Sociology · Oct / Nov 2020 · Paper 12 · Question 1

Source A Using the method of content analysis McCabe et al looked at the representation of male and female characters in children’s books in the United States. The study ‘Gender in Twentieth-Century Children’s Books’ examined more than 5000 books published from 1900 to 2000. Some of the results of the study were: • males were the main characters in 57% of children’s books published each year, while only 31% had female main characters; • male animals were the main characters in more than 23% of children’s books per year, while female animals were the main characters in only 7.5%; • on average, 36.5% of children’s books in each year included a male in the title, compared to only 17.5% that included a female; • in children’s books published in the 1990s there was more equality between male and female human characters, but there were still twice the number of male animal characters compared to female. McCabe et al concluded that overall the representation of females did not change throughout the twentieth century. Adapted from source: www.sciencedaily.com

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