What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?: An Analysis of Primary-school Textbooks in The People's Republic of China

• Autores: Kate Allen, John E. Ingulsrud
• Localización: Journal of multilingual and multicultural development, ISSN 0143-4632, Vol. 19, Nº. 3, 1998, págs. 171-181
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The textbook is one means of developing children's awareness of themselves and of the world. Researchers have studied them to identify the social values being represented. This paper examines the graphic representations of male and female characters in primary-school textbooks in the People's Republic of China. Three key subjects were selected- language, ethics and mathematics- from first to sixth grade. The illustrations were analysed according to age and gender. In addition, the activities of the figures were identified, together with the occupations of the adult figures. Since the Chinese government requires all children to attend primary school, it was assumed that the textbooks and the illustrations in them would reflect civic ideals as opposed to social realities. The analysis suggests that the textbook illustrations stereotype gender roles in a manner reflecting actual contemporary social norms rather than idealised norms of society.