Abstract
The study aims to explore the portrayal of gender and the representation of gender roles in picturebooks written for children aged 3–6 in Turkey, with a view to assessing whether these gender portrayals include gender stereotypes that may affect children from early ages and onwards. It examines 45 children’s picturebooks published in the last 10 years in Turkey and written for children aged 3–6. The texts and illustrations of the selected books are examined thematically in terms of parental activities, other activities of adults, activities of children, and play types and toys using content analysis. The findings demonstrate that, despite significant international trends to tackle gender stereotypes and encourage a gender-neutral representation in children’s picturebooks to enhance gender-conscious child development, the male and female characters in the books are still stereotypically represented in Turkey, parallel to the larger approach to gender equality, perpetuating the traditional understanding of gender roles.
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Notes
Cases where the gender of the main character is non-binary or androgynous were uncommon in the books examined within the scope of the sample. Only two books’ main character’s gender could not be determined and thus, they were not included in the analysis.
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Appendix
Appendix
Book name | Book name | Publication year | Author | Gender of protagonist | Gender of secondary character | Recommended books (include depictions of gender equity) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Açıl Maske Açıl | Open Up Mask, Open Up | 2012 | Aytül Akal | Female | Female, male | * |
Ada’nın Hayal Günlükleri | Ada’s Dream Diaries | 2013 | Özlem Dağ | Female | Female, male | |
Asla Pes Etme | Never Give Up | 2020 | Nilüfer Çelebi | Male | Female, male | |
Ayakkabı | Shoe | 2014 | Ayla Çınaroğlu | Female | Female, male | |
Ayşenaz Ablalık Yapıyor | Ayşenaz Acts Like an Elder Sister | 2018 | Kübra Çiftçi | Female | Male | |
Ayşe’nin Kilimleri | Ayşe’s Kilims | 2020 | Sevtap Sarıca | Female | Female | |
Ben Allah’a İnanıyorum | I Believe in God | 2017 | Demirhan Kadıoğlu | Female | Female | |
Ben Kaybolmam | I Don’t Get Lost | 2014 | Bengi Semerci | Male | Female | |
Ben Piri Reis | I Am Piri Reis | 2018 | Eda Can | Male | Female | |
Ben Tek, Siz Hepiniz | I Am One, You Are All | 2018 | Ezgi Emel | Male | Female | |
Can ve Cansu | Can and Cansu | 2017 | Hatice Topçu | Male | Female | |
Can’ın Sıkıntısı | Can’s Distress | 2020 | Dicle Keskinoğlu | Male | Female | |
Cemil’in Gizli Konserleri | Cemil’s Secret Concerts | 2015 | Serhan Aytan | Male | Male | |
Dağılan Misketler | Scattered Marbles | 2017 | Tuğba Akbey İnan, Rabia Gülcan Kardaş | Male | Male | |
Dedemin Bisikleti | My Grandfather’s Bicycle | 2012 | Beyza Derinkol | Female | Male | |
Doğa Doğayı Seviyor | Doğa Loves Nature | 2016 | Koray Avcı Çakman | Female | Male | |
Dut Yağmuru | Mulberry Rain | 2015 | Nurefşan Çağlaroğlu | Female | Female | |
Ece Büyüyor/ Odamı Çok Seviyorum | Ece is Growing Up/I Love My Room | 2019 | Gamze Tuncel Demir | Female | Male | * |
Elif’in Kütüphanesi | Elif’s Library | 2016 | İlhami Ateş | Female | Female, male | |
Elif’in Sevimli Minnoşu | Elif’s Cute Minnoş | 2016 | İlhami Ateş | Female | Male | |
En Güzel Hediye | The Most Beautiful Gift | 2017 | Buket Kurt | Female | Female | |
Gül Pazarı Sokağı | Rose Market Street | 2015 | Nurefşan Çağlaroğlu | Female | Male | |
Hangisi Doğru? | Which One Is Right? | 2018 | Üstün Dökmen | Male | Female | |
Hep Fazlasıdır Annem | My Mom Always Exceeds | 2018 | Özge Bahar Sunar | Female | Female | |
Kararsız Kiraz | Indecisive Cherry | 2018 | Alkım Özalp | Female | Female | |
Kardan Arkadaşım | My Friend from Snow | 2017 | Esin Bacacı Taner | Male | Female, male | |
Kardeşim Geliyor | My Sibling Is Coming | 2018 | İrem Polat | Female | Female, male | * |
Köfte Pilav | Meatballs with Rice | 2015 | İlkay Marangoz | Male | Female, male | |
Kural Da Neymiş! | So What’s the Rule! | 2018 | Ezgi Emel | Male | Female, male | * |
Meraklı Çakıl Mutfakta | Curious Çakıl in the Kitchen | 2018 | Nazlı Deniz Güler | Female | Female | |
Mıymıy Teyze Alışverişte | Aunt Mıymıy Goes Shopping | 2017 | Aytül Akal | Female | Female | |
Mutlu Park | Happy Park | 2013 | Tuncel Altınköprü | Male, female | Male, female | |
Ne Zaman Büyüyeceğim? | When Will I Grow Up? | 2019 | Gülşen Arslan Akça | Male | Male | |
Öğrenme Güçlüğünü Nasıl Yendim? | How I Overcame Learning Difficulties | 2013 | Bengi Semerci | Female | Female | |
Okula Gitmek İstemiyorum | I Don’t Want to Go to School | 2017 | Ayşen Oy | Male | Female | |
Oyuncak Ev | Toy House | 2017 | Tuğba Akbey İnan, Rabia Gülcan Kardaş | Female | Female | |
Peren ile Dedesi | Peren and Her Grandfather is at Home | 2018 | Pınar Sur | Female | Male | * |
Potanın Yıldızı Ben Olmalıyım | The Star of the Court Should Be Me | 2020 | Ezgi Emel | Male | Male, female | |
Saç Tokası | Hair Clip | 2013 | Ayla Çınaroğlu | Female | Female | |
Sana Kek Yaptım | I Made a Cake for You | 2018 | Saniye Bencik Kangal | Male | Male, female | * |
Teo’nun Kaka Kitabı | Potty Book of Teo | 2014 | Yağmur Artukmaç, Pınar Çakır | Male | Female, male | |
Tırnak Yeme Kitabı | Nail Biting Book | 2014 | Yağmur Artukmaç, Pınar Çakır | Male | Female, male | * |
Unutulan Araba | The Forgotten Car | 2017 | Tuğba Akbey İnan, Rabia Gülcan Kardaş | Male | Female, male | |
Yeşil | Green | 2013 | Çiğdem Odabaşı | Male | Male | |
Yuyu Hayvan Dostu | Yuyu, the Animal Friend | 2016 | Yusuf Çopur | Male | Female, male |
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Peker, A., Aybars, A.İ. A Content Analysis of Gender Portrayals in Turkish Children’s Picturebooks. Early Childhood Educ J (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01598-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01598-1