TALEEMAT, Vol 17, No 2 (2019)

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Identity Conundrum: Content Analysis of Social Studies Textbooks

Ashar Johnson Khokhar

Abstract


The beginning of the 21st century has seen a surge in the nationalistic political movements and education is an important tool employed by the state to transform the nationalistic narrative of a country. South Asia is no different from it. Pakistan like other South Asian countries has built its own national narratives which are promoted through school practices, curriculum and textbooks. This study examines the content of Social Studies textbooks published by the state textbook boards to identify the nationalistic narrative communicated to learners. The textbook writers have employed various discourse strategies to propagate and sustain the nationalistic narratives. This study has found the textbook writers using intentional and unintentional differentiation and unification, transformation and homogenization, assimilation and dissimilation and positive 'self- presentation’ and the negative 'other'-presentation discourse strategies. This study suggests to textbook writers to remain aware of the discourse strategies used and how these influence the learners and shape their national identity and identity narrative.


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