Recent studies describe Jordan as a context where the encounter between modernity and tradition in the framework of neo-liberal transformations in the labour market have brought about paradoxes affecting women's lives. Despite several policies to implement gender equality introduced by the government, the rapid reduction of the gender gap in…

Textbooks are a multimillion dollar publishing business in the United States. Even as 21st-century classrooms become more multimodal, digital and hardcopy textbooks remain a key feature of American education. Consequently, classroom textbooks have been shown to control knowledge dissemination across the content areas. In particular, health texts…

A study was conducted to analyze how accurately and adequately United States children's books and school texts teach about Central America. Findings indicate that the majority of materials perpetrate ignorance and distortion about Central America. Book titles included in the study are listed. (AM)

Analyzes the content of South African history text books from the primary level upwards and from the 1980s to the most recent publications. The considerable changes in the content of these books seem to be based on two different theoretical models: the multicultural model and the notion of the universality of humanity. (Contains 40 references.)…

Focusing on elementary education, this article examines some of the pitfalls found in textbooks dealing with global interdependence. Suggestions are made to avoid these mistakes and involve students in activities outside of the textbook. (DE)

Provides evidence that current reading textbooks contain racist and sexist stereotypes despite promises to make changes, and concludes that these stereotypes are harmful to the students who learn from such textbooks. (RB)

This study, undertaken in 1963, analyzed the references made to religion in elementary social studies textbooks. The report was intended to inform authors, publishers, and teachers and enable them to correct errors, supply omissions, and omit irrelevant material. The textbooks used in the study consisted of 120 elementary (grades 1-6) public…

Current editions of texts for elementary students reflect, more than did older texts, the pluralistic nature of American society. However, questions still remain regarding the inclusion of minorities in texts, the extent to which males and females are represented, and the proportion of representation of these two areas. (Author/EB)

Stresses the importance of recognizing bias in written language (often referred to as critical thinking/reading) and suggests activities to help elementary school social studies teachers improve their bias recognition skills. A multiple choice quiz is presented in which teachers are directed to analyze bias in quotations from newspapers and social…

The problem of sex bias in textbooks, particularly at the elementary level, is treated in this report. Sexism is defined and discussed in relation to the current women's movement. Research findings, as well as examples taken from various texts, indicate sex stereotyping and discrimination in instructional materials. A list of available remedies…

Sixteen reading series are analyzed for sexual stereotyping, citing the limited career roles depicted and the dearth of reading materials provided for females. (RB)

A study of two elementary basal reading series found that, although the proportion of female main characters has increased, it was still less than that of males. Also, fewer men than women were depicted in nontraditional roles. (FG)

Provides British elementary and middle grade teachers with guidelines for teaching about minorities, as well as for judging and taking action on bias in school books. (Editor/SJL)

Traces the attempts of English trade unionists in 1879 to amend what they felt to be the distorted presentation of unions and economic concepts in the reading texts published by the Church of England. (SJL)