Gender Politics in Pakistani Textbooks’ Discourses: A Comparative Perspective of Sindh and Punjab ELT Textbooks

Abstract

The research in hand critically decoded linguistic and semiotic discourses of Primary level ELT textbooks of Sindh Textbook Board (STB) Jamshoro and Punjab Textbook Board (PTB) Lahore of Pakistan. The data for the present research was collected from the booksregarding gender politics through linguistic and semiotic discourses including the title pages of the books. The study aimed at a broad contrast among the gender depictions in provincial ELT textbooks. To achieve the objective, the study was divided in two parts. In part 1 the linguistic discourses were decoded and in part 2 the semiotic discourses were dealt with. The research contends that no use of language is ideology free. To analyze linguistic and semiotic data carrying gendered role, the researchers devised a triangular research model by drawing upon Fairclough (1993) model of critical discourse analysis (CDA), Barthes (1974) model of semiological discourse analysis (SDA) and Kruger’s (2001) model of focus group discussion. The findings of the semiotic analysis about gender representation through the mentioned books have also been validated by conducting two focus group discussions among the students of linguistics and other disciplines. It revealed that Primary English textbooks taught in the Punjab province of Pakistan embody more linguistic and visual contents related to stereotypical representation and propagation of gendered ideology as compared to its counterpart. The study finds out how textbooks’ discourses act insidiously to shape the mindset of the young learners about gender de/construction.Additionally, it was also found that the discourses of books under analysis work discursively to shape the mindset of the young readership.