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Title GENDER REPRESENTATION IN THE SINGLE NATIONAL CURRICULUM TEXTBOOKS OF ENGLISH: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

Author(s) Hajra Arif

Abstract Title: Gender Representation in the Single National Curriculum Textbooks of English: A Critical Discourse Analysis This study examines gender representation in textbooks of English through the lens of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Azad Kashmir textbook board designed these textbooks according to the instructions of Single National curriculum (2020). This study aims to uncover how language is used to represent gender in terms of roles assigned to male and female, activities associated with male and female, omission pattern for male and female, use of adjectives for male and female, pattern of firstness, Use of Generic Masculine noun, Unit titles analysis for role models and Color association with male and female. The researcher also analyzes what gender related ideologies are reflected in the selected textbooks of English. Mullet (2018) General Analytical Framework for CDA is used to analyze textual data and results revealed gender imbalances. Analysis shows that male characters are mostly depicted in social/public and professional roles, such as army personnel, businessmen, drivers etc. while, female characters are mostly confined to domestic roles such as cooking, caregiving and cleaning. Similarly, the representation of gender through adjectives is also stereotypical. In addition, omission of females from social and professional roles and outdoor activities and men from domestic activities shows inequality. Analysis also shows that men appear as role models in 10 unit titles while women feature only in two. As far as this theme of masculine generic noun is concerned, there are 13 instances of using masculine generic nouns. Lastly, for the theme of firstness analysis shows twenty instances of male-first ordering as compared to only eight for females. Such representation of gender propagates certain gender related ideologies, which include patriarchy, misogyny, gender Inequality, and gender binary. Findings reveal that there is a significant gender imbalance in the selected textbooks of English and there is a need for a more balanced and inclusive portrayal of gender in educational materials.

Type Thesis/Dissertation

Faculty Languages

Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2025-08-07

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