Though still well used in Swedish schools, textbooks are no longer under any governmental control or inspection. It is now responsibilities of the teacher, thus, knowledge is considered crucial. Therefore, the aim of this study was firstly to investigate if and how four biology/natural science textbooks, produced 1957-2008 for primary school years (3) 4-6, expressed any sex, gender and/or sexuality norms. Moreover, due to thoughts of queer theoretic Judith Butler, the study also investigated if and how these three norms interacted. By examining what the textbooks mediated, the purpose was finally to find out if and how the norms differed or not. Furthermore, the theoretical perspective was queer theoretic; the adopted method for analyzing the textbooks; critical discourse analysis – both linked by understanding norms as discursive constructions of language.

The results showed that sex, gender and sexuality norms were present; sex and gender norms were expressed by the separation of male and female as genuinely different. Sex norms did not change; gender norms altered only somewhat. By then often portraying male sex with both dynamic qualities and an active sexuality, the conclusion was that sex, gender and sexuality norms were linked in the textbooks. Sexuality norms were mostly expressed by a heteronormative exclusion of everything but the twosome, reproductive heterosexuality. In summary, this normative heterosexuality also was interpreted to be entwined with sex and gender; the division of male and female, hence to its basic foundation – the attraction of opposites.