Graduate Research Papers

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Graduate Research Paper (UNI Access Only)

Keywords

Women in literature; Agriculture in literature; Children's literature;

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze current children’s literature in which the subject is agriculture and determine whether it is accurate in its portrayal of females and their roles in the industry. The two questions I sought to answer were which books accurately portray females in agriculture, and what role do female characters play in children’s literature about agriculture? Utilizing two lists, the H.W. Wilson’s Children’s Core Collection and the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Education recommended reading, I selected 33 for review. I chose the books because they portrayed people in agriculture. The literature selected was published in 2008 or later. Utilizing evaluation standards adapted from Kruse (2001), Chick (2002), and Filipović (2018), I determined whether the literature was stereotypical of farmers, what role females played in the literature, and what characteristics the females possessed in the books evaluated. 15 books (45.5%) contained some type of farming stereotype; one of these books contained a female main character. Overall, favorable qualities were given to females: 18 (54.5%) books contained an active female, 12 (36.4%) books contained a female who met a goal, 3 (9%) books contained a female who solved a problem, and 18 (54.5%) books contained a female whose occupation was evident. Only 1 (3%) book contained a passive female, and 3 (9%) books showed a female who was a care-taker.

Year of Submission

2019

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Department

Division of School Library Studies

First Advisor

Karla Krueger, Graduate Faculty First Reader

Date Original

2019

Object Description

1 PDF file (76 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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