Gender Representation in English Text

Book Class VIII

A critical analysis of English text book

This paper aims to highlight how text books in Government context are used to construct students’
perceptions about gender equality and equity. Beside this, paper will explore how text book
represents different gender identities. Paper also includes recommendations to promote gender
equality and equity in our society.
Text Book Analysis of class 8th English Text Book

Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of
reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance.

Kofi Annan

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/k/kofiannan401690.html

1
Text Book Analysis of class 8th English Text Book

INTRODUCTION:

This paper intends to see how text books at secondary level present gender identity and
what is their role in constructing the students’ identity as girls and boys. In fact the exclusion of
certain groups from meaningful participation in society and its institutions through socially
constructed hierarchies of race, ethnicity, religion and gender is of increasing concern today
(Nambissans, 2000).In order to explore that phenomenon I have selected, English class 8th text
book, and analyzed it by using a critical framework of text book analysis (adopted from Dilshad,
2006). I have tried to see the overall representation of gender in the text book. This paper
explains the brief description of the framework used and its purpose of using, description of the
text book, analysis and findings, and in the last few recommendations.

Description of the Frame Work and the Purpose:

Here is the brief description of the framework which I used in this analysis (See
Appendix: B). Analysis of the book is divided into six (6) parts, containing qualitative analysis in
which the role models presented for girls and males will be analyzed, these role models will be
compared to see the differences. Beside this method of presenting female character comparing
male character (order of appearance, whether they are presented as autonomous individuals or
only in relationship to males) will be seen. While in quantitative analysis number of characters of
each sex will be counted, proper nouns will be listed for each category males and females,
nameless also will be counted, activities of each sex will be counted, beside age of males and
females characters will be noted down. Language of the text books play important role in gender
construction, men and masculinity are perpetuated by the language used in the textbook (Dean,
2003. P.179). In order to trace the social status of gender identities in hierarchical structured
society, social relationships have been analyzed to see how power is distributed in the society,
and how text book construct the image of subordinate and superordinate gender identities into
learners’ mind. In illustration analysis visibility of characters will be traced, beside this the main
aim of illustration analysis is to see how characters are involved in different kinds of actions, and
what type of actions are attached to their identities.

Description of the Text Book:

2
Text Book Analysis of class 8th English Text Book

Class 8th English text book is divided into 12 Units and overall 24 lessons, including two
poems. For the book analysis I have selected 12 lessons from various units, including two
poems. Mostly lessons are dialogues between various characters. (For brief description of the
lessons kindly see Appendix A). Before analyzing the book I read it thoroughly and then in
second reading I wrote some questions according to framework and note down the answers. For
some questions I did not find any answer I left blank spaces.

Analysis and Findings

Mattu and Hussain (2004) are scathing in their critiques of the Pakistani textbooks
arguing that they are responsible ‘not only for strengthening existing gender biases but also for
the marginalization of non-Muslim minorities, the heightening of intolerance and the destruction
of intellectual curiosity in students’(p. 104).
Overall analysis shows that text book is dominated by the male characters as compared to
female characters .The lessons which I have selected for analysis are in fact dialogues between
various characters, and they are clearly dominated by male characters. Though In Unit eight
Lesson one at the latter part of the text book, there is dialogue in which a girl is shown, who is
asking questions from her Father about Pakistani culture. And in Unit 11 Lesson one mother is
shown telling her son about the history of Mohenjo-Daro. Rests of the dialogues are between
male students and male teachers or fathers and sons. In English text book class 8th there are 196
images of male characters as compare to 25 images of female characters. Some images are
shown again and again. But male characters’ visibility is much higher than female characters’
visibility. Male characters are shown in the book, performing various jobs such as teachers,
student, drivers, pilots etc. Men and boys are never shown doing housework or looking after
children (Saigol, 2004 cited in Dean, 2007). Allama Iqbal is shown as a great national hero of
Pakistan. Not even a single female character is shown in the book as national heroine. It means
only males can acquire the knight ship of national hero. Our history is full with female characters
like Fatima Jinnah and others, but text book is silent. This representation of national heroic
characters can narrow down the chances of inclusion of female characters as national heroes.
Text book throughout the lessons uses male teacher character to address and communicate with
students. Not even a single dialogue is shown between female teacher and male students. Males
are shown dominant participators in conversation; females are shown as passive listeners.

