Gender Bias in the Books "Persian of Iran Today" and " First Step": A Corpus-Based Study

Document Type : Research

Authors

1 PhD student in Linguistics-Teaching Persian to Speakers of other Languages, Allameh Tabataba’i University

2 Assistant Professor of Linguistics- Teaching Persian to Speakers of other Languages, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The misrepresentation or non-representation of the role of both genders in language teaching materials reflects gender bias and can reproduce gender stereotypes in language learners. The present study investigates how gender is represented in AZFA educational materials, written by authors outside Iran and authors inside Iran.
In this study, the book Persian of Iran Today - Introductory Course of Persian Language Teaching, Volume1 written by Shahsavari and Atwood (2015), from AZFA educational materials published outside Iran, was examined. To compare with this book, the First Step - in learning Persian, beginner level (1938) written by Sahraei, Marsous And Malekloo, from the AZFA  educational materials published in Iran, was analyzed. Both books were selected at the same beginner level to ensure a valid comparison.

Keywords

References

  1.  Abbasi, Z. & Yaghoubinezhad, H. (2018). The effect of language background and gender on non-Iranian Persian language learners’ motivation level during acquisition. Journal of Teaching Persian to Speakers of Other Languages, 7(TOME 16), 103-126. https://doi.org/10.30479/jtpsol.2018.1541 [In Persian]
  2. Abedini Baltork, M., Liyaqatdar, M. & Mansuri, S. (2015). Representations of gender quarterly, roles in the textbooks of sixth year of primary school in iran. Journal of Women and Society, 5(20), 19-34.  https://jzvj.marvdasht.iau.ir/article_684.html [In Persian]
  3. Afshani, A., Asgari Nadushan, A. & Fazel Najafabadi, S. (2009). Reproduction of gender roles i'n the elementary school books of Farsi. Women Research, 7(1), 87-107. https://jwdp.ut.ac.ir/article_28288.html [In Persian]
  4. Norowzi, R. A., Ghasemi, V. & Mohammad Taghi Nejad, R. (2015). Comparative Content analysis of picture books by iran and syria, with emphasis on the role of gender inequality. Journal of Applied Sociology, 26(1), 17-38. https://jas.ui.ac.ir/article_18385.htm [In Persian]
  5. Ebadi, S. & Ebrahimi Marjal, B. (2015). Gender representations in the textbooks of teaching persian to non- persian speakers: A case study of “let’s learn Persian” (Vol. 2 & 3). Journal of Teaching Persian to Speakers of Other Languages, 4(2), 27-46. https://jtpsol.journals.ikiu.ac.ir/article_748.html [In Persian]
  6. Foroughan Geransaye, F., Moloodi, A. & Khormaee, A. (2019). The study of sexism representation in persian word formation: A corpus-based approach. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 2(4), 11-20. https://doi.org/10.30473/il.2019.43498.1219 [In Persian]
  7. Foroutan, Y. (2010). Gender socialization in Iiranian textbooks (case study: primary schools). Woman in Development and Politics, 8(3), 195-216. https://ensani.ir/file/download/article/20120426154411-5037-20.pdf [In Persian]
  8. Foroutan, Y. (2011). Women and language representation of gender identity in Farsi, Arabic, and English textbooks of the Iranian schools. Women's Studies Sociological and Psychological, 9(2), 161-181. https://doi.org/10.22051/jwsps.2011.1402 [In Persian]
  9. Gabhoul, E. (2016). Modern teaching of Persian language. Ehsan Gaboul Publication. [In Persian]
  10. Hatami, M. & Mazhabi, S. (2012). Dia and women view to their gender identity. Journal of Iranian Cultural Research, 4(2), 185-209. https://doi.org/10.7508/ijcr.2011.14.008 [In Persian]
  11. Hatami, P. & Rahbar, B. (2017). Evaluation of the Representations of Gender Bias in Images of English Language Teaching Books by Iranian and Non-Iranian Authors. The Second National Conference of 4 Corners of Humanities, 1 July, Shiraz, Iran's Modern Education Development Center [In Persian]. Retrieved from < file:///C:/Users/Narges/Downloads/7131395h0202.pdf>
