Reflection On Learning

When I selected the topic of gender roles, I was not sure what theme I wanted to focus on. The topic is very broad and can be taken in a variety of directions. After reading various examples of children’s literature whose purpose was to promote positivity for females, I came to some conclusions. I decided that portraying females positively can be done without portraying males negatively. I also decided that strong role models are essential for the successful and healthy development of a child. Therefore, I wanted to select books that portrayed strong role models for girls, whether they were male or female. I found that all of the role models for children in the books were strong, capable, confident, and caring, no matter what their gender. I looked for this common feature because I believe much of what children learn about gender roles stems directly from their home life. If girls are to grow up to become capable women and productive members of society, they must have role models that give them an idea of adult behavior. I also was impressed with the lack of animosity toward males, which can be common in children’s literature that seeks to promote females. It is my belief that the negative portrayal of men is not a productive step in educating young children about effective and positive gender roles. From my selection of literature, children can learn that strong role models can be male or female, and though support from the opposite gender is helpful, it is not always necessary, as evidenced in all three of my books. It is interesting to note that all of the authors of my books are female, which was much more common when I was reviewing literature to select for my project. I hope that through my text set, children will learn about respect, self-awareness and empowerment, and take an effective step in an education about gender roles along the path to becoming a productive, open minded member of our society.