Content analysis of textbooks of social and pakistan studies for religious tolerance in Pakistan

Abstract

This study was conducted with the objectives of identifying the content that promotes religious tolerance, intolerance and strength/weakness of concept of religious tolerance in Social Studies and Pakistan Studies textbooks. This study was delimited to the content analysis on religious tolerance and intolerance of Social Studies textbook of 8 the Class and Pak Studies textbooks of 10 the class published by the NWFP textbook board Peshawar, Pakistan. In the light of the curriculum draft, the content of both subjects of both classes was analyzed in the light of using qualitative methods. In the curriculum draft, three objectives on religious tolerance for Social Studies (Enhance Sympathy for other people, Love for humanity, and Service for mankind) and two objectives (Lay emphasis on the right and obligation of the citizen of an independent and sovereign state, and Inculcate awareness about the multicultural heritage of Pakistan so as to enable the students to better appreciate the social cultural diversity of Pakistani society and used to with the idea of unity of diversity in our national context) for Pakistan Studies were found. The Social Studies objectives were translated only in one lesson and the two objectives of the Pakistan Studies were translated only in three lessons in the text books. There were some supportive material on tolerance and intolerance. It is recommended that the intolerance and hate supportive material should be excluded and more tolerance supportive material should be included. The religious tolerance material should be propagated through educational institutions and media. Further research is also recommended for the content analysis of other textbooks at every level of education in Pakistan.