Changing Sex Roles in Children's Books in the United States

Abstract

Children's books, whether they be the classic fairy tale or a simple situational story, have had a lasting influence on growing children. Through years of conditioning, the average child has been given but one limited role. The result of this conditioning process is a polarization of personality characteristics which prevent females from having some positive "male" characteristics and males from having some positive female characteristics. Sex roles as seen in males conquering, solving, and building and in females appearing helpless, incompetent, and foolish have been proven to affect a child's concept of his/her capability. I will attempt to illustrate the development of a child's sex role with emphais on the influence of children's books, particularly the Daldecott winners. They convey the viewier the roles seen in the traditional home of mother cooking and washing, while father is working outside of the home. The young child, though unable to understand the written story, is able to view and remember the characters. I will attempt to determine whether these decisions offer the child a balanced depiction of male and female roles.