Suchergebnisse

The gender stereotypes produced in Russian children's literature are examined in a review of 300+ preschool stories including Russian folktales, foreign traditional folktales, modern books by Soviet & post-Soviet authors, & modern books by foreign authors. Based on the assumption that gender identification is established in the early years of childhood, it is argued that preschool literature may strongly affect the gender identities & stereotypes of future adults. Traditional folktales by foreign authors are characterized by a clear separation between strong, dominating men & passive, dependent women, while Russian folktales often present a matriarchal stereotype marked by emotionally & materially independent female characters & weak men. In the modern stories, gender stereotypes are played out through interactions between children & parents. The Soviet literature portrays a traditional division of male & female family roles combined with a quasi-egalitarian role division in the sphere of work. Modern egalitarian literature evidences a more flexible division of family & work responsibilities, thereby promoting visions of a gender-free society. 44 References. T. Sevier