Omtänksamma flickor och tävlande pojkar
En undersökning av hur flickor och pojkar framställs i sex utvalda matematikböcker för årskurs 3 och 4
The purpose with this essay was to study and analyze how gender roles is represented in six different mathematic books for children in the third and fourth grade and to see if the books counteract or reinforces traditional gender roles. It was also to see if the mathematic books follow the goals in the curriculum. I had four questions that I focused on while analyzing the mathematic books:What kind of activities does girls and boys like in the exercises in the mathematic books?What does girls and boys own in the exercises in the mathematic books?What does the relationships look like between different persons in the mathematic books?Based on the results from questions 1-3, do these six mathematic books try to follow the curriculum?The results of this study shows that girls often can be interested in things that usually is seen as either girlish or boyish, while boys mostly is interested in things that is seen as boyish. I got almost the same results when it comes to the second question, girls can buy things that is often seen as either girlish or boyish, while boys mostly buy things that is seen as boyish. You can say that it is more ok for girls to act like and be interested in things that is seen as boyish than it is for boys to act like and be interested in things that is seen as girlish. The boy or the man is often seen as the norm and it is girls or women that have to change. Girls tend to be more caring and calm than boys, who often are more active and competing.The mathematic books both counteract and reinforce traditional gender roles. There are a few exercises in the books that counteract gender roles, but you can see a pattern where girls are mostly girlish and boys are mostly boyish.