Abstract
In the Malaysian education system, attention is highly paid on reading words. Visual images are often treated as “decoration”, or are dismissed altogether (Kress & Leeuwen, 1996). Many local researchers (Saedah 1990, Bahiyah et al., 2008) have only analysed written texts to see how social practices deemed negative such as gender biasness are reflected in the words (lexical items) and linguistic structures. Currently, no systematic research has been undertaken in Malaysia to analyse visual images in English language school textbooks to study how visual images can reflect gender biasness. This research project addresses gender biasness found in visual images in school textbooks, i.e., the treatment of one gender over the other especially of women and girls. The project adopts three widely used approaches for analyzing visual images; content, socio semiotic and ethno-methodology analyses. This paper will however highlight its preliminary analysis focusing on image analysis based on participation, gender and representational meanings. Its aim is to identify the types of images and the representation of gender biasness and stereotyping found in the textbook. The preliminary findings should expose the sexism and gender biasness in the visual images of a sampled textbook; i.e. an English school textbook that is abound with visual images that sometimes, more so than written texts, can articulate more forcefully social and cultural meanings.
Highlights
Research into the area of sexism in the English language and its impact on society can be traced back to the early 1900s
The analysis of images for this paper focuses on the participant, gender and representational depictions for the primary school textbook analysed, Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Rendah: English Year 1, published in 2004 by Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka (The Institute of Language and Literature)
We seek to contribute to the emerging literature those that highlight issues related to gender, inclusiveness and equity in school textbooks
Summary
Research into the area of sexism in the English language and its impact on society can be traced back to the early 1900s. Studies on language and gender have been carried out extensively. Within the larger spectrum of studies on gender biasness and practices of stereotyping, school’s textbooks have drawn particular interest among numerous researchers over the past decades (Mohamad Subakir et al, 2012; Mohd Faiez Ikram et al, 2011; Habibah et al, 2012; Bahiyah et al, 2009, 2008). Research on gender construction in school textbooks can serve children well. A heightened sense of awareness about gender disparities could lead to conscious steps being taken by writers, illustrators and publishers to provide children with access to children’s books that avoid sexist practices. Clark (2002), for example, observes that in recent decades, the extensively analysed ‘Caldecott Award’ winning books in the United States “have been much more likely to feature female characters” and in less stereotyped ways compared to children’s books from the 1960s. In more recent publications, children, both girls and boys, have the opportunity to see www.ccsenet.org/ass
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