3
Text Book Analysis of class 8th English Text Book

Language used in the text book is also presenting the patriarchal society’s nature. For
example In Unit two, Lesson one, which is a poem on friendship. It is shown that only male can
become the friends of males; language of the poem is structured in a way that it is only
addressing the boys, and females are invisible and excluded from the poem.
Friendship….pure unselfish friendship, all through life’s allotted span, nurtures, strengthens,
widens, and lengthens, Man’s relationship with man (P.7).
The underlined message or the assumption made by the poet in the poem is that boys
should only be friend boys and girls should have girls as their friends. Thus that implies that
people from the opposite sex should not friendship with their counterparts. Would doing so be
considered immoral? Is that how the author wants the readers to understand the text? Moreover,
the hidden messages throughout the book depict the role of women in our society as docile
homemakers occupied with domestic chores. I believe gender segregation is a form of
exploitation of women. One can easily exclude them and curtail their freedom on the name of
gender segregation.
In Unit three, Lesson three, Allama Iqbal is shown as a great national hero, and after a
brief introduction of Allama, there is an exercise, in which students are required to write full
sentences instead of short form. Here author of the book has written in the exercise that He’s a
good boy. (p. 17). Identity of the Iqbal is portrayed in such a way that it is representing
masculine hegemony (Dean, 2007) in the society. The Text is clearly suggesting to the reader
that in order to become a famous personality one needs to be a good boy. That ‘good boy’ notion
is not explained by the author of the lesson any further. Immediately after the lesson there is a
passage in which students are asked to write about their favorite personality or poet, most
probably about male personality, because the ultimate impact on the students’ mind after reading
the Allama as a “National Hero” may lead students to think and write about a personality
presumably a male. All high class professions like philosophers and scientists are attached to
male. For example Ibn-e-Sina has been presented as a Muslim scientist. This shows that upper
level professions which require high level of thinking and wisdom are clearly for males (only
Muslims). I believe this is a deliberate effort of constructing a world of hierarchy in which males
are placed at the top of hierarchy, and women are completely ignored and not recognized. The
ultimate impact of that bias representation will construct an image of a “Hierarchically gender
Structured World” in students’ mind where women are not allowed to acquire high level

4
Text Book Analysis of class 8th English Text Book

professions which require intense intellectualism and thinking, such as philosophers and
scientists.
In this text book females are shown as mothers, sister and grandmothers. Their identity is
attached to male members of the society, they cannot have their own individual identity, as Dean
(2007) observes that, “…girls are always presented as daughters and women as mother,
indicating that females have no identity of their own and that their own identity as girls is
derived from their relationship with a male father and as a women from their reproductive role
(p. 183)”. For example in Unit-4 Lesson-2 a student is shown writing a letter to his mother about
his studies, and hostel life. His mother’s reply is also shown (p.24) in which, though name of the
mother is shown, but there is no image of her. Mothers are shown with housewives’ role cooking
and living in the house. Her mother’s reply “I’ll cook all the dishes you enjoy, so that you can
entertain your friends as well” (p. 24) shows that females in our society are bound only to work
inside the house, in fact texts limit the role of women to that of mother and confine her to the
four walls of the house, cooking food, carrying water and caring (Dean, 2007). In fact girls are
best prepared for these roles by learning feminine skills through apprenticeship with their mother
(Dean, 2007). In the whole book not even a single girl is shown in student role, so when boys go
to school girls stay at home, this concept is further strengthen in Unit-4 lesson-2(Planning a visit-
II) when a boy is writing a letter to his mother from hostel, and shows his love and gratitude to
her sister who is at the home.
Textbooks, I believe, are cultural carriers. They carry the culture of our society into
classroom. Text book messages slowly become part of students’ perceptions. Especially in
Pakistan where text book are the only instrument of imparting education on all levels (Aziz,
1993, p. 01).Their impact on students’ perception is significant.
At the latter part of this text book female characters are more visible and highlighted as
compared to initial part of the text book. But all females are either mothers or sisters, not even a
single lady is shown which have her own “Male Relationship Free Identity”. Text book
implicitly is constructing an image of women into students’ mind, who is completely dependent
on her relationship with male for the sake of her identity.
Interestingly gender stereotypes are also shown in the text book which are attached to
boys’ and girls’ identity, for example poem “A Little Girls Plaint” ( See. p. 36) shows that boys
are portrayed as noisy, having little brain, liars like peacock, chasing cats and smashing toys.

5
Text Book Analysis of class 8th English Text Book

While on the other hand on the “Gender Segregation Spectrum” girls are shown as kind and
polite, courteous and coy. This represents that male and female are two opposite ends of socially
constructed world, performing socially approved behaviors, having fixed characteristics like,
noisy, shy, polite and courteous, so it means boys cannot be courteous and girls cannot be noisy.
Their identities as girls and boys are bound to demonstrate given and predetermined
characteristics and jobs. In fact boys are shown in activities which I call “Power Demonstration
Activities” like chasing cats and smashing toys. While girls are portrayed in those activities
which require less space as well as less power to carry out task. Expression of power is only
attached to boys.

Recommendations:
Gender neutral language (Dean, 2007) should be used in our text books, words like girls
and boys can be easily converted into students. In order to show more visibility of female
characters each and every character in text books should have name and an image, besides this
frequency of occurrence of female characters should be increased. Equal representation of
famous and national personalities in terms of gender should be given importance. Because equal
representation of female and male famous personalities will force our students to think that fame
is not only attached to male. Gender bias language such as “boys are notorious” and “girls are
polite” should be avoided, using this type of text means we are forcing our students to believe in
gender polarization. Last but not the least in our society there is a very limited interaction
between opposite sexes, dialogues between opposite sexes should be included into the text books
to break so called “Taboos” in our society.

