Abstract
Gender inequalities still affect the health and well-being of young people worldwide. Given the apprehensions among government and educators in a conservative context like Panama to implement comprehensive sexual education, there is a need for other educational efforts to stimulate healthy and respectful intimate relationships between adolescents. This article examines to what extent a newly developed Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) program, Me and My New World, provides a context in which students can learn to recognize and manage emotions, to care about others and themselves, make responsible decisions, develop social awareness. The program could additionally facilitate behavioral changes of young people towards more gender equality. Specifically, we focused on equal gender roles, equal rights in relationships and nonviolent problem solving, and present the qualitative effect evaluation among adolescents in Panama. The findings suggest that SEL-based lessons might broaden views on how young people experience the process of exploring identity formation, how assumptions of inequalities can be recreated through the lessons, and that SEL can emphasize the significance of choice and decision-making in interpersonal relationships. The perspectives, needs, and limitations highlighted by the adolescents living in a conservative context are highly valuable for improving future learning strategies for the development of healthier relationships.
Highlights
Relationships between women and men are deeply influenced by gender social norms and the socially developed gender identities of women and men [1,2]
The findings of this study reveal both the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies and the socio-cognitive determinants of behavior and behavior change in adolescents’ perceptions of the program: knowledge, awareness, attitudes, skills/ self-efficacy, perceived social norms and intentions of participants as subcategories, regarding gender equal behaviors, which were grouped into three themes: Equal roles, equal rights in relationships, and nonviolent problem solving
Awareness of girls’ and boys’ roles in relationships, at home or school appeared to be biased by a “macho culture”, social norms, religious beliefs, media, and school practices
Summary
Relationships between women and men are deeply influenced by gender social norms and the socially developed gender identities of women and men [1,2]. Gender is defined as “the roles, behaviors, activities, attributes and opportunities that any society considers appropriate for boys and girls, and men and women” Opportunities and responsibilities for women and men, boys and girls, as well as equal economic participation and decision-making, known as gender equality [5], involve factors as power, agency and socially accepted gender cultural norms. 2016 Global Education Monitoring Report 2016; UNESCO: Paris, France, 2016; Available online: https://en.unesco. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Universal Interventions.
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