Original scientific paper
The Ideological Use Of Animals In Schoolbooks
Rajka Polić
Abstract
THE IDEOLOGICAL USE OF ANIMALS IN SCHOOLBOOKS
Previous analyses of history schoolbooks show that the same were written following the logic of the patriarchal model and that in the historical reproduction of this model animals in general and horses in particular play an important role.
The use of animals for the ideological shading of the background which is to stage the “natural development” of patriarchy begins already with the illustration of prehistory. In order to highlight and magnify the role of men as hunters even the herbivores of the Late Stone Age are described as dangerous beasts, with the killing of which men not only secured valuable food for the community, but also conquered the wilderness thus having paved the way for culture and civilisation.
Once in recorded history hunters transformed into warriors, who were to now overpower human rather than natural “brutes” belonging to other cultures, the animals that they had previously already subdued became their support and historical companions. Considering that throughout human history cavaliers stand at the forefront of all warriors, horses have also been given a historical status.
As a result of such deviations by patriarchs and historians, history schoolbooks refer to and illustrate animals – even if only horses – more frequently than they do women. Moreover, these schoolbooks leave the impression that horses are more important than women even historically.
Keywords
herbivores; horses; hunters; men; patriarchy; history schoolbooks; warriors; beasts; women; animals
Hrčak ID:
8953
URI
Publication date:
1.2.2007.
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