Publication Date

1-1-2003

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Swanson, Diana L.

Legacy Department

Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality

Abstract

A number of booklists recommending novels that can help children expand their ideas of gender roles have been recently published, in part because of the recent attention paid to the drops in self-esteem and academic performance adolescent girls experience related to gender roles. I examined several of these booklists and a small sample of the novels they recommend. Although many of the recommended novels offered readers examples of nontraditional heroines, they also perpetuated gender bias to some degree. In order for literature to be an effective tool in changing children’s definitions of gender, parents, educators, and authors need to be extremely critical of the gender messages in novels, and these messages need to be discussed with readers.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references.

Extent

44 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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