Discoverers, Designers, Researchers: An Interdisciplinary Analysis of Adult Attitudes Toward Children’s Sexuality

Abstract

This article explores adult attitudes toward children’s sexuality by applying Mieczysław Malewski’s andragogical typology of epistemic stances – those of the explorer, the designer, and the researcher – as its primary interpretative framework. These three approaches allow for a nuanced understanding of how adults engage with the topic of child sexuality, ranging from exploratory to normative-practical and critical-reflective orientations. The typology is further enriched by cultural and structural perspectives drawn from Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and cultural capital, and from Bronisław Malinowski’s view of social norms as functional elements of culture. Together, these perspectives reveal how socio-cultural conditions shape what is deemed acceptable, moral, or educationally appropriate in relation to children’s sexuality. The article presents adult sexual education not merely as a process of knowledge transmission, but as an ethical and transformative practice – one that fosters increased awareness, inclusivity, and responsible caregiving.