Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Ageist and Sexist Double Jeopardy Portrayals in Children's Picture Books

The Role of Subjective Aging Within the Changing Ecologies of Aging: Perspectives for Research and Practice

“…Children develop stereotypes based on explicit and implicit information from their environment: "When groups are labeled, treated, or sorted differently, children come to conceptualize groups as different in meaningful ways" (p. 166). In such a way, children' s literature, TV programs, and cartoons are sources in which stereotypic beliefs about older adults are communicated to children (Hollis-Sawyer & Cuevas, 2013;Vasil & Wass, 1993). Recurrent connections between a social group and attributes as presented in the media (e.g., older adults being characterized as fragile and dependent) are likely to be detected and internalized by children, even without explicit reference (Bigler & Liben, 2007).…”

“…These norms often overgeneralize age-related decline and are therefore inconsistent with the increasing number of healthy and longer living older adults. A lack of differentiation between individuals in the third and the fourth age, as implied by in the application of negative age stereotypes and frailty perceptions to both middle-old and old-old individuals (Hummert, 1993), might be one cause for the persistence of such a structural lag. This structural lag between the need and competencies of an individual and the opportunities provided by society might reinforce loss-oriented experiences of aging and, in turn, limit access to meaningful roles which could provide individuals with the opportunity to have experiences of mastery and competence.…”

Teachers as Zookeepers? How Picture Books Describe Classroom Management

“…It is rare that such analyses are limited to surface-level visual descriptors-though illustrations are meaningful and reflective (Feathers & Arya, 2012). Rather, teachers were typically examined as embodied reflections of socio-political contexts in varied stereotypical permutations (e.g., hero), stigmatized (e.g., ageism, sexism), binary (e.g., villain/victim) metaphorical (e.g., teacher as saviour) and/or subversive (i.e., threatening change) manners (parenting), with researchers making rich, authentic connections between society, identity, and its schoolbased educators (Cummins, 2009;Hansen, 2009;Hollis-Sawyer & Cuevas, 2013;Mockler, 2004;Muchmore & Sayre, 2009).…”

Early Children’s Literature and Aging

“…Unfortunately, ageism has crept into children's literature (Crawford, 2000;Crawford, 2015;Dodson & Hause, 1981;Hollis-Sawyer & Cuevas, 2013;Hollis-Sawyer et al, 2007;McGuire, 2005;McGuire et al, 2013). Although ageism is not likely the intentional message of the author or illustrator, the message is there.…”

“…If not carefully selected, the images of aging in this literature may lead to a biased understanding of aging (Hollis-Sawyer et al, 2007). Aging stereotypes are frequently transmitted through children's literature (Hollis-Sawyer & Cuevas, 2013). This makes it increasingly important to incorporate early children's literature that has meaningful, positive portrayals of older adults, helps children see the potentials of aging, and promotes positive aging.…”