A Critical Analysis of Representation of Gender in Three Children’s Books by Barbara Kimenye

Abstract

The study sought to critically analyze the representation of gender in three selected children books by Barbara Kimenye; Moses in a Mess, Moses on the move and Moses and the Raffle. Children’s books act as socialization agents. They transmit social customs, and replicate the morals of a community. However, the representation of gender in numerous books of children is imbalanced. This is most likely to negatively affect children’s character and perception of character that is acceptable for their gender in the community. Objective of this study examined how female and male characters have been represented in children’s books. The study analyzed children’s books for ages 10 and 16. The study sought to create awareness to parents and teachers on the importance of identifying books that are not gender biased and that are not gender imbalanced. This research study is thus a useful material for reference to other researchers and readers. The study was guided by Sandra Bem’s Gender Schema theory: The concept of Gender-Typed Knowledge. The study was conducted through descriptive research design. The three children’s books were selected from the target population using purposive sampling technique. The researcher used contextual analysis as a method of qualitative analysis in order to analyze the selected sample. The study provided enough and viable information on improving the quality of children’s books which have a positive impact in children’s holistic development