A content analysis of gender representation in Malaysian children's literature

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Ramesh Nair
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Children's Literature ◽  
English Language ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
Children's Books ◽  
Children’S Books ◽  
Minor Characters ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Mental Schemas ◽  
Selection Of

Children's literature serves as a powerful medium through which children construct messages about their roles In society and gender Identity is often central to this construction. Although possessing mental schemas about gender differences is helpful when children organize their ideas of the world around them, problems occur when children are exposed to a constant barrage of uncompromising, gender-schematic sources that lead to stereotyping which in turn represses the full development of the child. This paper focuses on how gender is represented in a selection of Malaysian children's books published in the English language. Relying on the type of content analysis employed by previous feminist social science researchers, I explore this selection of Malaysian children's books for young children and highlight some areas of concern with regard to the construction of maleness and femaleness in these texts. The results reveal Imbalances at various levels Including the distribution of main, supporting and minor characters along gendered lines and the positioning of male and female characters In the visual Illustrations. The stereotyping of these characters In terms of their behavioural traits will be discussed with the aim of drawing attention to the need for us to take concerted measures to provide our children with books that will help them realize their potential to the fullest.

The Adult as Foe or Friend?: Childism in Guus Kuijer's Criticism and Fiction

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Joosen
Keyword(s):  
Children's Literature ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Children's Books ◽  
Children’S Books ◽  
Memorial Award ◽  
Adult Reader ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Selection Of

Compared to the attention that children's literature scholars have paid to the construction of childhood in children's literature and the role of adults as authors, mediators and readers of children's books, few researchers have made a systematic study of adults as characters in children's books. This article analyses the construction of adulthood in a selection of texts by the Dutch author and Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award winner Guus Kuijer and connects them with Elisabeth Young-Bruehl's recent concept of ‘childism’ – a form of prejudice targeted against children. Whereas Kuijer published a severe critique of adulthood in Het geminachte kind [The despised child] (1980), in his literary works he explores a variety of positions that adults can take towards children, with varying degrees of childist features. Such a systematic and comparative analysis of the way grown-ups are characterised in children's texts helps to shed light on a didactic potential that materialises in different adult subject positions. After all, not only literary and artistic aspects of children's literature may be aimed at the adult reader (as well as the child), but also the didactic aspect of children's books can cross over between different age groups.

Theorizing a Critical Race Content Analysis for Children’s Literature about People of Color

2020 ◽  
pp. 004208592096371
Author(s):  
Lindsay Pérez Huber ◽  
Lorena Camargo Gonzalez ◽  
Daniel G. Solórzano
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Children's Literature ◽  
Critical Race Theory ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
People Of Color ◽  
Children's Books ◽  
Children’S Books ◽  
Critical Race ◽  
Critical Content ◽  
Critical Content Analysis

Concerns from scholars about the exclusion of People of Color in children’s literature began in the early 20th century and continues today. The lack of children’s literature about People of Color is even more alarming in the contemporary moment, when Children of Color comprise a significant proportion of urban schools throughout the U.S. Only since the 1990’s have scholars begun to critically examine the portrayals of People of Color in children’s books. More recent research offers frameworks and methodologies for critical analyses of children’s books, namely a Critical Content Analysis that offers strategies for the examination of discursive power in literature for youth. This conceptual article theorizes how Critical Race Theory (CRT) in Education can be utilized with a Critical Content Analysis to provide a new framework for the examination of race, class, gender, (and other intersectionalities) in children’s books about People of Color— A Critical Race Content Analysis. We provide guiding principles of a Critical Race Content Analysis and analytical questions as tools for researchers and educators interested in conducting their own critical analyses of books about People of Color. Finally, we illustrate how this analysis is conducted with an example of a children’s book about immigration. This article makes important contributions to the literature on urban education that call for providing educators with tools to develop “racial literacies”.

scholarly journals A Voice from the Middle East

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-90
Author(s):  
Nisreen Anati
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Children's Literature ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Children's Books ◽  
Children’S Books ◽  
Political Reality ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
The Arab Spring

This research paper explores the trends of presenting political and social realities in Arabic children’s literature through a content analysis of 26 award-winning Arabic children’s books published between 2011 and 2018 — after the Arab Spring. The origins of Arabic children’s books are first investigated from a number of different standpoints, and are shown to have traditional, religious, and global ties. I also explore the recent rise of interest in creating Arabic literary works for young children. I deduce that the causes of this increase are a cultural reawakening, globalization, and government support and funding. Finally, the 26 children’s books studied show links between the ethnicity of their authors, their dates of publication, and the illustrations and themes that appear in them. This provides support for the idea that Arabic political reality is often reflected in Arabic children’s literature.

scholarly journals The Fortunes of Hungarian Children’s Literature at Home and in the English-Speaking World

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 145-163
Author(s):  
Anna Bentley
Keyword(s):  
Children's Literature ◽  
Fairy Tale ◽  
English Language ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
Children's Books ◽  
Children’S Books ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Hungarian State

