S ING 0902336 Chapter1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This introductory chapter presents the background of the study, the
research questions, the aims of the study, the scope of the study, the methodology
of the study and the organization of the paper.
1.1 Background
People with the same language are able to communicate one another
meaningfully. They communicate and share the world with other through
language. In this sense, language is functioned as sign to encode and interpret the
world (Hall, 1997). Beside as a tool to communicate, there are many other
functions that language has. One of them is the function as a representation
(Halliday, 1994). Representation determines how people see the world.
Representation is understood as “the production of meaning through language”
(Hall, 1997, p.16). Representation is regarded as a part of critical aspect in
studying literature and the social issue like gender.
Gender is often classified based on people sexuality but actually it is not
only the matter of being male and female biologically. It is a term that define male
and female to have certain attribute of social expectation, norms and rules, then
finally classifies them into feminine and masculine (Holmes, 2008 as cited in
Healy, 2009). Gender is “a social expectations associated to men and women”
(Sunderland, 1994). Traditional view of gender generally tend to have unequal
rules and expectations toward women and men. Men tend to have more
expectations than women. Women cannot be like a man. Such ideas or values still
adhere in public media and become main concern in studying gender
representation because it leads to discrimination of gender or gender bias. Ample
Wina Anggraeni Lestari, 2014
GENDER REPRESENTATION IN STUDENTS’ CONVERSATIONS IN A TEXTBOOK FOR UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS
Univeristas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu | perpustakaan.upi.edu
studies are conducted to probe gender discrimination representation in current
public medias. One of public media is textbook.
As an important tool of education, textbooks are to provide a model of
social behaviour through the representation they contain (UNESCO, 2009). Some
studies of gender representation in textbooks have been conducted. Bias
representation are still found in the texts and illustration of the textbooks
(Otlowski, 2003; Harashima, 2005; Damayanti, 2006; Stockdale, 2006; Kemp,
2011; Mousavi & Garbavy, 2012). Bias representation in textbook is reported to
have negative effect in shaping students’ achievement and career choices
(Mutekwe & Modiba, 2012, p.365). This bias representation case is often found in
eastern country. But then, since the publications of some textbooks promoting
gender equality, there have been some significant progression on gender
representation in the eastern textbooks. Some studies result in less traditional roles
finding. Men and women are depicted having rather equal range of activity and
social status as men and no men dominance occured in the dialogues (Healy,
2009; Mineshima, 2008; Nagamoto, 2010; Yang, 2010).
As one of the eastern country, Indonesia seems to have little progression
regarding gender equality in textbook. In 2006, Damayanti still found gender bias
representation in some textbooks. She found that women are represented less
prestigious than men in terms of job and activities they did. And so does some
subsequent studies yield the same result (Rahmani, 2009; Sari, 2009; Maharani,
2013). Bias representation still become issue perpetuated in Indonesian textbooks.
However,
those
studies
mainly
focused
on
examining
gender
representation in textbooks for primary school. It has best extend its area of
investigation to higher level textbooks. In that case, the present study is aimed to
investigate gender representation in a textbook for university students. The
present study focused on distribution of gender representation and speculate
potential factor that influence the representation in the textbook.
Wina Anggraeni Lestari, 2014
GENDER REPRESENTATION IN STUDENTS’ CONVERSATIONS IN A TEXTBOOK FOR UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS
Univeristas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu | perpustakaan.upi.edu
1.2 Research Questions
The study is aimed at investigating the following questions:
1. How are female and male discursively represented in the textbook?
2. What are the factors that potentially affect the representation of female and
male characters in the textbook?
1.3 Aims of the study
The present study is aimed at investigating:
1. How male and female are represented discursively in the textbook,
2. The factors that potentially affect the representations of male and female in
the textbook.
1.4 Scope of the study
The study was limited to investigate the distribution of gender representation and
speculate potential factor that influence the representation in the textbook. The
gender representation is drawn based on the framework of Van Leeuwen’s (2008)
sociosemantic inventory and Halliday’s (1994) model of transitivity in presenting
social actors in the texts. The texts in this sense are limited to the dialogues and
narative texts. The dialogues and the naratives are choosen because they contain
social action and female and male participants. An interview was conducted to
confirm the speculation on the finding of the analysis.
1.5 Methodology of the study
The present study is a descriptive study because the aims are to find out the
depictions of female and male participants and the factor of the representational
choices. Descriptive qualitative design was utilized to gathering the data.
The data were taken from the sentences of the dialogues and the narratives.
The dialogues consist of six mixed gender conversations and one female pair
conversation. The sentences in the dialogues and the naratives were separated per
clause and clause complex for further analysis.
