Browsing by Subject "nuortenkirjallisuus"

We live in an increasingly diverse society. Various neurological developmental disorders have become more and more common as awareness and general discussion around them has increased. One of the most important tasks of basic education is to support the student's growth in humanity and become a membership of society. Teaching and education must promote, for example, respect for other people, human rights and equality. It is also important to support the student's growth into a balanced person with a healthy self-esteem. Literary education is the right way to deal with these skills of growing as a person. Reading fiction allows you to understand both yourself and the world around you better. The meaning of identification is also crucial because every child should have the opportunity to read relatable works which they can use to mirror themselves. In the current literature for young adults, all types of autism are already covered quite extensively, but the autism spectrum still appears as a relatively rare theme. The purpose of this thesis was to study the spectrum of autism in two books for young people from the 21st centu-ry. The study was carried out as a qualitative study. The research method was data-based content analysis, which was used to analyze two books for young adults dealing with autism. The research was carried out more precisely as a theory-driven SI content analysis. The theoretical basis was Murray's (2008) publication on fictional autistic people. In the young adult books I selected, the portrayal of the autism spectrum was in line with Murray`s (2008) defined archetypes of fictional autistic characters. “The Curios Incident of the dog in the night-time” (Yöllisen koiran merkillinen tapaus, 2003) exhibited the savant archetype as well as a stereotypical description of autism. “The Shadow Garden” (Varjopuutarha, 2014) displayed a very subtle idiot-archetype. Both books also featured the core characteristics outlined by the Autism Society (Autismiliitto, 2023). However, despite the precence of Murray`s (2008) archetypes in both works, they offered a deeper portrayal than merely relying on stereotypes.

Objectives. The focus of this study is the depiction of the death of a parent in children's and youth literature. I studied four children's books, their stories, how the death of a parent is described and dealt with in children's and youth literature, and how the experience of loss and the resulting feelings of sadness are described from the point of view of the child protagonist. While doing the research, the possibility of literature as a provider of peer experiences also emerged as an interesting theme. Methods. This research was carried out using qualitative methods, examining four children's and youth books. The method used was material-oriented content analysis, more precisely close reading. The analysis is based on my own views as a student of educational sciences and Finnish language and literature, as well as extensive background theory. Results and conclusions. The results of my research showed that children's and youth literature deal with the death of a parent in a versatile and emotional way. Death was depicted from the point of view of children of different ages, both from a physical and a psychological point of view. The study also showed how much literature has the potential to act as a support in dealing with death. Peer support in literature can help understand and express grief in a shocking situation, offer solutions, and contribute to the child's emotional skills and well-being.