How are gender stereotypes perpetrated in Finnish history textbooks? : A look at a common misconception on prehistoric societies

Abstract

In this literature review, Finnish history textbooks aimed at elementary school students and high school students are analyzed through a critical lens in order to verify whether or not they report the outdated misconception that in prehistoric hunter-gatherer societies, “men hunted and women gathered”, either textually, visually, or both. This misconception is deep-rooted, and it has the potential to further biological essentialist beliefs in young students, e.g., that “men” are natural “hunters” while “women” are natural caretakers, better suited for less active roles, and that these differences are biological. A total of 13 history textbooks including the available teacher’s guide and exercise guide were analyzed. The results of this analysis revealed that the majority of textbooks reported the mentioned misconception, either in the text or in illustrations or both, and that only one textbook reported the updated information. In today’s tense political climate on a global scale, where “anti-gender” rhetoric and biological essentialism have been used as political aids in elections throughout the world, it is crucial to recognize where these beliefs come from, and nurture a more historically accurate and critical narrative in textbooks aimed at the younger generations.