Abstract
The present study investigates the effect of gender representation in Saudi Arabian school curricula on children’s value systems and social character. In particular, the study examines gender distribution in first-grade school textbooks in Saudi Arabia where schooling, and education at large, is single-sex throughout. The data for the study is constituted by six textbooks prescribed for the first school semester at boys’ and girls’ schools. The study attempts a content analysis of the texts and illustrations in these textbooks in order to examine the representation, indeed construction, for the children of society and the stereotypical social roles of its members. Analysis reveals a gendered representation. Women suffer low visual and verbal visibility, and are almost completely denied occupations. Moreover, social activity is segregated by gender, with women appearing mostly in indoor activities and men in outdoor activities. The paper concludes by revisiting these findings against the backcloth of the idiosyncratic religious and cultural character of the Saudi society in which gender differences are normalized.
Highlights
1.1 Introduction to the Research ProblemOne theory that explains how children develop personal identity and perception of the world dates back to 1690—John Locke’s theory of the mind
The present study investigates the effect of gender representation in Saudi Arabian school curricula on children’s value systems and social character
The present study extends this research trend by investigating gender representation in first grade school textbooks in Saudi Arabia, a little-researched context
Summary
1.1 Introduction to the Research ProblemOne theory that explains how children develop personal identity and perception of the world dates back to 1690—John Locke’s theory of the mind. The theory postulates that children are born “blank slates” into the world with no prior script and that their knowledge of the world is determined by experience derived from sense perception (Woolhouse, 2004). Education significantly contributes to a child’s development of ideals and formation of social cognition. At this age, the child is learning what is right and wrong, what is acceptable and what is unacceptable, and what should and what should not be. The child is learning what is right and wrong, what is acceptable and what is unacceptable, and what should and what should not be Part of this education takes place by the parents at home but most of it happens at school
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