The Absolute Horror of Children’s Books
Another misfired communication sent Australian moms, pops and tots into a tailspin this past week. The objective? Steam on for “Thomas the Tank Engine” and the God-given right to say “boy” and (Warning, dangerous content!) “girl.” Yes, it’s a disgusting epithet; but some parents will still be parents, despite the best social engineering and shaming tax money can buy.
The threat? The removal of “Thomas the Tank Engine” and other beloved books (“Winnie the Pooh”) from Melbourne schools and libraries. The reason? Failure to comply, according to the Daily Mail, with Australian National Universities admonition that, “Educators should avoid using the terms ‘boy’ and ‘girl’ and classifying children according to gender.”
But studies are studies and must be respected, despite the multiplicity of factors that may come into play when children make choices of what to be or do. According to the Daily Mail, “The research found ‘prejudice along race and gender lines can be observed’ in children as young as three-years-old. Girls who played with ‘feminised characters’, such as Barbie dolls, had fewer career options, while those who engaged with Disney princess toys had more female-stereotypical views. Meanwhile, boys who watched superhero shows were more gender stereotyped in their thinking, the study found.”
No thought seems to be given to the prejudice along gender of those conducting the tests and/or reporting on what the results actually mean. Bag the reality that people make choices for a variety of reason – like preference – even children as young as 3. Younger even! Ever give a youngster a dollop of mashed green beans when he or she is not so inclined? . . .
But Victorian councils Down Under are going to comply with this new research, hence the justifiable backlash by parents who rightfully drew the same comparison as the Herald Sun when it came to potential books being targeted for removal. (Read more from “The Absolute Horror of Children’s Books” HERE)
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