I. Introduction
Children’s books contain various aspects of life as per the time of their authorship. Some children’s books reflect modern-day thoughts and broad societal ideals, while others contain definite ideals of scientific subjects. As such, the plurality of the human way of life brings the plurality in the subject matters of children’s books. More often than not, parents who narrate and read stories to their children seek to articulate to the children their worldview on different aspects. On the one hand, some parents deem children books as sufficient to shape their outlook in life, especially where the stories align with the basic principles on morality and good human conduct (Wills, 2018). On the other hand, some parents may show sensitivity to ostensible details on children’s books that in one way or another fail to align with the standards they seek to inculcate in their children. Children’s books often depict a strong allusion to fairy tales and the existence of a world of fantasy. Through such context, the books communicate various viewpoints concerning human relations, which make the child more aware of the world around and beyond their current setting. Therefore exploring whether or not children’s books reflect race and gender relations forms a crucial aspect in shaping the children’s initial experiences with books.
A. Background
Children’s books have been in existence since the ushering in of literacy. Although society has always had children stories passed through word of mouth, the age of literacy allowed for the creation of children’s books that contain stories as well as other visuals in enhancing children’s intellectual development (Aronson, Callahan, & O'Brien, 2018). However, the depiction of race and gender relations in children’s books cannot be deemed to arise from design but is orchestrated by certain social factors that keep the rift between the members on each side of the race and gender divide. Societal prejudice in relation to gender and race aspects stem from the failure to mainstream these aspects in modern times. One reason for this problem has been on the historical factors where some races suffered oppression and slavery at the hands of other races. The same case applies regarding gender where members of one gender felt superior to members of the opposite gender. Accessibility to economic opportunities has also been a subject of concern as they have an input in the nature of interactions between members of different gender as well as race affiliations.
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B. Problem Statement
Apart from encouraging learning, various other socially-influenced themes feature prominently within the domain of children’s books. As a matter of fact, children, the same as adults, gain knowledge and understanding on different matters from reading and gaining insights from another person’s viewpoint. Since most of the children’s books have a fictional basis, they invite the child to identify with various fictional characters. Furthermore, considering that children have narrow life experiences, children’s books open their world and function as eye-openers on different difficulties, possibilities, as well as life situations hence impacting an indirect effect the child’s traits. As such, the influence of children’s books in shaping children’s perspectives on gender and race relations in society cannot be overlooked.
II. Race Relations as Reflected in Children's Books
Over the years, the depiction of race relations in children’s books has kept on changing as seen through the various time periods. Children’s books written in the period between the late 1930s to mid-1950s depict Blacks in modest outlooks while portraying their White counterparts in a more affirmative way. Most of the authors showed a degree of racial prejudice where the Black characters serve insignificant roles such as subservient servants, unskilled labors, or slaves (Conley, 2011). Throughout this phase, the relations between White and Black characters depict the inferior status of the Backs against the superior position of whites. Where the children’s books contain multiracial characters, the Black characters seem more musical than the other racial groups while Hispanics take a greater role in religious activities.
From the late 1950s up to the early 1960s, the depiction of multiracial characters in children’s books persisted with similar relations as before. Nonetheless, children’s picture books largely omitted black characters. This aspect changed throughout the period between mid-1960s to early 1970s, where an increase in the books depicting Black characters took place (Aronson, Callahan, & O'Brien, 2018). The increase went hand in hand with an enhanced portrayal of Black characters, eliminating most the stereotypes depicted in previous periods. Furthermore, the books depicted a harmonious coexistence among racial groups, with almost none having one race only. All the same, the roles played by black characters rarely changed as children’s books seldom used a black character as the main character.