This paper asks why so few works of Hungarian children’s literature have made it to publication in English-speaking countries. It finds that few translated children’s books make it onto the English-language market and those translations that are successful mainly appear in major European languages. Representation at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair has been dogged by a lack of financial resources and polish while Hungarian State funding has lacked continuity. Nearly all the English translations of Hungarian children’s books available today have been published in Hungary, although a book will occasionally find its way to foreign publishers by informal means. This paper also follows the development of Hungarian children’s literature from the late nineteenth century to the present day, noting changes in terms of character, subject matter and attitudes to diversity and use of the fairy-tale tradition. It outlines one recent controversy surrounding the publication of Meseország mindenkié [’Storyland for Everybody’], a book which aims, in contrast to the current regime’s ideology, to represent the marginalized in Hungarian society. It also details recent clashes sparked by the new Hungarian National School Curriculum and one writer’s feminist critique of a classic text.

Positive Portrayal of Grandparents in Current Children's Literature

2001 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 639-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROBERT M. BELAND ◽  
TERRY L. MILLS
Keyword(s):  
Children's Literature ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Functional Abilities ◽  
Children's Books ◽  
Children’S Books ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Children's books have the potential to affect cultural norms and attitudes about older adults in many ways. The purpose of this study was to investigate the portrayal of grandparents in children's literature. Sixty-four children's books published since 1985 were randomly selected and content analyzed. In general, there was an overwhelming positive portrayal of grandparents in these books. Positive grandparent characteristics such as independence and happiness were depicted in a majority of the books the authors examined. Other characteristics such as wisdom and understanding were portrayed in slightly less than a majority of the stories. Although some of the stories depicted grandparents with various disabilities, physical impairment did not detract from the positive depiction of the grandparent. Future research might investigate the variance in the portrayal of grandparents along racial/ethnic and gender lines. For example, how are grandparents from various demographic groups portrayed in terms of status, wisdom, functional abilities, or equity?

scholarly journals News & Announcements

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanne Pearce
Keyword(s):  
Children's Literature ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
Children's Books ◽  
Children’S Books ◽  
Children's Book ◽  
Northern District ◽  
News Announcements ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Selection Of

Greetings Everyone! There are only a few news items for the fall issue: International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Announces  List of 100 Children’s Books in Arabic "Here is a selection of 100 children’s books in Arabic published in various countries of the Arab world. This selection reflects the dynamism of a sector that has truly taken off in the past twenty years, with the publication of a wide range of titles whose quality is often recognised by international awards."Finalists Announced for the 2017 Canadian Children’s Book Centre AwardsThe CCBC has announced the finalists in for their annual book awards. This includes the $30,000 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. See the CCBC website for a full list of finalists."So you want to get Published?" SeminarThe Canadian Children's Book Centre is hosting a seminar for aspiring children's book authors on November 4, 2017 at 10:00 AM at the Northern District Library in Toronto, ON.  Details are found on the CCBC website.Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable (VCLR) The VCLR, announced the 2017 Information Book Award Shortlist. The shortlist can be found on the VCLR webiste. The winner will be announced in November 2017.Wishing you bright fall days!Hanne Pearce - Communications Editor

scholarly journals Los enfoques de la literatura infantil relacionada con la Educación Física y el Deporte: un análisis comparativo entre Brasil y España (Approaches of children’s literature dealing with Physical Education and Sport: a comparative analysis between Brazil an

Retos ◽  
2015 ◽  
pp. 68-72
Author(s):  
Rafael Guimarães Botelho
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Children's Literature ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Interobserver Reliability ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
Children's Books ◽  
Children’S Books ◽  
Significant Incidence ◽  
Palabras Clave

El objetivo de este artículo es comparar los enfoques de los libros infantiles con temática relacionada con la Educación Física y el Deporte publicados en Brasil con los publicados en España. Para llevar a cabo la investigación, se ha utilizado el análisis de contenido. Además, se ha creado y utilizado un modelo heurístico para identificar los enfoques presentes en las obras infantiles publicadas en ambos países. Para validar el análisis, se ha empleado la fiabilidad intraobservador e interobservadores mediante la aplicación del índice kappa de Cohen. Los resultados de este análisis indican que: (a) predomina en gran medida el enfoque de los Juegos y recreación en los dos corpora de libros analizados; (b) el enfoque de los Deportes también registra una gran incidencia en las obras infantiles de los dos países; (c) el enfoque de la Historia presenta una marcada incidencia en ambos países; (d) otro enfoque significativo presente en las obras infantiles analizadas es el de la Ética; (e) el enfoque de la Salud presenta casi los mismos porcentajes tanto en un país como en otro; (f) otra de las similitudes encontradas es que ambos países no registran incidencia alguna de los enfoques de la Educación gerontológica y del Multiculturalismo; (g) el enfoque de los Estudios olímpicos presenta una importante incidencia en España, mientras que en Brasil el tema está olvidado; (h) el enfoque de la Danza en Brasil apenas tiene incidencia (solamente el 1,11%), mientras que en España presenta una importante incidencia  (un 8,33%).Palabras clave: literatura infantil, Educación Física, análisis de contenido, análisis comparativo, Brasil, España.Abstract: The aim of this paper is to compare the approaches of children’s books dealing with Physical Education and Sport published in Brazil with the ones published in Spain. To develop the investigation, a content analysis was utilized. Also, a heuristic model was created and utilized to identify the approaches present in the children’s books published in both countries. To validate the analysis, was employed the intraobserver and interobserver reliability, applying Cohen’s kappa coefficient. The results of this analysis indicate that: (a) the approach of Games and recreation presents the biggest incidence in both corpora; (b) the approach of Sports also registers a great incidence in the children’s books of both countries; (c) the approach of History presents a significant incidence in both countries; (d) another significant approach present in the children’s books analyzed is Ethics; (e) the approach of Health presents almost the same percentages in Brazil and in Spain; (f) another similarity is that in both countries there is no incidence of the approaches of Gerontologic Education and Multiculturalism; (g) the approach of Olympic Studies presents an important incidence in Spain, though in Brazil it is overlooked; (h) the approach of Dance in Brazil has almost no incidence (only 1,11%), though in Spain it is quite the opposite (incidence of 8,33%).Keywords: children’s literature, Physical Education, content analysis, comparative analysis, Brazil, Spain.

