Bhagwani Bai

LEAD 8002

Dr. Steven Nelson

October 9, 2016

Critical Review of Book Education and Gendered Citizenship in Pakistan

The book Education and Gendered Citizenship in Pakistan is written by M. Ayaz

Naseem, from Pakistan, currently Associate Professor, Department of Education, Concordia

University Montreal Canada. M. Naseem is author of several books, book chapter and articles.

His research interest include peace education, social media, feminist theory and philosophy, post-

structuralism, diversity in classroom, and democratic and citizenship education. This book is

written by applying Michal Foucaults post-structuralism theory to study the gendered

citizenship of women in Pakistan through studying not only texts/narratives of government

publications but, education discourse by examining in both pre and post-colonial perspective

that created gendered biases and marginalization of women. He argues that educational system in

Pakistan promote disempowerment of women, due to the biased and gendered portray of women.

Through the post-structuralism lens Naseem has critically examined, social, political, legal,

context that how the visible happenings in education is historically connected to structures that

promote marginalization of women and minority groups.

Author has discussed about federally controlled curriculum that is guided by education

vision based on the notion of modernization but having strong inspiration of oriental and colonial

discourses as well that are chauvinistic and intolerant to women and minority groups. He
reviewed text books and highlighted that how citizenship is strictly exemplified with male

Muslim and ignoring women, cultural diversity within Muslims and excluding non-Muslims

form the educational narratives or creating bad and feminine image of religious minority groups.

The conclusion of the book is that Pakistani educational narratives include masculine,

militaristic, and nationalist interpretations and exclude women, dissidents and minorities. All

efforts seems for the development of patriotic homogenous citizenry on the bases of religion

instead of democratic citizenry that have space for women, ethnic, cultural, linguistic and

religious minorities groups.

Although authors main focus on women exclusion from educational narratives and

discourse I found some of the useful information on minorities that where they are positioned in

educational text and discourse and how it overtly apathetic to the existence of minorities.

Author has taken reference from around 550 books, book chapter, articles, government document

and reports, policies, text books, non- governmental and human rights organization reports, and

research studies with some notable theorist and scholars such as Michal Foucault, Home, K.

Bhabha, Patricia Collins, Chandra Mohanty, Bell Hooks, Raewyn Connell, has been cited

throughout the book. I feel it difficult to summarize and incorporate work of these sociologist,

educationist, feminist activist, into a book on gendered citizenship. I found attractive the title of

book because it is broad and I was expecting work on minorities in this book that I found, cited

in different perspective, though.

Although, author has discussed on the topic in different ways around post-structuralism

framework, I still feel that role of religious groups in education polity and their influence in
education policy need to be discussed that being a women from minority group feel its influence

in educational discourses.

References:

Naseem, M. A. (2010). Education and gendered citizenship in Pakistan. New York: Palgrave-

McMillan.