Gender Disparity in School Textbooks in Jordan: The Case of Arabic and Social Education in Grades 4, 5, and 6

Abstract

Representation of females and males in language and school textbooks is a determinant factor in the perpetuation of gender socialization of children and the normalisation of their gender roles and positions. School textbooks often portray boys and girls adhering to gender stereotypes, with girls associated with housework and childcare, and boys associated with labor and leadership. This paper reports the gender disparity with reference to sexist language, content, images, and illustrations in current Jordanian school textbooks pertaining to the two subjects in contemporary Jordanian textbooks: Arabic Language and Social/Civic Education. Twelve textbooks of both subjects for Grades 4 - 6 are selected for content analysis. The research concludes that women and girls were either marginalized or symbolically annihilated in the content and language of the selected school textbooks. Content analysis of textbooks is crucial to influence gender-sensitive reform of school curricula through careful analysis of the linguistic, visual and thematic content. To this end, the paper draws attention to the existing sexist language and sexist content in school textbooks to identify areas for curricular reform advocating for gender equality.