Schooling the ‘other’: the representation of gender and national identities in Pakistani curriculum texts

Abstract

Until relatively recently, educational research in developing countries has focused mainly on issues of access for addressing gender inequalities in education. This paper argues that challenging patriarchal relations in schooling and education requires moving beyond access to understanding the ways the curriculum acts as a set of discursive practices which position girls and boys unequally and differently constitute them as gendered and nationalised/ist subjects. Using curriculum texts from Pakistan, the paper explores how gender and national identities intersect in a dynamic way in the processes of schooling. The paper illustrates the ideological power of both curriculum and school experiences in fashioning the reciprocal performance and construction of gender and national identities in Pakistan. It contends that in its current form, education is a means of maintaining, reproducing and reinforcing the gender hierarchies that characterise Pakistan.

Gender Inequality in the Public Sector in Pakistan

“…In Pakistan, there is little research on how gender sensitivity training relates to change in patriarchal practices in public sector institutions, with state policies generally believed to produce and reproduce the gendered identities of citizens (Naseem 2006;Durrani 2008;GOP 2009;Rashid 2009;Halai 2010). What is known is the dark side of the state, which in the past has enacted laws to disenfranchise women and made them half citizens (Mumtaz and Shaheed 1987;Weiss 2003;Mullally 2005;Rashid 2009;Shaheed 2010).…”

“…Education is generally considered a gateway to employment and a transformative resource for gender equality (Stromquist 2006;Durrani 2008;Hussain 2008;Latif 2009;Malik and Courtney 2010) and is a human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and CEDAW (UN General Assembly 1948;. In Pakistan education has been listed under the principles of policy (GOP 1973b; and the higher the educational attainment, the greater the chance of better public sector employment and vice versa (Naqvi and Shahnaz 2004;Faridi, Malik, and Ahmad 2010;Malik et al 2010).…”

Teacher governance factors and social cohesion: insights from Pakistan

“…Gender inequity is a significant issue in a society where religious thought and practice is used as a mechanism for the construction of gender, particularly the 'proper' Muslim woman (Durrani 2008). Although the Constitution of Pakistan grants equal rights to men and women, profound gender inequalities exist with respect to human development and access to services, economic opportunities, political participation and decision-making.…”

“…In 1979, the Zia regime introduced the process of Islamisation from a very narrow perspective thereby undermining the vision of Pakistan as a Muslim majority state, with equal rights and opportunities for religious minorities. This period politicised Islam to gain ideological consensus, and engendered a politics on the basis of gender, ethnic and religious difference (Durrani 2008).…”

Religious Tolerance, Gender Equality and Bellicose Attitudes: A Comparative Study of Three Educational Systems in Pakistan

“…They argued that the purpose was to infuse patriarchal values into both genders. Durrani (2008) explored the potential of the curriculum and the role of teachers in constructing gender and national identities, in a qualitative study. She also identified gender stereotypes in textbooks, where men were given the place of defenders and religious leaders, while women were portrayed in the domestic sphere.…”