  12. Hazeri, A. & Ahmad Pour Khorami, A. (2012). Gender representation in the course books of middle school and high school (case study of Farsi course book of 2009-10). Women in Development & Politics, 10(3), 75-96. https://doi.org/10.22059/jwdp.2012.29483 [In Persian]
  13. Hoseini Fatemi, A. & Heidariyan, Z.(2010). Gender delineation in high school and pre-university ELT textbooks: A criterion-oriented approach to text analysis. Language and Translation Studies (JLTS), 42(2), 77-92. https://ensani.ir/file/download/article/20140518144732-9932-4.pdf [In Persian].
  14. Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, Self, and Society. Chicago IL: University of Chicago Press. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo20099389.html
  15. Motahari, S., Saadat, M. (2015). Sexist language in the social magazines of Iran: A case study of four high-circulating magazines. ZABANPAZHUHI (Journal of Language Research), 7(16), 133-157. https://doi.org/10.22051/jlr.2015.2093. [In Persian]
  16. Musavi, S.R. & Alimorad, Z. (2015). Investigating the representation of male and female characters in two books on teaching Persian to non-Persian speakers: "Let's Learn Persian" and "Modern Teaching of Persian language". In Mir Dehghan, M. (ed.), Proceedings of the First National Conference on the Analysis of Persian Language Teaching Resources for Non-Persian Speakers (pp. 1-9). Neviseh. [In Persian]
  17. Nercissians, E. (2005). Gender anthropology. Afkar. https://www.gisoom.com/book/1304590/ [In Persian]
  18. Rezaei T. & Sojoodi F. (2015). The representation of sexuality in visual texts of English language teaching books to non-English language speakers based on visual-social semiotics: The case study of American English File (2), Four Corners (2), and Interchange (2). Language Related Research, 6(3) :115-140.  http://lrr.modares.ac.ir/article-14-3618-fa.html [In Persian]
  19. Roohani, A. & Akbarpour, S. (2014). Gender representation in American English File textbook. Language and Translation Studies (JLTS), 47(2), 107-131 https://doi.org/10.22067/lts.v47i2.3061 [In Persian]
  20. Seifollahi, S. & Ebrahimi, M. (2008). The role and status of women in textbooks of 'Farsi' in the Iranian schools. Journal of Social Sciences, 2(1), 49-75. https://ensani.ir/file/download/article/20120329160012-5078-11.pdf [In Persian]
  21. Shahsavari, A. & Atwood, B.(2015). Persian of Iran today: An inroductory course. Volume 1. Center for middle eastern studies the university of Texas at Austin. [In Persian].
  22. Tahriri, A. B., & Moradpour, P. (2014). Gender representation in ‘Top-Notch’ series: A critical discourse analysis perspective. International Journal of Research Studies in sychology, 3(2), 39-51. https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrsp.2014.633
  23. Tajmazinani, A. & Hamed, M. (2014). A study of the evolution of gender culture in textbooks (comparative studies on the first elementary Persian books in 1978, 1983 and 2003). Social Sciences, 21(64), 73-104. https://doi.org/10.22054/qjss.2014.343 [In Persian]
  24. Vakili‏fard, A. & Khaleghi‏zade, S. (2012). Relation between gender and using learning strategies for Persian language as a second language. Journal of Teaching Persian to Speakers of Other Languages, 1(TOME 1), 25-59. https://jtpsol.journals.ikiu.ac.ir/article_139.html [In Persian].
  25. Zolfaghari, H.,  Ghafari M. and Mahmoudi Bakhtiar, B. (2007). Let's learn Persian. Teaching Persian language: Elementary (1st Volume), Intermediate (2nd and 3rd volume), Advanced (4th  and 5th Volume). Madreseh. https://madresehpub.ir/my-account/ [In Persian]

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics