Doctoral Dissertations
Date of Award
8-1992
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Major
Teacher Education
Major Professor
J. Estill Alexander
Committee Members
Lester N. Knight, John R. Ray, Charles H. Hargis
Abstract
Although considerable research attention was focused on the representation of minority populations In children's textbooks and literature during the period of the late 1960's to the late 1970's, research Interest has been declining. The decade of the eighties has been described as a period of "benign neglect" with regard to minority issues in children's literature (Banfield, 1985a, p. 8).
The present study focused on the two largest minority groups, African Americans and Hispanic Americans, and was descriptive in nature, employing quantitative and qualitative content analysis. Four research questions were developed to determine the treatment of these two minority populations in contemporary children's trade books published by the Children's Book Council with respect to image, characteristics, and stereotyping.
The sample consisted of ten Hispanic American works of fiction and thirty-one selections of African American children's literature appropriate for elementary ages and published In the time period, 1989-1991. Two instruments were used: a list of verbal stereotypes from the research of Katz and Braly and a character analysis instrument developed by Berelson and Salter. In addition, supplemental guidelines and stereotypes from the Council on Interracial Books for Children were employed.
Major conclusions drawn from the findings of the present study were as follows:
1. The overall number of fictional books for Hispanic American and African American children Is appallingly limited. The numbers are not sufficient to meet the needs of these rapidly increasing populations of students.
2. Although the numbers were limited, the books generally were favorable in their treatment of the minority groups under consideration. Evidence of stereotypic adjectives were found in reference to both groups, but most stereotypes were positive and not explicitly stated. Some implicit, subtle stereotyping did exist in the children's literature.
3. African American and Hispanic American females were more likely than males to be portrayed in a stereotypical manner.
4. The images of the Hispanic American and African American with respect to economic status and social class were less favorable and positive than were the descriptions of physical appearance, attitudes, and interpersonal relationships.
Recommended Citation
Cobb, Jeanne Beck, "Images and characteristics of African Americans and Hispanic Americans in contemporary children's fiction. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 1992.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/10862