Sex Roles in Early Reading Textbooks.

Abstract

HP HIS study was undertaken on A the assumption that sex role behavior is culturally determined and is produced by social learning. This learning takes place through many channels and includes both sex role expectations and ex amples for identification. Children thus come to have a sense of self identity which is pervaded by the appearance, activities, personality characteristics, and achievement goals considered so cially appropriate to their own sex. It is further assumed that school is a social experience and a vehicle for the transmission of social val ues and attitudes, textbooks being one agent of this transmission. Other reading research has been based on this rationale Blom and others (1968), in Content of First Grade Reading Books, say that cultural attitudes and values are conveyed through the content of stories. The authors of reading series, too, recognize the influence of story content on social learning. In the introduction to one basal reading series (Robinson and others, 1962) are the statements: At the most formative period of children's lives, it would be unfor tunate if the power of books to mold character were overlooked or ignored in the reading lesson and . . built into each story is some aspect of social relationship that children can make their own and apply to their behavior, indi cating that a conscious effort is made to manipulate this learning. It therefore seems reasonable to

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