The Male Fertilization Fantasy: Gendered Language in Biology Textbooks

Abstract

This article explores the extent to which gender-biased language is used to describe fertilization in high school textbooks, akin to the stories with fairytale tropes that are heard during childhood about fertilization. After analyzing the relevant sections from four high school level biology textbooks by major publishers, three patterns were found: passive language used for the female reproductive system and active for the male, stereotypical male personification of sperm and the sole perspective of the sperm, and contrastive theta roles in the semantic and syntactic structure with the sperm as the agent and the female body as anything but. The four textbooks were then evaluated in these categories from least to most biased; one textbook was much more neutral than the other three. The conclusion is that there is still much improvement necessary to ensure the objectivity and accuracy of textbooks, which are often authoritative in a classroom; implicit sexist writing is harmful to both male and female students.