Children’s books have been around since the early 1500s. They reflect the traditional values of the times, yet they still serve as a socializing tool transmitting values from one generation to the next in today’s society (Gooden and Gooden 2001). Only in the latter years of the twentieth century has the picturebook become a serious object of academic study (Lewis 2001). Researchers began to take notice of the (under-)representation of women in children’s books and asserted commonly that reducing sexism in children’s reading materials is crucial for developing an equitable and democratic society.
Although previous research has examined the representation of gender and race in children’s literature extensively, there is, however, a major gap, focusing on the portrayal of New Zealand’s indigenous Polynesian people – specifically, the Maori woman. Little is known about the visibility of Maori women in print media (Evans 1994) and even less about their depiction in children’s picturebooks. In order to address this gap in the literature, this paper investigates the visual and verbal representation of Maori women in contemporary New Zealand picturebooks. Following the theories of Peter L. Berger, Thomas Luckmann and George Herbert Mead I developed a model illustrating the circular process of picturebook communication.
Moreover those theories serve as a theoretical framework, constituting the subsequent content analysis. As I examined the characters of Maori women in different New Zealand picturebooks, I identified three typifications, constituting the identity of an indigenous New Zealand woman in those narratives. The Teacher, the Entertainer and the Spiritual Maori woman reinvent and reproduce, yet delimit and constrain the identity of Maori women in contemporary picturebooks. Those books fail to intertwine and integrate the two differing cultures of Maori and Pakeha (New Zealander of European descent), in their storyline, and neglect current struggles or conflicts in the social reality of New Zealand.
Based on one outstanding book, I drew the conclusion that it is through integrating the two differing symbolic universes of Pakeha and Maori into the storyline, that the multiple roles carried by Maori women can be acknowledged and an authentic portrayal of Maori women is achieved.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION
- 1.1 Research purpose and research questions
- 1.2 Prior Research
- Chapter 2: CULTURAL BACKGROUND
- 2.1 Maori in New Zealand – a socio-historical context
- 2.2 Maori and the media
- Chapter 3: THE PICTUREBOOK
- 3.1 The nature of modern picturebooks
- 3.2 The interaction of image and word in picturebooks
- Chapter 4: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
- 4.1 Social Constructionism
- 4.1.1 George Herbert Mead
- 4.1.2 Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann
- 4.2 The Social Construction of Gender
- 4.3 The Social Construction of Maori Women: Maori Feminist Theory
- 4.3.1 Key themes of Mana Wahine
- 4.3.1.1 Whakapapa (genealogy)
- 4.3.1.2 Whanau (extended family)
- 4.3.1.3 Wairua (spirit)
- 4.3.1.4 Atua Wahine (female goddesses)
- 4.3.1.5 Te Tiriti (The Treaty of Waitangi)
- 4.3.1.6 Decolonisation
- 4.4 The Social Construction of picturebooks
- 4.4.1 Typifications
- 4.4.2 Objectivation and signification
- 4.4.3 Symbolic Universes
- 4.4.4 Socialization
- 4.4.5 The social self
- 4.4.6 Language in picturebooks
- 4.4.7 The Social Construction of gendered Ideology in picturebooks
- 4.5 Conclusion: A Model of picturebook Communication
- Chapter 5: METHODOLOGY
- 5.1 Research Approach
- 5.2 Method
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This research investigates the portrayal of Maori women in contemporary New Zealand picturebooks, analyzing their visual and verbal representation. The study aims to understand how these characters contribute to the construction of Maori women's identities within these narratives.- Representation of Maori women in children's literature
- Cultural and social context of Maori women in New Zealand
- The role of picturebooks in shaping cultural understandings
- Social constructionism and its application to the study of picturebooks
- The impact of typifications on the portrayal of Maori women
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Chapter 1: Introduction introduces the research topic and its relevance, outlining the gap in existing literature regarding the portrayal of Maori women in picturebooks. This chapter sets forth the research purpose and specific questions driving the investigation.
Chapter 2: Cultural Background provides an overview of the socio-historical context of Maori in New Zealand. It examines the impact of colonization and its implications for Maori identity and representation in media.
Chapter 3: The Picturebook explores the nature and evolution of modern picturebooks, emphasizing their role as a socializing tool and their potential to shape cultural understanding. This chapter examines the interaction of image and word within picturebooks, highlighting their unique communicative power.
Chapter 4: Theoretical Framework delves into the theory of social constructionism, using the work of George Herbert Mead, Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann to analyze the construction of identity through social interaction. It further applies this framework to understand the social construction of gender and the specific experience of Maori women, focusing on Maori feminist theory and key themes such as whakapapa, whanau, wairua, Atua Wahine, Te Tiriti, and decolonisation. This chapter concludes by exploring the social construction of picturebooks, examining concepts like typifications, objectivation, symbolic universes, socialization, and the social self, ultimately developing a model of picturebook communication.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This research focuses on the portrayal of Maori women in New Zealand picturebooks, examining their visual and verbal representation in relation to their cultural context, social constructionism, and the unique characteristics of picturebooks as a medium. Key concepts explored include cultural identity, representation, social construction of gender, Maori feminist theory, typifications, symbolic universes, and picturebook communication.- Quote paper
- Kathrin Rochow (Author), 2011, Picturing Difference: An investigation of Maori women's characters in New Zealand picturebooks, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/205579