Wina Anggraeni Lestari, 2014
GENDER REPRESENTATION IN STUDENTS’ CONVERSATIONS IN A TEXTBOOK FOR UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS
Univeristas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu | perpustakaan.upi.edu
To answer the first question, The clauses of the dialogues and the
narratives were analyzed using the transitivity and sociosemantic inventory
framework. The result were presented in table for each analysis. To answer
question number two, speculation on factor that potentially influence the
representation were drawn from the analysis result semi formal interview to the
author of the textbook was conducted. The interview protocol was prepared to
keep it on track but the protocol was made open ended so that the answers were
not directed. The interview is intended to confirm the factors that speculate from
the finding.
1.6 Clarification of the terms
To avoid misunderstanding, here are some significant terms to be clarified:
Representation : using language to say something meningful about or to
represent, the world meaningfully, to other people (Hall, 1997)
Gender
: a culturally-shaped group of attributes and behaviours
given to the female or to the male (Maggie Humm, 1989 as cited in
Sunderland, 1994).
Sex
: terms that determine aspects of our anatomy, physiology
and neurology and may also have a role in shaping our behavioural,
cognitive and affective characteristics (Sunderland, 1994).
Sexism
: a system of beliefs and practices which affirm the
dominance of men over women (Sunderland, 1994).
Transitivity
: a system that construes the world of experiences into a
manageable of process type (Halliday, 1994)
1.7 Significance of the study
The study is intended to investigate the representation of gender in the textbook
for university students. The study is expected to give contribution to gender
Wina Anggraeni Lestari, 2014
GENDER REPRESENTATION IN STUDENTS’ CONVERSATIONS IN A TEXTBOOK FOR UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS
Univeristas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu | perpustakaan.upi.edu
representation study in Critical Discourse Analysis, as well as to study on
language, gender and discourse in general.
1.8 Organization of the paper
The paper is organized into five chapters. Chapter 1 consisted of a glance of
background of the study, research formula, the overview of research design and
the organization of the paper. Chapter 2 presents the theoretical foundation of the
study which contain common understanding of representation, discursive
approach to representation, the understanding of Van Leeuwen concept of
discourse as recontextualization of social practice, the explanation about
sociosemantic inventory, the work of transitivity, gender and gender role and
gender role in Indonesian, and previous research on gender representation in
textbooks. Chapter 3 contain the research problems and research design, including
the subjects and sources of the study. Chapter 4 presents the finding and
discussion. Chapter 5 contain conclusion.
Wina Anggraeni Lestari, 2014
GENDER REPRESENTATION IN STUDENTS’ CONVERSATIONS IN A TEXTBOOK FOR UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS
Univeristas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu | perpustakaan.upi.edu
INTRODUCTION
This introductory chapter presents the background of the study, the
research questions, the aims of the study, the scope of the study, the methodology
of the study and the organization of the paper.
1.1 Background
People with the same language are able to communicate one another
meaningfully. They communicate and share the world with other through
language. In this sense, language is functioned as sign to encode and interpret the
world (Hall, 1997). Beside as a tool to communicate, there are many other
functions that language has. One of them is the function as a representation
(Halliday, 1994). Representation determines how people see the world.
Representation is understood as “the production of meaning through language”
(Hall, 1997, p.16). Representation is regarded as a part of critical aspect in
studying literature and the social issue like gender.
Gender is often classified based on people sexuality but actually it is not
only the matter of being male and female biologically. It is a term that define male
and female to have certain attribute of social expectation, norms and rules, then
finally classifies them into feminine and masculine (Holmes, 2008 as cited in
Healy, 2009). Gender is “a social expectations associated to men and women”
(Sunderland, 1994). Traditional view of gender generally tend to have unequal
rules and expectations toward women and men. Men tend to have more
expectations than women. Women cannot be like a man. Such ideas or values still
adhere in public media and become main concern in studying gender
representation because it leads to discrimination of gender or gender bias. Ample
Wina Anggraeni Lestari, 2014
GENDER REPRESENTATION IN STUDENTS’ CONVERSATIONS IN A TEXTBOOK FOR UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS
Univeristas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu | perpustakaan.upi.edu
studies are conducted to probe gender discrimination representation in current
public medias. One of public media is textbook.
As an important tool of education, textbooks are to provide a model of
social behaviour through the representation they contain (UNESCO, 2009). Some
studies of gender representation in textbooks have been conducted. Bias
representation are still found in the texts and illustration of the textbooks
(Otlowski, 2003; Harashima, 2005; Damayanti, 2006; Stockdale, 2006; Kemp,
2011; Mousavi & Garbavy, 2012). Bias representation in textbook is reported to
have negative effect in shaping students’ achievement and career choices
(Mutekwe & Modiba, 2012, p.365). This bias representation case is often found in
eastern country. But then, since the publications of some textbooks promoting
gender equality, there have been some significant progression on gender
representation in the eastern textbooks. Some studies result in less traditional roles
finding. Men and women are depicted having rather equal range of activity and
social status as men and no men dominance occured in the dialogues (Healy,
2009; Mineshima, 2008; Nagamoto, 2010; Yang, 2010).
