The Role of Textbook Idols on the Formation of Feminine Identity in Mainland

Abstract

In the progress to understand the formation of feminine identity in education, a consequential yet often neglected aspect is the role of idols. Educational idols are abundant in textbooks and are given high esteem both in and outside of the educational environment, despite the primary role of textbooks as being a record of objective knowledge while idols are subjective and relatively personal. This article will consider the various ways idols influence the formation of feminine identity and analyze the delicate interplay between social horizons and the historical nature of textbooks. The method of literature is applied in this paper to explore the extent and mechanism by which textbook idols influence the formation of feminine identity. Sources of materials include published articles, papers, and statistics produced in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The five aspects of identity as proposed by Rorty and Wong will be analyzed along with the dualist theory of gender formation based on social horizons and personal interaction or experience. Moreover, the digitalization of textbooks, which occurs on a large scale in our information age, will play a pivotal role in our analysis, as the nature of textbooks undergoes fundamental changes in reactivity, fluidity, and personalization due to this advancement in communication technology. This increase in connection and reactivity ultimately leads to idols having an impact more comprehensive in coverage yet positive on the formation of feminine identity. Consequently, idols play a substantial role in the formation of feminine identity and, when seen in the light of digitalization, influence the majority of students in a constructive and positive way.