Are females and males equitably represented? A study of early readers

•Gender inequalities and biases are perpetuated in children's books.•Female characters, especially female animal characters, were under-represented.•Females were frequently confined to the home and a limited range of social roles.•Females were often associated with relational processes; males w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Linguistics and education 2019-02, Vol.49, p.52-61
Main Authors: Lee, Jackie F.K., Chin, Andy C.O.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Children
Children's books
Early literacy
Education authorities
Equality
Females
Gender
Gender differences
Hong Kong
Males
Parents & parenting
Readers
Reading materials
Sex roles
Stereotypes
Teachers
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Summary:•Gender inequalities and biases are perpetuated in children's books.•Female characters, especially female animal characters, were under-represented.•Females were frequently confined to the home and a limited range of social roles.•Females were often associated with relational processes; males with material.•Male characters tend to be accorded more respect than female characters. Early readers can play a significant role in the intergenerational transmission of gender roles. The present study examines how females and males are represented in selected early readers recommended by the Education Bureau of Hong Kong for the promotion of ‘Reading to Learn’ and ‘Reading across the Curriculum’. The study used both manual and computational methods to examine how experiential and relational values are expressed through variables such as the ratio of female-to-male character types, the roles and activities depicted, character identification and the order of mention of males and females. The findings show that although the number of female human character types was similar to that of their male counterparts, there were substantially more male than female animal character types. The study also reveals gender stereotypes including confining females to a limited range of traditional roles and activities, addressing females more informally than males, and a stronger tendency to identify females by their relationships with others. The paper ends with some recommendations for education authorities, teachers and parents on how to help children interpret gender and redress unfair practices.
ISSN:0898-5898
1873-1864
DOI:10.1016/j.linged.2018.12.003