Onkraj pristanka: važnost razmatranja šireg spektra govornih činova u kontekstu seksualnog odgoja

Abstract

In this paper, I start from the assumption that sex education, either as a separate subject or in the form of an interdisciplinary topic, is an indispensable part of the modern school curriculum. Although it has not yet entered the Croatian education system under this name, certain important topics related to human sexuality can be found in the school curriculum. However, what is missing now is the issue of intimate and sexual communication. By this I do not mean conversations about sexuality and sexual relations with parents or teachers, but those among partners who are considering entering an intimate relationship or have already done so. In recent years, the term “consent” has been widely discussed, but this speech act is only one form of sexual communication. In this paper, I consider other speech acts important in the intimate sphere, such as “invitations”, “gifts”, the use of “safe words” and “intimate overtures”, whose proper use and understanding are based on general criteria of appropriate and successful communication. By mastering these general principles and discussing specific communicational interactions between partners, young people can learn to communicate better in the intimate sphere, which would lead to the improvement of their private relationships.