Browsing by Author "Vornanen, Reeta"

The objective of this Bachelor’s thesis was to examine presentation of gender in the picture book Hurjan hauska autokirja (Fun on Wheels, 1993). The thesis explores why a character is perceived as a man or a woman and what is said about his/her gender. The first research question focused on how gender was presented in the text and pictures of the book and how female or male characters could be identified. Second research question centered around vocabulary by observing the words and expressions used of female and male characters of the book. Third research question explored the behavior of men and women in the book. Earlier studies have shown that even a young child engages in deductions about gender based on an individual’s physique, voice, and accessories, among other things. Culture can either confirm or challenge impressions and attitudes that children have of gender. The goal of this study is to awaken critical thinking when considering the role of children’s books as one medium that influences children’s perception of gender. Hurjan hauska autokirja features versions of five classic stories: Three wishes, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Three Billy Goats Gruff and Cinderella. The first research question explored the characters in the book. The second and third research question observed only the 28 characters with essential roles in the stories. Qualitative research methods were used in this study. The findings of this study show that the gender of a character in Hurjan hauska autokirja can be identified mostly from the text. Second, it was found that occupations of men are told significantly more often than women’s occupations. Women are mostly described by definitions that have something to do with family relations. It was also found that women in Hurjan hauska autokirja affect the storyline more actively than men. Men often appear and act in groups or pairs, unlike women. Lastly, most of the characters who go against the “good”, ethical main characters of the stories, are female. All the characters in the book were interested in and motivated by cars.