6
Text Book Analysis of class 8th English Text Book

REFRENCES

Aziz, K.K. (1993): The murder of history. A critique of history text books used in Pakistan.
Lahore: Vanguard.

Dean, B.L (2007). Creating subjects for gender apartheid: a critical study of an English language
Pakistani textbook In Qureshi, R. & Rarieya, F.A.J (2007). Gender & education in
Pakistan Karachi: Oxford University press

Mattu, A.T. and Hussain, N. (2004). ‘Class and gender in school texts.’ In (Ed). The subtle
subversion: the state of curricula and textbooks in Pakistan. Islamabad sustainable
development policy institute. pp.101-109.

Nadeem, S. (Ed). (2006) Everyday English for class VIII. Jamshoro, Pakistan: Sindh: Textbook
Board

Nambissan, B.G. (2000). Identity, exclusion and the education of tribal communities In Wazir,
R. (2000) the gender gap in basic education NGos as change agenst London: sage
publications

7
Text Book Analysis of class 8th English Text Book

APPENDIX A: LIST OF LESSONS SELECTED FOR ANALYSIS.

Lessons Name of Lesson Brief Introduction of the Lesson

selected for
analysis
(1)Unit two: FRIENDSHIP (POEM) This poem is about friendship which reminds us
lesson 1 some of the rules of friendship as well as some of
the rewards.
(2)Unit OUR NATIONAL HERO This lesson is about Dr. Allam Iqabal and his life.
three: lesson
1
(3)Unit A GREAT THINKER This lesson is also about Allam Iqbal, it is a
three: lesson AND PHILOSOPHER dialogue between a son and his father, in which
2 father explains to son that why Iqbal is considered
as great thinker and philosopher.
(4)Unit four: PLANNING A VISIT-I This is a dialogue between two friends about
lesson 1 planning a visit. All characters are males, boys.
(5)Unit four: PLANNING A VISIT-II This lesson is a letter to the mother by a son,
lesson 2 informing him about his visit and asking her
permission for the visit.
(6)Unit five: THE SAWAT VALLEY This lesson is a dialogue between male teacher and
lesson 2 male student, about the Swat valley.
(7)Unit six: A LITTLE GIRL’S This is a poem in which a girl is shown
lesson 1 PLAINT(POEM) complaining the notorious behavior of boys.
(8)Unit ENJOYING VISIT TO This is a dialogue between daughter and father
eight: lesson LAHORE: PEOPLE AND about Lahore, and its culture.
1 CULTURE
(9)Unit nine: FOOD GIVES ENERGY This is a dialogue between father and son, about
lesson 1 the foods and their characteristics.
(10)Unit SMOKING A SILENT This is a dialogue between teacher and student
nine: lesson KILLER about the smoking and its effects on human health.

8
Text Book Analysis of class 8th English Text Book

4
(11)Unit ten: CAPTURING THE This is a dialogue between two male characters,
lesson 1 WORLD OF about the computers.
COMPUTERS
(12)Unit 11: MOENJODARO This is a dialogue between mother and son, on
lesson 1 historical place MoenJoDaro.

9
Text Book Analysis of class 8th English Text Book

APPENDIX B: FARMEWORK (adopted from: Ashraf, D & Hussainy, A (2006). Gender

construction through textbooks: analysis of secondary school textbooks in Sindh. Study report
submitted to AKU-IED Pakistan)

Analysis processes Categories of analysis

methods
Qualitative Whole book scanned Role model presented, the methods of presenting f/m
analysis for visual impacts order of appearance, place
and the flavor of text
Quantitative Frequency of each Number of each character, proper nouns, subdivided
analysis category into man and women, boys and girls, number of male
and females mentioned were counted, both named and
um named gender-indicated common noun order of
appearance of female and male character, the activities
and roles of people, relationship and prominent pattern
in presentation, picture of female and male adults and
children were counted in similar way.
Language Language used in the Language such as men, mankind, male association,
analysis text book chairman, which characteristics are named? Which are
not named? What is the reason that some characteristics
are named and other are not named? How this naming
and not naming is contributing towards the impression
of the person in the text.
Social The roles of males Roles of man and women and the stories in the context
relationship and females and their of social relationship and power in the society. Work
analysis social relationship in and nature of appearance of the female characteristic.
the society, Work/ employment roles, social political role of male
community and at and female, family role of female and males,
home psychological traits of males and female.
Illustration Analysis of pictures  Posture representation of women
analysis in the books  Sitting postures conveying about the meanings

10
Text Book Analysis of class 8th English Text Book

of femininity and masculinity

 Type of clothing the actors in the illustration are
wearing. The type of story the illustration are
telling, analyzed the illustrations based on the
following three categories:
 Activities boys and girls are doing?
 The visual of the pictures, through presentation
of each sex, size, color and general appearance
 The nature and distribution of power in the
picture and what it reflects?
Power Looking at the power  Analyze the source of power:
analysis relationship in the  Who has the power?
textbooks.  Who receives power?
 What is the nature of this power?
 How is power exercised?
 How is power maintained and perpetuated?
 How is power distributed?

11