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Using gender-atypical Kiswahili children’s stories to deconstruct gender-stereotyped roles among learners
Introduction: Gender stereotypes impact negatively on children when exposed to them during the early stages of their socialization (Onyango, 2007; Floyd, 2012; Toçi & Aliu, 2013). They shape children’s conceptualisation of gender roles and can influence in them the development of notions that one gender is weaker in certain societal spheres of influence (Floyd, 2012). When this notion is consistently propagated in their lifetimes, there is a danger of creating a society where individuals discriminate against others based on their gender identities. Despite this fact, few studies on gender have focused on children, even though childhood is an important stage in human development.
A number of studies in child psychology (Kohlberg, 1966; Gottfredson, 1981; Eccles, 1994) have revealed that fixation in adulthood can be traced back to childhood. It is in light of the above that global strategies to address gender stereotypes were formulated. One of the proposed strategies was to deconstruct gender stereotypes using children’s books. This is due to the fact that books play a significant role in the socialization process of a child because, like other human beings, children acquire a lot of knowledge from books which enable them to form certain patterns of behaviours, perceptions, thinking and beliefs. Fox (1993) says that everything human beings read constructs them and makes them who they are, enabling them to present the image of themselves as girls and women and as boys and men. Mpesha (2007, 1996) and Mbuthia (2018) also affirm that children’s literature is not just a record of social events but also an instrument for socialization. A number of studies have shown that a reading culture and skills are significant to the child’s cognitive development.
Singh (1998) argues that, apart from being a significant resource for developing language skills among children, children’s books play an important role in transmitting societal culture to children. Gender roles are an important part of this culture. How genders are portrayed in children’s books contributes to the images children develop of their own roles and that of their genders in society (Onyango, 2006). It is in light of the above that this chapter examines how exposure to gender- atypical Kiswahili children’s stories influenced learners’ understandings of gender roles
Author: Ekiru, Simon
Co-author: Khau, Mathabo | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8933-0553
Co-author: Chumba, Sammy | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3175-8167
Institution: None | Centre: None
Type: Chapter in book | English | Peer Reviewed
Subjects: Education
Published in: Education research in African context: traditions and new beginnings for knowledge and impact. ISBN: 978-1-0672535-0-9 (paper), EISBN: 978-1-0672535-1-6 (eBook), EISBN: 978-1-0672535-2-3 (ePub) | Chapter 12
Publisher of document: Somerset West, Cape Town: African Minds
Date: 2024 | Pages: 180 - 201
https://www.africanminds.co.za/education-research/
Copyright: © 2024 African Minds | License: Open Access: CC BY 4.0
