A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF GENDERED LANGUAGE IN ENGLISH COURSE BOOKS OF KENYAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

Discourse on gendered language continues to elicit debate since it communicates prejudiced opinions and views about males and females. The course books of English for Kenyan secondary schools contain gendered language that portrays stereotyped perspectives about females and males. However, literature on gendered remarks which exclude, trivialize and demean either gender in those books has not been documented. This study examined gendered language in Secondary English for Form1-3 and New Horizons in English for Form 4 course books approved by KICD. The study explored the forms of gendered language, analysed ideologies that determine use of gender biased language and explained how power is manifested in gendered language since there is scanty knowledge about the gendered language in the current course books for English. The study employed a conceptual framework constituting Fairclough‘s (2001) Critical Discourse Analysis approach and Lakoff‘s (1975) Deficit Approach to explain ideologies that determine gendered language and power relations manifested in the English course books. An analytical research design was adopted in studying pictures and texts such as passages, dialogues, narratives, interviews, speeches, letters, biographies and poems with gendered language. 15 texts with gendered overtones from each course book were identified by purposive sampling to make a total of 60 texts and 22 accompanying pictures. The researcher read the texts and identified gender unresponsive pictures, words, sentences and dialogues and then a list of the data was prepared for analysis. Content analysis was used to classify data into gendered language at word, sentence and discourse level. The analysis of the data for this research was based on the three dimensional model, Critical Discourse Analysis by Fairclough (2001). The findings of this study indicate existence of gendered language at word, sentence and discourse levels since males are over-represented as compared to females. The males are over- represented in pictures and texts in number and portrayal in determining roles in society whereas females are over-represented in nurturance and supportive roles. The male gender is portrayed as the norm and powerful, controlling resources and females. On the other hand, females are excluded and undermined through use of gender unresponsive language. The ideologies informing gender biased language represent males and females as existing in separate spheres of society in binary opposition relation. The forms of power relations between genders legitimize males over females as expressed by gendered language. Findings indicate that the English course books of Kenyan secondary schools promote patriarchy through gendered language.