Queering of animal behavior in US biology textbooks

The modern political discourse surrounding LGBTQIA+ rights is frequently framed by appeals to "biology," which is often invoked to uphold an essential and restrictive binary definition of sex. This study addresses the origin and extent of this formalized understanding of "natural" sex and gender by investigating the official knowledge canonized in U.S. secondary biology textbooks. Utilizing Queer Theory as a critical framework, this qualitative content and multi-modal analysis interrogated the discursive elements that construct and maintain heterosexist binaries within the genetics, reproduction, and animal behavior sections of these texts. The research sample included the most-used high school biology textbooks from four major publishers—Savvas Learning, Pearson, McGraw-Hill, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt—with a critical focus on the differences observed between the California, Florida, and Texas state editions. The findings demonstrate that the discourse of the analyzed textbooks systematically works to canonize heterosexist binaries. This is achieved by framing a binary interpretation of sex as “natural” and androcentric, consistently positioning the male as the normative specimen, limiting the female’s depiction to that of a reproductive vessel, and framing male behaviors and anatomy as the primary drivers of evolution. Furthermore, observed differences between state editions—such as the more frequent inclusion of group behavior (collectivism) in the California text versus the reinforcement of individualism in the Florida and Texas texts, suggest that subtle textual choices reflect and reinforce different political hegemonies that align with masculine supremacy. The dissertation concludes that the "standard-level" biology course, which serves as the terminal scientific education for the majority of the population, utilizes a curriculum that restricts biological realities to uphold existing cultural binaries. By narrowing biological possibilities and minimizing diversity, this presentation limits the public's ability to engage in nuanced discussions regarding human bodies and behaviors. The analysis illuminates how the biology curriculum contributes to a salient political divide in contemporary U.S. politics and suggests the term "animal tropes" to describe the recurring, stereotyped examples of animal behavior that reinforce heterosexist norms.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Kniesly, Christopher Allen

Contributors dc:contributor

• Pak, Yoon K
• Davila, Liv T
• Kang, Hyun-Sook
• Lindgren, Samantha

• Textbook Analysis
• Queer Theory
• Biology education
• heterosexism
• animal behavior

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Christopher Kniesly

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/132540

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/132540