Parental Representations in Japanese Picture Books: A Quantitative Content Analysis

• In Event: Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: Innovation and Impact on Teaching, Learning, and Classrooms in Globalized Settings

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand how parents are portrayed in picture books in different time periods in Japan. Based on the statistical analysis of 113 family-oriented picture books published between 1977-2010, parental representations (appearances, co-appearances with children, and six types of parenting behaviors) in text and illustrations of fathers/mothers/father-figures/mother-figures were compared. The analysis also compared two different time periods (1977-1989; 1990-2010). The results revealed that (a) the overall representations of mothers in text/illustrations are higher than that of fathers; (b) fathers were portrayed more in providing, guiding, and companionship roles than in nurturing and care-giving roles; (c) the portrayal of parenting behaviors had changed over time for a few domains.

Authors

• Yoshimi Ohashi, Caifornia State University - Long Beach

• Jyotsna Pattnaik, California State University - Long Beach