Medically assisted reproduction in the biology classroom: reproducing norms under selective pronatalism

Szalma, Ivett and Takács, Judit (2026) Medically assisted reproduction in the biology classroom: reproducing norms under selective pronatalism. SEX EDUCATION-SEXUALITY SOCIETY AND LEARNING. pp. 1-19. ISSN 1468-1811

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Abstract

This article examines how selective pronatalist politics shape school-based sexuality education in Hungary through the teaching of medically assisted reproduction (MAR). Drawing on 25 qualitative interviews with secondary school biology teachers, the study explores how MAR is taught, which forms of reproductive knowledge are rendered visible or invisible, and how teachers navigate institutional, ethical and political constraints surrounding the topic. The findings show that MAR is treated as a morally sensitive yet pedagogically marginal topic, typically framed within a heteronormative and couple-centred model of legitimate reproduction. Although MAR appears formally in the curriculum, its coverage is often superficial and shaped by exam-oriented teaching, limited instructional time, and lack of teacher education and training. Teachers frequently avoid broader social and ethical discussions related to MAR, while alternative reproductive pathways and non-heteronormative family forms remain largely silenced within classroom contexts. The article argues that Hungarian secondary education functions as a site of reproductive governance, where selective pronatalist norms are reproduced through moral framing and the selective regulation of reproductive knowledge. By focussing on teachers as key mediators, the study extends reproductive governance theory by demonstrating how schools function as sites of normative reproduction through omission and silence rather than explicit exclusion.

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