As one of the eastern country, Indonesia seems to have little progression
regarding gender equality in textbook. In 2006, Damayanti still found gender bias
representation in some textbooks. She found that women are represented less
prestigious than men in terms of job and activities they did. And so does some
subsequent studies yield the same result (Rahmani, 2009; Sari, 2009; Maharani,
2013). Bias representation still become issue perpetuated in Indonesian textbooks.
However,
those
studies
mainly
focused
on
examining
gender
representation in textbooks for primary school. It has best extend its area of
investigation to higher level textbooks. In that case, the present study is aimed to
investigate gender representation in a textbook for university students. The
present study focused on distribution of gender representation and speculate
potential factor that influence the representation in the textbook.
Wina Anggraeni Lestari, 2014
GENDER REPRESENTATION IN STUDENTS’ CONVERSATIONS IN A TEXTBOOK FOR UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS
Univeristas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu | perpustakaan.upi.edu
1.2 Research Questions
The study is aimed at investigating the following questions:
1. How are female and male discursively represented in the textbook?
2. What are the factors that potentially affect the representation of female and
male characters in the textbook?
1.3 Aims of the study
The present study is aimed at investigating:
1. How male and female are represented discursively in the textbook,
2. The factors that potentially affect the representations of male and female in
the textbook.
1.4 Scope of the study
The study was limited to investigate the distribution of gender representation and
speculate potential factor that influence the representation in the textbook. The
gender representation is drawn based on the framework of Van Leeuwen’s (2008)
sociosemantic inventory and Halliday’s (1994) model of transitivity in presenting
social actors in the texts. The texts in this sense are limited to the dialogues and
narative texts. The dialogues and the naratives are choosen because they contain
social action and female and male participants. An interview was conducted to
confirm the speculation on the finding of the analysis.
1.5 Methodology of the study
The present study is a descriptive study because the aims are to find out the
depictions of female and male participants and the factor of the representational
choices. Descriptive qualitative design was utilized to gathering the data.
The data were taken from the sentences of the dialogues and the narratives.
The dialogues consist of six mixed gender conversations and one female pair
conversation. The sentences in the dialogues and the naratives were separated per
clause and clause complex for further analysis.
Wina Anggraeni Lestari, 2014
GENDER REPRESENTATION IN STUDENTS’ CONVERSATIONS IN A TEXTBOOK FOR UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS
Univeristas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu | perpustakaan.upi.edu
To answer the first question, The clauses of the dialogues and the
narratives were analyzed using the transitivity and sociosemantic inventory
framework. The result were presented in table for each analysis. To answer
question number two, speculation on factor that potentially influence the
representation were drawn from the analysis result semi formal interview to the
author of the textbook was conducted. The interview protocol was prepared to
keep it on track but the protocol was made open ended so that the answers were
not directed. The interview is intended to confirm the factors that speculate from
the finding.
1.6 Clarification of the terms
To avoid misunderstanding, here are some significant terms to be clarified:
Representation : using language to say something meningful about or to
represent, the world meaningfully, to other people (Hall, 1997)
Gender
: a culturally-shaped group of attributes and behaviours
given to the female or to the male (Maggie Humm, 1989 as cited in
Sunderland, 1994).
Sex
: terms that determine aspects of our anatomy, physiology
and neurology and may also have a role in shaping our behavioural,
cognitive and affective characteristics (Sunderland, 1994).
Sexism
: a system of beliefs and practices which affirm the
dominance of men over women (Sunderland, 1994).
Transitivity
: a system that construes the world of experiences into a
manageable of process type (Halliday, 1994)
1.7 Significance of the study
The study is intended to investigate the representation of gender in the textbook
for university students. The study is expected to give contribution to gender
Wina Anggraeni Lestari, 2014
GENDER REPRESENTATION IN STUDENTS’ CONVERSATIONS IN A TEXTBOOK FOR UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS
Univeristas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu | perpustakaan.upi.edu
representation study in Critical Discourse Analysis, as well as to study on
language, gender and discourse in general.
1.8 Organization of the paper
The paper is organized into five chapters. Chapter 1 consisted of a glance of
background of the study, research formula, the overview of research design and
the organization of the paper. Chapter 2 presents the theoretical foundation of the
study which contain common understanding of representation, discursive
approach to representation, the understanding of Van Leeuwen concept of
discourse as recontextualization of social practice, the explanation about
sociosemantic inventory, the work of transitivity, gender and gender role and
gender role in Indonesian, and previous research on gender representation in
textbooks. Chapter 3 contain the research problems and research design, including
the subjects and sources of the study. Chapter 4 presents the finding and
discussion. Chapter 5 contain conclusion.
Wina Anggraeni Lestari, 2014
GENDER REPRESENTATION IN STUDENTS’ CONVERSATIONS IN A TEXTBOOK FOR UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS
Univeristas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu | perpustakaan.upi.edu