Jämställdhet i läromedel : En granskning av hur tre läroböcker i svenska lever upp till jämställdhetskraven i Gy11

Gender equality is a central topic in the curriculum of the upper secondary school and it should permeate all of the school’s activities. The purpose of this study is to determine whether three textbooks written for the course Swedish 1 in upper secondary school lives up to the requirements of gender equality as stipulated in the curriculum. The textbooks are analyzed both by means of comparing how often women and men are mentioned in the texts, as well as by evaluating the adjectives and participles by which women and men are described. Gender theory and sociolinguistics form the basis for this study. Gender theory addresses gender roles and gender identity in relation to the power of society and norms. Sociolinguistics describes the language from different perspectives, such as gender. The analysis shows that men are more frequently mentioned in the texts than women are. Moreover, positively charged adjectives and participles are more commonly associated with the male gender. The analysis also shows that men are usually linked to the public sector by association to their proffesional titles, while women are connected with the family. This study concludes that the reviewed textbooks cannot be said to meet the gender equality requirements in the curriculum for the upper secondary school. Men are in focus and the books confirm prejudice that exists in the society against women and men. However, these books do not need to be dismissed. Teachers can use these to show and discuss the realationship between women and men in today’s society with their students. This way norms can become more developed and contribute to a more permissive climate in the future