Visual Representation of Whiteness in Beginning Level German Textbooks

Textbooks are inherently ideological, and language textbooks in particular are designed to create a particular representation of the target culture for learners. This paper draws on a foundation of Whiteness studies, textbook bias studies, and critical discourse analysis. It investigates in depth the visual and cultural representation of Whiteness in one beginning level textbook for German as a foreign language and draws on three further textbooks for comparison. Differences between North American and German concepts of race and Whiteness are taken into account. Results identify a Whiteness bias in all books, but differing strategies for diversity representation; the most recently published textbook shows patterns similar to college brochures in the USA, which may over-represent diversity overall but underrepresent its more controversial aspects. The results form the basis for a discussion of institutional constraints on beginning-level instructors and practical pedagogical strategies to problematize homogeneous cultural perceptions and the textbook itself.

Exposing the Textbook Bias: The Need for Professional credit

Why is authorship of a textbook generally considered less of a scholarly contribution than authorship of a “scholarly” publication, such as a journal article or a university press book?Certainly both are needed, but is it right for a political science department to reward faculty who author “scholarly” publications more than those who author textbooks?Whether stipulated in the criteria for departmental evaluation of faculty performance or in other less overt ways, the bias is prevalent throughout our discipline.This essay states five reasons why the bias should not exist: 1) ignorance of impact, 2) ignorance of values, 3) ignorance of the review process, 4) ignorance of purpose, and 5) ignorance of time and Scope.