Event Title
The Touchiest Topic in High School: A Textual Analysis of Public High School Policies Regarding Student-to-Student Touch
Presentation Type
Oral and/or Visual Presentation
Presenter Major(s)
Communications - Communication Studies, Philosophy
Mentor Information
Danielle Leek
Department
School of Communications
Location
Kirkhof Center 2259
Start Date
10-4-2013 12:00 AM
End Date
10-4-2013 12:00 AM
Keywords
Changing Ideas/Changing Worlds, Culture, Ethics, Gender, Health, Identity, Philosophy/ Literature, Social Science
Abstract
Positive experiences with human touch serve a vital role in child and adolescent development. Yet, scholars seldom examine how communication practices contribute to how individuals, including children, experience touch in various contexts. This paper analyzes the way touch is described, articulated, and framed in the student handbooks of public high schools from the state of Michigan. A textual analysis of these texts reveals common themes that shape meanings of touch which extend to broader public discourses about topics such as education, intimacy, and sexuality.
The Touchiest Topic in High School: A Textual Analysis of Public High School Policies Regarding Student-to-Student Touch
Kirkhof Center 2259
Positive experiences with human touch serve a vital role in child and adolescent development. Yet, scholars seldom examine how communication practices contribute to how individuals, including children, experience touch in various contexts. This paper analyzes the way touch is described, articulated, and framed in the student handbooks of public high schools from the state of Michigan. A textual analysis of these texts reveals common themes that shape meanings of touch which extend to broader public discourses about topics such as education, intimacy, and sexuality.