This study investigates the image of the American family presented in six recent basal readers published by Allyn and Bacon, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Harper and Row, Laidlaw, Macmillan, and Scott Foresman. It compares these model families to social reality in terms of family structure, ethnicity, and father and grandparent roles. (Author/SJL)

Compared were the results of a 1973 study with the results of a similarly analyzed sample of recent textbooks with respect to gender fairness. Illustrations of named and unnamed figures both adult and young were analyzed in seven recent textbooks. (KR)

Finds that the National Commission on Social Studies in the Schools' report, "Charting a Course: Social Studies for the 21st Century," emphasis on multiethnic perspectives is sparse and sporadic. Observes that its chronological approach to history and textbook emphasis discourages understanding of ethnicity. Criticizes teacher education…

Examines whether elementary textbooks enhance a socially active mathematics education program. Reports that young females and minorities are adequately portrayed in five mathematics textbook series; representation of careers, however, is less than adequate. Sixteen references are listed. (YP)

Explores the world of textbook preparation, focusing on the revision of "A History of the United States" by Daniel Boorstin and Brooks Kelley. Describes the process of revising each paragraph in a selected section of the book. Surveys the concerns of teachers regarding textbooks and the interests of the students who use them. (GEA)

This article examines the controversy over the alleged sexism of "French in Action" (1987, 1994) within the context of key differences between French and American feminist thought. Read within a French cultural context, this text can be more accurately perceived as a postmodernist, feminist critique of Hollywood's heterosexual romance…

This study reviewed six history textbooks widely used in grades 7-12 across the U.S. Using a story-line analysis, the findings of this study suggest: (1) textbooks reinforce negative stereotypes of Latin Americans as lazy, passive, irresponsible, and, somewhat paradoxically, lustful, animalistic and violent; (2) the method of description employed…

The two feature articles of this issue were keynote addresses delivered at the November 21-22, 1975 conference which the Council on Interracial Books for Children cosponsored with the General Assistance Center of Teachers College, Columbia University. The opening day's keynote address raises a number of issues that have vital implications for…

Georgia state history textbooks published from 1917 to 1982 were analyzed to determine how they interpreted the Reconstruction Era. A traditional interpretation, a pro-Southern viewpoint, was used in textbooks until the 1960s. Since then, the most widely adopted texts have taken a revisionist perspective--a more neutral point of view. (IS)

Describes how the University of Tennessee-Southeast Sex Desegregation Assistance Center (SSDAC) provided services to meet the desegregation needs (eliminating sex bias in textbooks, training an equity task force, responding to an Office for Civil Rights' investigation, self-evaluating Title IX compliance, establishing equity in vocational…

Pejorative terms, biased or incomplete maps and illustrations, outdated bibliographies, and narrow or missing coverage characterize the treatment of Native Americans in the latest editions of three leading textbooks used in college level American history survey courses. (SB)

Examines 25 introductory sociology textbooks to ascertain patterns of race-ethnic coverage. Discovers coverage to be fairly extensive but focused around a limited set of sociological topics (stratification, education, health). Coverage in other areas (age, politics, religion) was significantly lower. Discusses implications for course development…

Compares and contrasts the representation of World War II era Germans in English textbooks and academic histories. Finds the academic histories to be more varied and in-depth. Discusses the strategies used by the textbooks to create portrait of mindless aggression. Considers educational and policy implications. (MJP)

Suggests reasons for the lack of material on Asian-American women in textbooks. Presents a study guide to accompany the film "Sewing Woman," a fictionalized documentary based on a series of Chinese American oral histories and the life of a Chinese garment worker. (DB)

Reviews the activities of the New Christian Right (NCR) related to teaching evolution in the public schools. Describes the effects of legislation and court litigation on the NCR's efforts to eliminate secular humanism from textbooks. Provides an NCR definition of secular humanism. (LS)