Can I See Myself in Saudi Arabia's Social Studies Textbooks?

• In Event: Reading Gender and Sexuality in K–12 Classrooms, U.S. and Saudi Arabian Contexts

Abstract

A class textbook is an integral part of the school curriculum, and it is usually aligned with the political and economic ideology that needs to be planted in students. Hence, the purpose of this analysis was to examine how gender was represented, particularly females, in Saudi ninth grade social studies textbook for 2018/2019 school year. The data were analyzed qualitatively based on critic discourse analysis. Findings indicated that the verbal and non-verbal text in this textbook served to perpetuate the ideologies of males’ supremacy, dominance, and inequity. Females were depicted as weak and powerless, in contrast to males who were represented as being more responsible and controlling.

Author

• Ebtssam Alqhtani, University at Buffalo - SUNY