Original scientific paper
Are croatian primary school literature textbooks gender sensitive?
Branislava Baranović
orcid.org/0000-0001-6768-3596
; Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Karin Doolan
; Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Ivana Jugović
orcid.org/0000-0003-0362-0259
; Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
This article examines the gender (in)sensitivity of primary school literature textbooks in Croatia, operationalised as gender balanced authorship of textbooks and texts and a nonstereotypical
portrayal of textbook characters. Content analysis was carried out on literature textbooks which are used in the first to the eighth grade of primary schooling in Croatia and the research matrix used for analysis included the following variables: representation of male and female textbook authors, authors of texts and text supplements, representation of male and female textbook characters, as well as the characters’ psychosocial characteristics, their value systems and professional and family roles. The analysis showed that in comparison to men women were under-represented in textbooks: men dominate both as authors of texts and text supplements and as characters mentioned in these texts and supplements. A traditional approach to gender issues in textbooks is expressed through the portrayal of the family roles and marital status of characters: the stereotypical role of the woman as mother and family with children is promoted as the preferred form of family life in adulthood. Although male and female textbook characters are in many cases potrayed as having gender stereotypical characteristics, values and professional roles, there are also examples of non-stereotypical gender representations of characters which could contribute to a more gender sensitive learning environment.
Keywords
gender stereotypes; gender sensitivity of textbooks; content analysis
Hrčak ID:
61592
URI
Publication date:
2.12.2010.
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