An analysis of the visual portrayal of women in junior secondary Malawian school history textbooks

Annie Chiponda,Johan Wassermann

doi:10.17159/2223-0386/2015/nl4a9

Abstract

Visual images are important in textbooks because they are a vital part of the symbiotic relationship with the written text. Most importantly, visual images are essential in history textbooks because they render human experiences less abstract. This article analyses the visual images of women contained in three junior secondary school history textbooks used in Malawi. The purpose being to explore how women are portrayed visually and why they are portrayed the way they are. The article is based on empirical research and employed feminist theory which is premised on the oppression and subordination of women in society. The visual images were analysed quantitatively through visual content analysis and qualitatively using visual semiotic analysis. We argue in this article that women are generally oppressed, under-represented and subordinated in their portrayal in the visual images in the textbooks analysed. As textbooks are authoritative in nature this kind of portrayal can send a certain message about women as historical characters to textbook users. We furthermore argue that our research findings in an African context speak to similar findings in other parts of the world and can for the most part be attributed to similar reasons the powerful influences of patriarchy on both history and history textbooks.

Highlights

An old adage has it that a picture is worth a thousand words
In a study of social studies textbooks used in United States of America (USA) schools from grade one to eight, Sleeter and Grant (1991:78-109) reported that women were represented in fewer visual images than men
In their study of 18 world history textbooks for high school students from the 1960s, 1980s and 1990s in the USA, Clark et al (2005:41-45) noted that only 368 pictures of women were named in the captions in contrast to 2167 images of men captioned with names

Summary

Introduction

An old adage has it that a picture is worth a thousand words. Another has it that seeing is believing. What can be gleaned from these two sayings is that visual images – for the purpose of this article we regard paintings, drawings, photos, cartoons, posters, pictures and any other visual depiction as a visual image – are powerful means of communication This is the case with history textbooks as visual images are important in its symbiotic interaction. In the process visual images tend to articulate more forcefully social and cultural meanings than the written text (Berger, 1989:1-23) In this regard it is a truism that visual images are no longer included in history textbooks merely for decorative purposes but they serve an important educational purpose (Zeegen, 2009:10-16)

Methods

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Discussion

Conclusion