Reports the results of research concerning the portrayal of the sexes in music textbooks. Suggests that such portrayals may reinforce women's underrepresentation in music education. Reports that men in the illustrations were more likely than women to be identified and presented in formal portraits. Discusses the stereotypical association of the…

Finds that, although the number of times men and women were shown in photographs in business communication textbooks was balanced, the physical appearance and role portrayals perpetuated traditional stereotypes of men and women in the workplace. (SR)

Examines sexual stereotypes in selected professional writing textbooks published from the 1930s to the 1950s. Maintains that these textbooks--portraying women as subservient, emotional, and frivolous, and men as decisive, logical, and strong--suggest that men are more suited for positions of authority, and have played an important role in…

Between 1972 and 1975, textbook publishers have issued position papers and guidelines for authors which both identify the areas of bias (sex, race, and career) hidden in public school textbooks and suggest alternative measures for authors and editors to consider in order to avoid these biases. This study was begun in 1972 to determine whether…

A content analysis of a 1976 series of primary reading textbooks was conducted to analyze salient factors affecting female role socialization. Examined in its entirety, the series was designed for grades one through six and contained 573 entries and 4,831 illustrations. In each of the textbooks, regardless of grade level, twice as many males as…

An examination of eight widely used college English handbooks published since 1974 reveals a range of sexist usage, indicating that authors and editors have not reached a general consensus on which practices they and student writers are to avoid as sexist. Sexism is still manifest in handbooks in such practices as the following: using sexually…

This study examined the portrayal of women in current U.S. history textbooks which are used in the classroom. Among the questions explored were the following: who among outstanding women is or is not noted, what topics are covered or omitted, how are average women of selected eras treated, and how are women who fought for currently controversial…

This research report focuses on the latent content of textbooks, the information attempting to instruct the child in ethical and moral values. Textbooks being used in the average classrooms in the United States today in grades one through six were examined and analyzed to discover the way the two sexes are portrayed and the types of behavior…

To determine whether elementary reading textbooks from a socialist country contained less sex-role stereotyping than previously-studied United States readers, an analysis of 374 books from the German Democratic Republic (G.D.R.) was undertaken. A sex bias index was calculated for both the G.D.R. and the U.S. books by finding the average difference…

A study compared the 1975 and 1983 editions of the "Macmillan Reading Program Series" primary readers in order to examine sex role portrayals. It was hypothesized that the 1983 edition would show an increase in portrayals of non-sexist roles when compared with the 1975 edition. A checklist was constructed to record instances of sexism…

A group of six feminists undertook this study because they felt it important that people learn about racial and sexual discrimination in textbooks used in Baltimore City and other U.S. schools. The task force chose five series of basal readers widely used in Baltimore. These series are used in most, if not all, Elementary Secondary Education Act…

This volume is the second of a two-volume series which surveys the extent to which sex, race, and class bias can be found in commonly used elementary-level instructional materials in Manitoba, Canada. Analysis of materials used in grades four through six indicates that the negative biases present in the kindergarten through grade three materials…