Welcome to our inaugural issue!

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Desmarais
Keyword(s):  
Children's Literature ◽  
English Language ◽  
Children’S Literature ◽  
Young Adult Fiction ◽  
Children's Books ◽  
Children’S Books ◽  
Special Collections ◽  
Honorary Doctor ◽  
The University ◽  
College Library

The University of Alberta Libraries (UAL) is delighted to have the blessing of Dr Andrea Deakin and the Okanagan College Library to assume all responsibilities of the eponymous “Deakin Newsletter” (www.okanagan.bc.ca), which is now renamed “The Deakin Review of Children’s Literature”. An enthusiastic team of book reviewers and editors from UAL will review English language children’s books and publish thoughtful reviews and recommendations using a four star system (four stars: highly recommended; three stars: recommended; two stars: recommended with reservations; one star: not recommended). With so many children’s books published each year we know that it can be a dizzying task to find the good ones, so we will make every effort to review at least 25 books in each issue (published quarterly), including pop-ups, ABCs, young adult fiction, picture books, ebooks, board books, and works of non-fiction. Nearly a year ago I had the opportunity to meet Dr Andrea Deakin over lunch and we talked for hours about children’s books. Her enthusiasm was infectious and I was in awe when I learned that she had been reviewing children’s literature in Canada for nearly half a century. She explained that her career as a teacher and book reviewer had offered so many rewarding opportunities to promote children’s literature, and in retirement she continued her prolific book reviewing activities in an electronic newsletter hosted by the Okanagan College Library. She was recognized for her exemplary contribution to the humanities when Okanagan College awarded her an honorary Doctor of Letters degree in 2004. Dr Deakin has earned her reputation as one of the great champions of children’s literature and we are greatly honoured that she has given us this wonderful opportunity to launch a new journal in her honour. The reviewed books will be catalogued and processed as a non-circulating special collection, The Dr Andrea Deakin Collection of Children’s Literature, which will be stored at the University of Alberta’s Book and Record Depository, and made available to researchers in the reading room of the Bruce Peel Special Collections Library. We welcome your comments and suggestions about our publication, so please send me an email if you wish to get in touch. Best wishes for a pleasant summer, filled with splendid children’s books! Robert DesmaraisManaging Editor

Farmhands and Factory Workers, Honesty and Humility: The Portrayal of Social Class and Morals in English Language Learner Children's Books

2009 ◽  
Vol 111 (11) ◽  
pp. 2560-2588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joelle Sano
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Class ◽  
English Language Learner ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Read Aloud ◽  
Children's Books ◽  
Children’S Books ◽  
Caldecott Medal ◽  
Ell Students

Background/Context Although much research has evaluated children's books for depictions of gender, little has centered on the portrayal of immigrants and social class. This investigation utilizes Bourdieu's theory of capital reproduction in education, Durkheim's conception of collective conscience and morals, and Bowles and Gintis's critique of schooling to evaluate these depictions and to investigate the functions of English language learner (ELL) education. Focus of Study This analysis investigates the representation of immigrants and class in children's books read aloud in ELL classrooms. Research Design Using lists provided by a leading school of education, the investigation uses a content analysis of 50 books often read aloud to ELL students based on five economic and cultural capital indicators. Additionally, the research included a content analysis of the morals presented by these books and by the past 20 Caldecott Medal-winning books. Findings Findings suggest strong differences in class portrayals and morals between ELL classroom and Caldecott Medal-winning books. Additionally, the evidence shows that the ELL books portray various ethnic immigrant groups differently, often supporting popular stereotypes about these ethnicities. Conclusions and Recommendations The study provides possible implications of the findings on the educational and career aspirations of ELL students and suggests that future researchers focus on participant-observation to expand these findings.

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