Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

Beyond the Pages: Exploring Gender Stereotypes in Chinese Language Textbook

Xinyi HeExperimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Textbooks serve a pivotal role in individuals' development, often presenting gender stereotypes that significantly influence children’s perceptions. This study explores gender stereotypes in Chinese textbooks, focusing on how these stereotypes differ based on target gender and the domain of traits. The research examines gender stereotypes across various trait domains within 274 illustrations from 12 Chinese language textbooks. A coding scheme was developed to identify gender stereotypes about boys and girls in different trait domains, such as hairstyle, occupations, and color schemes. The results reveal a significant presence of gender stereotypes, with no variation between different genders but a notable difference among trait domains in the textbook illustrations. These findings suggest that Chinese language textbooks consistently depict significant gender stereotypes for boys and girls but vary based on the specific characteristics implied by the illustrations.

Keywords: gender stereotypes; content analysis; textbook; domain difference
Published: October 31, 2023
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/10/20231333
Volume: CHR Vol.10
pp. 238-246
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