack in the supplied instructions; d) classes planning lack; e) teacher's attention occasioning inadequate behaviors and not academic behaviors. During the Intervention process, the relative information to the observed educational practices were going treated having like model the Functional Analysis, what it allowed select the situations that would be objective of discussion with the teachers. The intervention it showed efficient, since, among the reached results, there was teachers actions alteration, in the sense of administer their classes in a reforce ambient, and not coercive. For so much, it was fundamental the modification in the teaching own activities - the teachers proceeded creating situations that favored the academic behaviors emission, behaving incompatible or that turned less probable the inadequate behaviors emission by the students, the which ones would passed be reforces consequences objectives. The obtained data allow to suggest that there is coercive practices use for educators when its pedagogical proposals are little efficient / Tendo como referência a reflexão de B. F. Skinner sobre Educação, e suas considerações sobre os efeitos nocivos do uso de práticas coercitiva, o presente trabalho teve como objetivos identificar o uso de tais práticas nas atividades pedagógicas de professores de Educação Física, e, em caso positivo, propor intervenção no sentido de diminuir a freqüência de tais práticas. O trabalho foi desenvolvido em uma instituição beneficente, localizada na cidade de São Paulo. Foram participantes três profissionais que exerciam a função docente nas modalidades de futsal, voleibol e capoeira. Os dados foram obtidos por questionamento, (em situações estruturadas e informais), e por observação, nas aulas das diferentes modalidades. A proposta de intervenção envolveu três etapas: 1) Pré-intervenção observação de três aulas, de cada modalidade, para detecção das práticas coercitivas; 2) Intervenção observação de aulas e encontro de discussão, com o docente, sobre situações evidenciadas nas interações pedagógicas. O conjunto de aulas observadas variou entre 8 e 10, por professor; 3) Pós-intervenção observação de três aulas, de cada modalidade, com o objetivo de verificar os efeitos da intervenção. Na Pré-Intervenção, detectou-se o uso de práticas coercitivas em três situações diferentes: a) na ocorrência de comportamentos inadequados pelos alunos; b) na ocorrência de comportamentos incorretos; e c) na intenção de motivar a turma. Constatou-se que a ocorrência de práticas coercitivas era decorrente da inabilidade dos docentes no desempenho de sua função e que determinados contextos favoreciam a eclosão de comportamentos inadequados: a) falta de organização nas atividades de ensino; b) uso freqüente de filas durante o ensino de movimentos; c) número excessivo de informações e falta de clareza nas instruções fornecidas; d) falta de planejamento das aulas; e) atenção do professor consequenciando comportamentos inadequados e não comportamentos acadêmicos. Durante o processo de intervenção, as informações relativas às práticas educativas observadas foram tratadas tendo como modelo a Análise Funcional, o que permitiu elencar as situações tomadas como alvo de discussão com os docentes. A intervenção mostrou-se eficiente, já que, dentre os resultados alcançados, houve alteração das ações dos professores, no sentido de ministrarem suas aulas em um ambiente reforçador, e não coercitivo. Para tanto, foi fundamental a modificação nas próprias atividades de ensino - os professores passaram a criar situações que favoreciam a emissão de comportamentos acadêmicos, portando incompatíveis ou que tornavam menos provável a emissão de comportamentos inadequados pelos alunos, os quais passaram a ser alvo de conseqüências reforçadoras. Os dados obtidos permitem sugerir que há uso de práticas coercitivas por docentes quando suas propostas pedagógicas são pouco eficientes