From Man-the-Hunter to Ladies-in-Waiting: Mainstream Archaeology and Gender Bias in Dutch Elementary School Books

The purpose of this study is to examine gender bias and stereotypes in history books used in group 5 of Dutch elementary schools. Nine books from six different publishers were sampled that have been used during the school year 2015-2016. Activities of each character from these books are examined individually by looking at the type of activity, the posture of the individual, the position in the frame and the locality. The time frame of the images are from the periods of “hunters and farmers”, “Greeks and Romans”, “monks and knights” up to and including “cities and states”, as defined by the Committee for the Development of the Dutch Canon. Men are overrepresented in general, portrayed in diverse, active and public roles. Women, children and the elderly are underrepresented, and often in gender stereotypical manners. After establishing male bias in the reconstructions, ample archaeological evidence is provided for alternative gender representations in the past. Despite more than...Show moreThe purpose of this study is to examine gender bias and stereotypes in history books used in group 5 of Dutch elementary schools. Nine books from six different publishers were sampled that have been used during the school year 2015-2016. Activities of each character from these books are examined individually by looking at the type of activity, the posture of the individual, the position in the frame and the locality. The time frame of the images are from the periods of “hunters and farmers”, “Greeks and Romans”, “monks and knights” up to and including “cities and states”, as defined by the Committee for the Development of the Dutch Canon. Men are overrepresented in general, portrayed in diverse, active and public roles. Women, children and the elderly are underrepresented, and often in gender stereotypical manners. After establishing male bias in the reconstructions, ample archaeological evidence is provided for alternative gender representations in the past. Despite more than thirty years of feminist inspired archaeological research, reconstructions are still androcentric and reinforce current socio-cultural defined gender norms that disadvantages the representation of women and minorities, but men as well. It is imperative that gender archaeology is incorporated in archaeological epistemology, whereby different constituents involved in writing historic curriculum are informed of relevant developments within our science.Show less

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From Man-the-Hunter to Ladies-in-Waiting: Mainstream Archaeology and Gender Bias in Dutch Elementary School Books