Gendered Perspectives: Ibuism in Indonesian English Education Textbooks

Abstract

This study examines how Ibuism ideology influences gender representation in Indonesian primary school English textbooks. Ibuism, an ideology that emerged during Indonesia’s New Order era, promotes traditional, domestic roles for women under male authority, limiting their societal roles to caregivers and mothers. Despite ongoing social developments, Ibuism remains influential, reinforced by state programs such as the PKK (Family Welfare Empowerment). Content analysis was employed to explore how textbooks for Grades 1 through 4 depict women and men in gendered roles, with findings indicating that female characters are frequently portrayed in domestic, nurturing roles, while male characters are depicted as providers and authority figures. The analysis strongly supports the notion that Ibuism ideology permeates educational content, reinforcing traditional gender roles and limiting women's representation by emphasizing their value through domestic contributions and positioning them in supportive roles subordinate to men. These findings highlight the critical role of educational materials in transmitting cultural and political ideologies, perpetuating systemic gender inequalities with significant global implications. The study underscores the universal challenge of addressing ideological bias in curricula and calls for international efforts to promote gender-sensitive curriculum development to foster equity. By revealing how deeply embedded ideologies shape societal norms through education, this research contributes to discussions on gender representation in educational resources and provides valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers working toward inclusive and equitable education systems