Gendered Readings of a Traditional “Feminist” Folktale by Sixth-Grade Boys and Girls

Abstract

This study investigated the gendered frame of reference of 6th-grade boys and girls by examining the bias in their memories of a “feminist” folktale that included male and female characters with both traditional and nontraditional traits. Written recalls were obtained 15 minutes, 1 week, and 1 month after reading. The final recalls were analyzed on the basis of a template created of sentences in the story that presented characters' traits and actions as traditional male, traditional female, nontraditional male, or nontraditional female. Analysis showed a significant difference between the boys and girls in terms of nontraditional inclusions, with the girls averaging twice as many of these inclusions as the boys. Further analysis indicated the presence of 2 aspects of the discourse of gender relations: physical strength of men and dependence of women on men. Cultural norms for physical appearance were reflected in the transformations of the physical description of the female protagonist. Also, the girls made associations with the female characters' physical superiority. Findings suggest that these boys and girls have not altered an overall dualistic perception of maleness/femaleness; however, there was some movement away from stereotypical gender positioning for the girls.