Browsing by Author "Oinonen, Janni"

Aims. On this study I will research how diversity shows in finnish children`s picturebooks published on 21st century. I analyzed both pictures and text, because they complement each other and create the story together. I look for the answers on following research problems: How diversity shows in finnish picturebooks? How pictures will complement text and vice versa?     Methods. The research material contained four finnish children's picturebooks which were published on 21st century. I chose books where the characters were different also by their looks and backgrounds, so that the research material would be versatile. I research the diversity of characters also in pictures and text. On analyzing process I used content analysis, so I could condense the research material on suitable shape. While analyzing the research material, I utilized questions of “Critical race theory” by Mendoza and Reese (2001) who have studied children`s books on the context of multiculturalism.       Results and Conclusions. The main characters were different also by their looks and backgrounds, but all they were girls. Boys were in different side roles in the books, but there were not any character who would represent sexual minorities. There were neither disabled people or families with homosexual parents in research material. On every book, there were characters in different ethnic backgrounds. Despite of the ethnic features the characters were represented quite same way, although white characters seem more distinctive with their different dress- and hairstyles. Sosio-economic topic raised only when the talk was about history. Apart from one family, all represented families were nuclear families with mom and dad.