Abstract
Statement of the Problem
Literature can function as a mirror that provides readers with the opportunity to see themselves. When a reader sees herself reflected in a text, she learns that her story is worthy of being told. She might also feel a sense of belonging or community (Johnson et al., 2018). A lack of diversity in literature communicates the idea that only dominant groups are worthy of telling their stories (Jackson, 2023). Required reading lists for high school English courses have not typically reflected the diversity available in the literary canon. Although women represent approximately half of the global population, they have rarely been the authors or protagonists of core reading novels at the secondary level (Coryat & Clemens, 2017). This study aimed to explore gender bias in a list of commonly taught titles in English classes at the high school level. The researcher sought answers to the following questions: Is there a balanced representation of male and female authors and primary characters within the assigned high school language arts texts of high school students? What percentage of authors appearing in the top novels at the secondary level are male versus female? What percentage of primary characters appearing in the top novels at the secondary level are male versus female? How is gender bias apparent in the top six novels mentioned in the data?
Data
This study aimed to determine the percentage of male and female authors and primary characters within frequently mentioned titles at the high school level. Furthermore, the researcher conducted a content analysis to explore gender bias in the top six titles within the data. The researcher created a list of public secondary schools within each of the nine school districts in Sacramento County and then emailed certified teachers and librarians at each site to obtain current district-approved reading lists. The researcher received three lists before emailing district curriculum and instruction specialists at the remaining six districts. The researcher obtained two more lists, which totaled five reading lists within the nine districts throughout Sacramento County. The researcher created a master list of all titles in the data and separated titles mentioned on two or more of the district reading lists to create a list of 19 frequently mentioned titles. The researcher narrowed the list of 19 titles to a list of the top six by separating titles mentioned three or more times in the data.
Conclusions Reached
The researcher found a greater number of males than females to represent authors and primary characters in the most frequently mentioned titles in the data. Males represented 68% of authors and 67% of primary characters in the data's 19 most frequently mentioned titles. Furthermore, within the top six titles in the data, five were written by male authors, and only one was written by a female author. Similarly, the top six titles contained five male primary characters and only one female primary character.
A content analysis revealed that gender bias was apparent in all top six titles. That is, each novel contained examples that affirmatively answered two or more of the following questions: Is pejorative language used by the author (or first-person narrator) to describe female characters? Are women portrayed as categories or stereotypes of negative traits rather than as complex characters? Are female characters, for example, depicted as either androgynous or as silly little girls in frilly dresses? Are women portrayed as objects? Are women objects of ridicule or humor, or are they subjected to violence? Do the women characters act as a vehicle for the male protagonists' achieving their goals, or are women seen as evil or as obstacles to some kind of male dream or goal?