Overlooked, Underrepresented, Stereotyped: The Representation of Women in History Textbooks and Its Impact on Historical Narratives

Stefanie Steiner, University of Graz

The representation of women in history textbooks is more than a question of visibility—it reflects structural power relations and shapes historical consciousness as well as identity formation. My master's thesis, "Overlooked, Underrepresented, Stereotyped: A Critical Analysis of the Representation of Women in Upper Secondary History Textbooks", systematically examines how women are portrayed in textbooks and the role of gender as an analytical category in historical narratives. Through a qualitative and quantitative analysis of selected textbooks, the study identifies three key issues: first, the reduction of women to stereotypical roles; second, the systematic invisibilization of women from marginalized groups, particularly BIPoC women; and third, the lack of an intersectional perspective that adequately captures the complexity of historical gender relations. The study demonstrates that textbooks not only convey historical content but also reproduce hegemonic gender orders and actively contribute to the construction of knowledge. This research directly aligns with the conference theme, “Complexity and its Consequences”, by highlighting the profound impact of educational media on societal structures and social hierarchies. It contributes to the debate on how textbook narratives sustain or challenge gendered inequalities and raises essential questions: How can historical educational media contribute to the deconstruction of normative historical narratives? What theoretical and methodological approaches are needed to adequately capture the complexity of gender and history in educational materials? The findings of this study have significant implications for history didactics, educational research, and gender studies. They emphasize the need for a critical reflection on historical educational media and advocate for a diversity-conscious approach to history education—one that not only makes past inequalities visible but also actively promotes gender equity in the present.

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 Presented in Session 73. Gender Representations. Law, Politics, Education