Gender Themes in Czech Books for Children of Younger School Age

Abstract

Children’s literature can become one of the means of shaping personal identity, including gender socialization. The main characters portrayed in a book can become a kind of gender role model. The study examines gender themes in Czech books for children of younger school age that have been awarded the Golden Ribbon and Magnesia Litera prizes. The selected books (n=15) were analysed through quantitative content analysis and qualitative thematic analysis. The main findings include the fact that 596 different characters (as well as 29 main characters among them) are represented from a position of gender imbalance. In terms of a binary understanding of gender identity, boys and men are represented twice as often as girls and women. A thematic analysis of the characters’ appearance, characteristics, activities and perceptions points to a range of meanings, with some books adhering to traditional gender stereotypes and others subverting them to a moderate degree.