Across the same period, children’s books portrayed interactions among Black people in Africa with different thematic concerns. For most of the books, the themes involved interactions between parents and children, children playing, families involved in work activities, and groups lively engaging in play, dance, and storytelling (Johnson, 2014). In as much as the books depicted learning activities such as counting, the alphabet, and language, the theme of race interactions remain central with depiction of multiracial families. From the 1990s, children’s books portrayed relations between Black and White characters. Furthermore, the books portrayed clear multiracial themes and had an inclination on political issues cutting across the racial divide. The trend continues to date, with more emphasis on altruism and dealing with issues affecting society.
III. Gender Relations as Reflected in Children's Books
Various analyses of gender in children’s books have pointed out that these books reflect the gender constructs in society and aims at influencing children to perpetuate it. A conspicuous feature is that the books depict stereotypical gender features across both female and male characters. Another notable aspect is the considerably lesser number of female characters. In most cases, where the main character is female, such stories consist of heterosexual storylines. On the other hand, some stories have male characters functioning devoid of any relations to the opposite gender. Common in these books is the fact that they epitomize gender and the various ways in which the society recognizes the roles of both male and female gender (Jarkovská, 2014). As such, they emphasize on the heterosexual structure of the society, with each gender complimenting the other. Most children storybooks show heterosexual relations as fundamental to the overall culture and structure of society. As a matter of fact, children’s stories embrace heterosexual relations between the heroine and the hero, often making it the driving factor in the story.
Further, children’s books depict heteronormative relations between the male and female characters with constricted gender norms. As a result, the heterosexual couples depicted in the tales typically show indispensable normative characteristics. In most cases, the hero portrays bravery, resourcefulness, and is tough, while the heroine possesses outstanding beauty with other characteristics such as being humble, kind, and hard‐working. Where she lacks some of the normative traits, the story shows her determination to acquire such. The relations between male and female characters show males as active persons seeking to win over the female characters. Often, female characters serve as the prize that the hero gains for completing his challenge or solving a major problem. As such, Children’s books thus contribute to the shaping the child’s outlook regarding gender roles and relation, underlining the societal expectations on either gender.
IV. Discussion and Conclusion
As it stands, gender and race interactions remain a major theme in children’s books. In almost every nation, issues of gender equality remain a pertinent subject. In turn, the reflection of gender roles in children’s books shapes the children’s point of view as they grow in society. Similarly, the depiction of multiracial characters in children’s books showed a degree of racial prejudice, where the Black characters served insignificant roles and were subject to the authority of white characters. However, the books have continuously changed in portraying racial stereotypes, inclining to show equality among races. Furthermore, the books focus on interracial themes that look into political issues cutting across the racial divide. Ultimately, the depiction of gender and race relations in children’s books serve to show children the societal structure, influencing them to uphold it.
Beyond the immediate context of narration, children’s books may depict various pictures that influence their perspective on matters concerning race and gender. As Johnson, (2014) points out, the challenging and factual reality is that the values inculcated in a child at their tender age majorly influence their outlook on issues that stretch far out and beyond the family context. Particularly for communities and families in the contemporary society, the state of affairs on race and gender result from the interplay of a number of mutually supporting trends in the economies of different countries. On the other hand, the fact that racial and gender inequalities still exist in society, the input of children’s books on these matters requires an in-depth analysis, to prevent perpetuating discriminatory attitudes through books meant for children. Depiction of any forms of gender prejudice or racial discrimination may result in social and economic detriments that work towards upsetting a harmonious co-existence in the modern day society.
References
Aronson, K. M., Callahan, B. D., & O'Brien, A. S. (2018). Messages Matter . Investigating the Thematic Content of Picture Books Portraying Underrepresented Racial and Cultural Groups.
Conley, E. (2011). Representation of race in children's picture books and how students respond to them .
Jarkovská, L. (2014). Children’s literature and the politics of gender. Journal of Gender and Power , 2, 73-82.
Johnson, R. A. (2014). Trends in Children's Literature and the Social Implications .
Wills, J. H. (2018). Origin Narratives: The Stories We Tell Children about Immigration and Transnational Adoption. Research on Diversity in Youth Literature , 1(1), 8.
