This article examines the role of language in the construction of gender identity, focusing on educational, familial, and discursive contexts. Drawing on key studies in linguistics and gender research, gender is conceptualized as a socially constructed phenomenon shaped through repeated linguistic practices. The analysis highlights how language operates as a powerful socializing mechanism that reinforces traditional gender roles and unequal power relations, particularly within school textbooks and everyday institutional discourse. At the same time, language can function as a site of resistance, enabling individuals to renegotiate and redefine gender identities beyond binary frameworks.

The findings reveal consistent patterns, including the privileging of masculine agency and authority in educational materials, the differential socialization of boys and girls through gendered communication styles, and the emergence of alternative gender identities through acts of self-naming and discursive agency. Despite these insights, the review identifies limitations in existing research, particularly the lack of integrative studies linking educational language practices with contemporary understandings of gender diversity. Overall, this review underscores the need for further research that critically examines language as both a regulatory and transformative force in gender identity formation.

language, gender identity, discourse, education, textbooks, socialization, gender roles, linguistic representation, identity constructionIntroduction

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