Gender Non-Conformity and Heteronormativity in Business Education: What We Learned Through Self-Reflection

Abstract

While reviewing the scholarly work regarding ‘gender in business education‘ for another project, we discovered that most (almost all) of the existing literature focuses on cismale/cisfemale genders and heteronormative behaviours. After an exhaustive search, only 17 peer-reviewed academic articles considered gender non-conforming individuals and perspectives in relation to business education.  This limited literature focused on the inclusion of gender non-conforming perspectives and/or issues in business curriculum (primarily in HR courses), the inclusion of gender non-conforming individuals in course materials, and the lived experiences of gender non-conforming faculty members in business programs. Topics that were absent in the literature were the lived experiences of gender non-conforming business students, the broader inclusion of issues and perspectives of gender non-conforming individuals in business curriculum and course materials, and guidance on how to move this important issue forward as societal acceptance of all genders and gender manifestations grows.

The inclusion of gender non-conforming perspectives in business education is important for two reasons. First, the heteronormative narrative that permeates business education pedagogy may exclude or dissuade gender non-conforming individuals from pursuing business education. Second, the absence of gender non-conforming perspectives in business education may result in graduates being ill-equipped to provide leadership in diverse business settings that include gender non-conforming co-workers, employees, and customers. This led us to reflect on our own teaching practices - to consider if and how we were perpetuating these narrowly defined and exclusionary perspectives in our own classrooms. The purpose of this workshop is to share our experiences and reflections, provide a space for our colleagues to consider on their own teaching practice in relation to the inclusion of gender non-conforming individuals, to share best-practices and strategies to include gender non-conforming individuals and perspectives, and to map a plan forward.