How Is Gender Visually Represented in the Arabic Textbook Al-‘Arabiyyah li al-Nashi’in Volume 3?

Widi Astuti, Hisyam Zaini, Zamzam Afandi

Abstract


Arabic textbooks not only present linguistic material, but also shape social representations through text and illustrations. The aim of this study is to analyse the construction of visual gender bias in Al-‘Arabiyyah li al-Nashi’in Volume 3, through the lenses of visibility, page distribution, agency, social space and visual prominence. The study employs a qualitative, document-based approach using Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis, which combines Kress and van Leeuwen’s visual grammar with Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis. A total of 429 character appearances across 45 illustrated pages were inventoried and coded according to visibility, agency, social space and visual prominence. The results show a male dominance of 373 appearances (86.9%), whilst women accounted for only 56 (13.1%). Men were more frequently portrayed as public figures, authoritative and high-achieving, whilst women were primarily depicted in caregiving and domestic roles. These findings suggest that visual inequality operates through frequency, page distribution and the division of agency; consequently, textbooks require a review of representation and critical mediation by teachers.

Keywords


Arabic Textbook; Gender Representation; Multimodal Discourse Analysis; Social Actors; Visual Representation

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/alsuniyat.v9i2.105015

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