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  • Bias in Textbooks-Curriculum

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    Elizabeth Brawner
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    The document discusses various forms of bias that can exist in textbooks including invisibility, where contributions of certain groups are ignored; linguistic bias in language used; stereotyping of groups; imbalance in portraying issues; unreality in glossing over controversial topics; fragmentation of information on groups; and cosmetic bias giving an illusion of equality. It provides examples of each bias like science textbooks showing more males or history texts including more illustrations of males. The biases can be shown towards gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other groups.

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    Bias in textbooks-curriculum (2)

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    The document discusses various forms of bias that can exist in textbooks including invisibility, where contributions of certain groups are ignored; linguistic bias in language used; stereotyping of groups; imbalance in portraying issues; unreality in glossing over controversial topics; fragmentation of information on groups; and cosmetic bias giving an illusion of equality. It provides examples of each bias like science textbooks showing more males or history texts including more illustrations of males. The biases can be shown towards gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other groups.

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    30 views12 pages

    Bias in Textbooks-Curriculum

    Uploaded by

    Elizabeth Brawner
    The document discusses various forms of bias that can exist in textbooks including invisibility, where contributions of certain groups are ignored; linguistic bias in language used; stereotyping of groups; imbalance in portraying issues; unreality in glossing over controversial topics; fragmentation of information on groups; and cosmetic bias giving an illusion of equality. It provides examples of each bias like science textbooks showing more males or history texts including more illustrations of males. The biases can be shown towards gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other groups.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
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    of 12

    Bias

    (curriculum/textbooks)
    How can teachers
    detect such bias?
    Bias in textbooks continue
     Despite guidelines issued in the 1970-80s
    suggesting how to portray different
    groups more fairly, recent research
    indicates an imbalance persists.
     Science textbooks show more males
     History texts include more illustrations of
    males
     Majority of music related figures were male
     Language arts textbooks-more stories
    featuring male characters
    7 manifestations of bias
     Invisibility
     Linguistic bias
     Stereotyping
     Imbalance
     Unreality
     Fragmentation
     Cosmetic bias
    Bias shown to all subgroups
     Gender
     SES
     Ethnicity/race
     Elderly
     ESL and non-English speaking
     People with disabilities
    Invisibility
     When contributions made by groups go
    largely ignored in textbooks.

     When groups are systematically excluded


    from curricular materials students are
    deprived of information about many of the
    nation’s people.
    Linguistic Bias
     Terms and pronouns used that favor one
    group.

     Adjectives used to portray one group as


    more significant/powerful-
     For example-men whose charm, elegant
    ladies
    Stereotyping
     When one group is shown to exhibit one
    set of values, behaviors, and roles and
    another group is in possession of another
    set of values, behaviors, and roles.

     Even studies of textbooks in the 1990s depict


    women in more passive roles, white males
    portrayed more often as physically strong
    and/or in professional careers.
    Imbalance

     Presenting only one view of a potentially


    controversial issue.

     Simplifying a complex issue due to limited


    textbook space.
    Unreality
     Controversial topics are glossed over for a
    more favorable or traditional view.
     This is done to avoid offending adults who
    are decision makers.
     For example-with high percentage of
    marriages ending in divorce and many
    children living at least part of their growing up
    years in single parent households, some
    textbooks still report the nuclear/2 parent
    family as common.
    Fragmentation
     When groups are in a separate section in
    a text or information on the group is
    provided in an insert.

     When groups are shown to primarily only


    interact with and have impact within their
    own group.
    Cosmetic Bias

     Illusion of equality.

     Single and perhaps elaborate portrayal of


    a group with little narrative or integration
    of same group throughout the materials.
    References

     Multicultural Education: Issues and


    Perspectives
     Edited by James Banks & Cherry Banks
     2005
     John Wiley and Sons

     Powerpoint prepared by Sheryl Erickson

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