An Analysis of Gender Stereotyping in English Teaching Course Books

Abstract

Learners who are exposed to a new and different culture in the context of foreign language learning are viewed as reflective agents in the continuous process of identity reformation (Pavlenko and Lantolf, 2000). Course books, which are one of the main sources of target language and culture input, have a great impact in the formation of pragmatic competence and the development of relational identity. However, in the process of cultural transfer throughout course books in foreign language learning, the imposition of gender stereotyping may accompany other pragmatic traits of the target culture and interfere with the formation of relational identity. In this respect, the aim of this study is to identify implicit indications of gender role stereotyping in English teaching course books texts used for Turkish learners. The data gathered from four widely used English language course books and was analyzed using detailed textual analysis (Fairclough, 2003) so as to identify and categorize stereotyped roles for females and males. The findings depict the implicit gender roles in course books and outline the relationship between the elements of linguistic features of texts and the way they function in reinforcing gender stereotyping. IntroductionThe need for a more social and critical linguistics which focuses on language use and language as action and communication in social and cultural contexts was one of the main factors in the emergence of pragmatics. Unlike Chomskyan linguistic view, pragmatic point of view perceives language as situated in relation to its users who are "more than producers of linguistic forms" (Duranti, 2001, p.5). Pragmatics addresses language users from a broad perspective including specific societal factors such as schools, families, which are considered to have fundamental impact on the speakers. Languages are created by human interaction, and thus should be referred in relation to its users' contexts (Mey, 2001;Delen and Tavil, 2010). These social and cultural contexts of use are not static but dynamic and meshed in the continually changing surroundings where speakers live and interact (Mey, 2001).Situating language in its users' contexts encompasses the forms of language and the forms associated with the dominant and, at the same time, subordinate social categories. Philips (2004) emphasizes the creation and reproduction of inequality through language. The author suggests four key areas in this development: "language use and the regulations of turns in bureaucratic settings, including classrooms, courtrooms, clinics; gender and language, with a focus on the inequalities created through men's greater involvement in public genres of discourse; language and political economy and inequalities created by lack of prestige amongst the economically disadvantaged; language and colonialism and the impact of colonial cultural systems on the language and the culture of the colonized" (p.476). The reflection of gender identityGender identity, as one of the components of individual identity, determines 'f...

Gender Stereotypes in Primary School Turkish Textbooks<p>İlkokul Türkçe Ders Kitaplarında Toplumsal Cinsiyet Kalıp Yargıları

“…And the results have been reached to that more fragile situations were attributed to the women whereas daring situations were attributed to the men. The obtained results are similar to the research results of Şeker and Dinçer (2014), Atay and Danju (2012). In these studies women's and men's personality traits were analyzed in textbooks.…”

“…Journal of Human Sciences,13(3), 4152-4167. doi:10.14687/jhs.v13i3.3968 alanlarında erkek karakterlere, eğitim alanında ise kadın karakterlere daha fazla yer verilmektedir (Şeker ve Dinçer, 2014 (Şeker ve Dinçer, 2014). Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyetinde 1 ve 5. sınıf düzeyindeki 17 ders kitabında yer alan metin ve resimlerde kişilik özellikleri bakımından cinsiyet açısından farklılık olduğu, tatlı, duygusal, mutlu, üzgün, şaşırmış ve arkadaş canlısı gibi özellikleri kadın karakterlere; cesur olma, bağımlı olma, bağımsız olma, zeki, lider, yaratıcı, destekleyici, zengin, çalışkan ve tembel gibi özellikleri ise erkek karakterlere özgün kişilik özellikleri olarak yer verilmiştir.…”

“…Bu alt temalarda hem nesnelere hem de eylemlere cinsel kimlik kazandırıldığı ve genellikle cesaret isteyen durumlarda erkeklere, daha kırılgan durumlarda ise kadınlara atıflarda bulunulduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Elde edilen bu bulgu Şeker ve Dinçer (2014), Atay ve Danju (2012) tarafından yapılan çalışmalarda ders kitaplarında yer alan kadın ve erkeğin kişilik özelliklerine ilişkin verilerle benzerlik taşımaktadır.…”

“…Erkeklerden ise daha saldırgan, daha özgüveni yüksek ve bağımsız olma gibi özelliklerinin ön plana çıkması beklenmektedir (Kalugula, 1991;Akt. Stromquist ve diğ., 1998, s. 401;(Şeker ve Dinçer, 2014, Atay ve Danju, 2012. Hem metinlerde hem de görsellerde kadın ve erkeğe uygun olarak gösterilen bu meslekler bu kişilik özellikleriyle örtüşmektedir.…”

The image of the corporate world in business English speaking exercises at upper intermediate level

“…As far as the analysis of cultural values is concerned, it seems that sexism and gender are the most frequently researched phenomena, for example by De Crow (1972), Coles (1977), Britton and Lumpkin (1977), Michel (1986), Sleeter & Grant (1991), Cunningsworth (1995), Davies 1995), Filak (2002), Arikan (2005), Aydinoglu (2014), Lewandowski (2014), andŞeker andDinçer (2014).…”