The Discursive Construction Of Hierarchy: A Critical Discourse Study Of Pakistani Secondary English Textbooks

Abstract

This study critically examines how hierarchical social structures are discursively constructed in Pakistani secondary school English textbooks. Using Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the research analyzes 12 English textbooks (Grades 9 and 10) published by the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB). Findings reveal three dominant discursive strategies: (1) legitimization of authority through familial and religious metaphors, (2) naturalization of gender and class hierarchies via role allocation, and (3) erasure of dissent through narratives of obedience and national unity. The textbooks systematically construct an idealized social order where deference to elders, teachers, state authorities, and patriarchal figures is presented as both morally virtuous and pragmatically necessary. The study argues that these discourses contribute to the reproduction of authoritarian social structures and inhibit critical citizenship. Implications for curriculum reform and critical pedagogy in postcolonial educational contexts are discussed.