Discourses of health courses on gender and biotechnologies in the context of training

Abstract

Objective: to investigate the discourses on gender and biotechnologies within the training of health courses. Methodology: this is a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study that is based on a larger study - a research project - developed by the Studies and Research Group in Health (GEPS), entitled “Gender and Biotechnologies: Interfaces between discourses and institutions in the training of students from health courses.” The research took place between March and October 2019 and was carried out through semi-structured interviews with Brazilian and Spanish health students, audio-recorded, and transcribed for Discourse Analysis. Results and Discussion: the findings indicate that Gender and Biotechnology are themes that do not subsidize the discussions of the training of future health professionals, showing an understanding of gender centered on a binary norm, with no space for other identity possibilities besides heterosexuality being seen as a standard of behavior to be followed. A certain complexity is perceived in the formulation of the students’ speeches regarding the aspects in which gender and biotechnologies escape from the relationship between the biological body and the technological use for these physical and mental frameworks. Final Considerations: the discussions about gender and biotechnologies in the studied universities have been carried out in an isolated way, making it necessary to restructure their curricula so that the themes presented can be contemplated to effectively compose the equitable and integral formation of professionals.