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Gender role stereotyping in children's literature: an update

Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, Feb, 1993 by Carole M. Kortenhaus, Jack Demarest

Children in every culture learn to adopt certain roles and behaviors as part of the socialization process. Many of these behavioral roles are based on identification with a particular sex. The development of gender role identity is important to children's self-perception, and it influences the way children are treated by adults and peers, affecting the expectations that others have for their behavior. The gender identity of most children is shaped by the universally shared beliefs about gender roles that are held by their society. These shared beliefs often take the form of oversimplified gender role stereotypes.

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Every society contains sources of information designed to foster these traditions. In most cultures the most important and effective way of transmitting values and attitudes is through story telling, and in literate cultures this process includes children's books. A common experience for many preschool children is listening to stories read from books, particularly illustrated books (Davis, 1984). Preschoolers have story schema and they delight in having a favorite book read over and over again. Koeller (1988) suggested that young children are aided in practicing rational thinking as they mobilize, formulate, test, revise, and expand their view of the world through listening and discussing stories in books. In fact, books continue to have a major influence on the socialization process despite the dominant role of television in the day to day activities of most American children. Conversations with adolescent students showed that individuals whose parents had read to them during preschool years could still name the title of their favorite children's book, had accurate memory of the story content, and expressed enjoyment in remembering it (Miles, 1980). Their recall of television programs did not seem to produce such a lasting impression. In fact, most children are better able to recall commercial messages than program content, possibly because TV viewing does not ask for the investment of self demanded by literature (Goldsen, 1977). Given this long-term influence of books, there can be no doubt that the characters portrayed in children's literature mold a child's conception of socially accepted roles and values, and indicate how males and females are supposed to act.

In our society the characteristics of competence, instrumentation, and achievement motivation are usually considered to be highly desirable traits, and they are typically associated with masculinity (Deaux, 1976). Females are perceived to be nurturant, dependent, and submissive, i.e., females exhibit traits that are viewed as less desirable (Dino, Barnett, & Howard, 1984; Spence & Helmreich, 1980). These stereotypes already exist in the portrayal of males and females in children's literature (Child, Potter, & Levine, 1946; Hillman, 1974; Jacklin & Mischel, 1973; Key, 1971; Kingston & Lovelace, 1977-1978; Purcell & Stewart, 1990; Tetenbaum & Pearson, 1989; Women on Words and Images, 1975), and they exist in the illustrated picture books we read to our preschoolers (Collins, Ingoldsby, & Dellman, 1984; Nilsen, 1971; Peterson & Lach, 1990; St. Peter, 1979; Stewig & Higgs, 1973; Weitzman, Eifler, Hokada, & Ross, 1972). In children's literature, males typically are portrayed as competent and achievement oriented, while the image of females is that they are limited in what they do, and less competent in their ability to accomplish things. Female characters are involved in few of the activities and assigned few of the characteristics or goals that are accorded prestige and esteem in our society (Frasher & Walker, 1972), even though such goals and activities are pursued and achieved daily by a majority of women in the business and professional world. McArthur and Eisen (1976) noted that girls must identify with the male figures in these stories if they are to acquire any sense of competence or achievement from the literary role models.

Key (1971), reviewing this literature through the 1960s, showed that males predominated in situations with active mastery themes (cleverness, adventure, and earning money), while females predominated in situations with "second-sex" themes (passivity, victimization, and goal constriction). There were also numerous examples of function ranking, such as the male portrayed as older, taller, in front of, or leaning over a seated female.

Weitzman, et al. (1972), reviewing children's books published during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, found that females were greatly underrepresented in titles, central roles, and the illustrations in picture books. Most of the activity was done by males, and males were the focus of the story in the overwhelming majority of the cases. Surprisingly, the stories that were examined were taken from books that had won the Caldecott Medal. This annual prize is awarded by the Children's Service Committee of the American Library Association as a measure of excellence for the most distinguished picture book of the year. Key (1971) concluded that the trend in children's books is based on the premise that, "boys do, girls are." In picture books, these genderisms are very likely a strong influence affecting children's perceptions of how males and females think, behave, and interact.

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Gender role stereotyping in children's literature: an update

Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, Feb, 1993 by Carole M. Kortenhaus, Jack Demarest

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