Abstract
This study explores South Korean kindergarteners’ drawings on gender ideals in order to understand how they perceive the ideal man and woman with respect to gender. The data were collected based on drawings and interviews of 189 children aged 5–6 years in South Korea. The researchers identified themes using qualitative content analysis. Overall, the results showed that South Korean kindergarteners exhibited gender-stereotyped perceptions of occupations, appearances, roles/values, and visual features in their human figure drawings. Gender ideals were also influenced by pop culture. Additionally, this study found that some children possess gender ideals that are gender-neutral and prosocial rather than stereotypical. The significance of this study lies in gaining deeper understanding of young children’s gender development and in providing approaches for early childhood educators to promote views of gender diversity.
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Kim, H., Han, TI. “What Kind of Person Do You Want to Become?”: Analyzing Young Children’s Drawings on Gender Ideals. Early Childhood Educ J 52, 357–371 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01437-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01437-9