The Relationship between Gender Roles and Role Relationships as portrayed in Children’s Books

Based on precise operational definitions for literature characters and certain characteristics, the relationship between gender roles and role relationships was tested. The results failed to support prior research of a significant relationship between the two, suggesting that equity in gender representation has been achieved. The elimination of gender misrepresentations and stereotypes will result in healthier child development, helping in the formation of a child’s self-concept and gender identity.

The Relationship between Gender Roles and Role Relationships as portrayed in Children’s Books

Throughout psychology it is clear that child development is a major focus of interest. From Freud to Erikson, many have studied the field. The ongoing, evolving process of research in child development has led to a continuously increasing base of knowledge in the field that has and will continue to help many. It is an established and accepted view that a child’s development is greatly influen

In contrast with much of the prior research in the relationship between gender role and role relationship, this experiment found no significant relationship between the two. Perhaps, the ever-increasing roles of women in children’s books have reached a level of parity to men’s roles. The lack of a significant relationship between gender and role relationship may be a reflection of today’s equity in book production. While past research has shown a steady increase in female characters and roles, it seems unlikely that over the past five years a relationship between gender and role relationship has been eliminated. A more conceivable explanation may be found in the inexperience of the student raters and the possibility that they failed to adequately judge the characters based solely on their operational definitions. The limited and biased construction of the operational definitions by the two students may also have contributed to the surprising results. While the results failed to show a significant relationship as was predicted, a lesser relationship between the two was obviously found, thus supporting the upward trend of female representation in children’s books. Further experiments taking into account a wider array of children’s books needs to be done to determine if in fact female stereotypes have been greatly reduced/eliminated, or if they still strongly exist in children’s literature. The elimination of such fictitious attributes can have a great, positive impact on children’s development, providing a basis for developing a sound self-concept and healthy gender identity.

It is a well-known idea that a child is heavily influenced and affected by his surroundings. From a very early age a child begins to develop a self-concept. There are many socializing tools/agents that contribute to the values and concepts a child learns. One tool through which children learn a lot from at a young age is books. One’s self-esteem and identity can be greatly influenced by the ideas portrayed in books. Gender identity, the child’s knowledge of his/her sex and the implications associated with it, is developed early in a child’s life and is based on the gender roles that children perceive (Shaw, 1998). Books provide an easily accessible means through which a child can learn what is “correct” behavior for his/her gender. Furthermore, a lack or deficiency of role models hinders children’s development (Association of Women Psychologists, 1970). In addition, a study by Bandura and Walters (1963) found characters portraying “typical” sex-role behaviors in a story serve as

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