Stilettoed Damsels in Distress: the (un)changing depictions of gender in a business English textbook

Abstract

Appropriate gender representation in textbooks is crucial for socially educating professionals who use English for work-related communication. It is further important to longitudinally understand how these textbooks keep up with changes in gender equality taking place in the real world. This study critically analyses two editions of a popular international business English textbook for equality of gender representation. Improvement in the visibility and portrayal of women and men was found between the older and newer editions. Results suggested that gender bias has reduced in the newer edition of the textbook, especially at the level of images. However, much more change is needed to bring them to the level of current equality guidelines published by government and independent organizations. The study recommends that, instead of imitating the realities of the world, textbooks developers must consider presenting scenarios that societies aim to achieve. Furthermore, in the absence of gender equality in textbooks, stereotypical depictions of gender need to be discussed critically in classrooms.