Shaping Gender, Shaping Minds: A Systematic Review of Gender Norms in Chinese Primary School Textbooks

This article presents a systematic literature review of gender representation in Chinese language textbooks used in primary education in Mainland China. Based on an analysis of 21 studies published between 1987 and 2021, this review identifies consistent patterns of gender bias in textbook content. Most of these studies were published in Chinese-language sources accessed through the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database. These include the overrepresentation of male characters, the marginalization of women in both textual and visual content, and the reinforcement of traditional gender roles through depictions of occupational, emotional, and personality traits. Female characters are frequently positioned in domestic and passive roles, while male characters are portrayed as intellectually capable, authoritative, and socially active. The review also evaluates the methodologies employed in the existing literature, highlighting an overreliance on quantitative content analysis and limited textual interpretation. While some recent studies incorporate interviews, surveys, and comparative perspectives, there is a lack of theoretical engagement, especially with critical discourse analysis, feminist theory, or intersectional frameworks. Additionally, significant conceptual ambiguity and redundancy across studies suggest a need for more rigorous and innovative research approaches. By foregrounding these limitations, this article argues for a more critical, interdisciplinary, and globally contextualized research agenda on gender in educational materials. It emphasizes the ideological function of textbooks in shaping gendered subjectivities and calls for renewed attention to the role of curriculum in reproducing or challenging patriarchal norms in education.