Snow White in Hellenic primary classrooms: children’s responses to non-traditional gender discourses

Abstract

This paper sets out to investigate how children make sense of and negotiate nontraditional gender discourses promoted through the feminist version of the fairytale of Snow White. The research was based on work with 120 pupils aged 9-11 years old in two Athenian primary schools. The data was collected through semi-structured group interviews. The findings suggested that schoolchildren gave conflicting accounts in relation to gender discourses and identities. There is a strong indication that girls of this age are more prepared than boys to challenge traditional gender discourses.

Stories 'with the Characters Reversed': Children's Opinions of Feminist Children's Stories in Early Education

“…Post-structuralist theory focuses on the different gender discourses available in a given social context and on the way in which children learn gender in their daily interactions. In this context, it is understood that they can practice diverse or even contradictory discourses of gender, resisting, at times, the discourses of dominant masculinity and femininity (Kostas, 2018;Rodríguez & Peña, 2005). Post-structuralist theory suggests that children do not act as passive readers, reproducing dominant gender discourses, but, in their interaction with literature, they explore new gender discourses (Änggård, 2005;Bartholomaeus, 2016;Dallacqua, 2019;Davies, 1989;Jackson, 2007).…”

“…Following the study of Davies (1989), recent research has shown that gender dualisms exert an important influence on the interpretations that children make of feminist stories (Baker-Sperry, 2007;Bartholomaeus, 2016;Kostas, 2018). Kostas (2018), for example, held reading groups with children to discuss a feminist version of Snow White's story and found that they reproduced the binary construction of gender, identifying weakness with femininity. They understood that Snow White, in her position as a mine worker, had sacrificed her femininity to be like a man.…”

“…They understood that Snow White, in her position as a mine worker, had sacrificed her femininity to be like a man. Kostas (2018) concluded that most of the children lacked a discursive story that would allow them to support a female character who had subverted the dual gender order. Some studies have also shown that boys and girls are active producers of meanings that do not always operate within gender binaries (Änggård, 2005;Jackson, 2007;Paterson, 2014;Sipe & McGuire, 2006).…”

“…The existing research in this field indicates that the degree of previous experience with feminist literature; age, gender of the participants, or the level of education of the mothers can influence the interpretation that children make of feminist literature (Kostas, 2018). Regarding the importance of previous experience with feminist literature, the research that Yeoman (1999) conducted in a school where the teacher held reading sessions with children to discuss transgressive stories has been revealing.…”

“…Based on the study by Davies (1989), other investigations have been developed that deepen the understanding of feminist stories by students who are in primary school, a context where it can be confirmed that the students interpret the feminist stories from the gender discourse which they are already familiarized with at these ages (see for example, Baker-Sperry, 2007; Bartholomaeus, 2016;Eriksson Barajas, 2008;Jackson, 2007;Kostas, 2018;Wasserberg, 2012;Wason-Ellam, 1997;Westland, 1993;Yeoman, 1999). However, the truth is that there is a lack of studies to give continuity to Davies' study, deepening the understanding of feminist stories by children of preschool age.…”