Gender representations and stereotypes in Singaporean picture books: 1970 to 2008

Brendan Luyt*, Seng Sheh Lee, Ng Yung Yong

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Research done in other countries has found that picture books under-represent females and contain gender stereotypes. Little research exists for the case of picture books published by Singaporean authors. Using a content analysis approach a random sample of 80 Singaporean picture books published from the 1970s to the present was coded. In particular the following elements were examined: male and female names in book titles and of main characters, male and female illustrations, and portrayal of males and females in outdoor and indoor scenes. The findings show that by the 2000s rough gender parity had been attained with one key finding being that the 1980s was a pivotal turning-point in the representation of gender. Two potential explanations are provided for why this might be so.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)49-65
Number of pages17
JournalMalaysian Journal of Library and Information Science
Volume16
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - 2011
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Library and Information Sciences

Keywords

  • Children's literature
  • Gender stereotypes
  • Picture books
  • Sexism
  • Singapore

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Gender representations and stereotypes in Singaporean picture books: 1970 to 2008'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this