Social pathways of traditional fairy tale heroines: Teaching social trajectories through a compare-contrast model with story maps

Abstract

ABSTRACT The paper aims to develop a compare-contrast model that will help students understand the gender and social-status stereotypes that appear in some texts of fairy tales, and are further deepened in their screen versions. The paper accentuates classic fairy tales perceived by critics as traditional (conventional and conservative) due to their gender, class, etc. stereotypes. These stories are an important factor in maintaining the stereotypical pattern of female inferiority, which is encoded through different types of media in the cultural patterns of our age. In order for those patterns to be deconstructed, it is necessary to apply methods that will develop critical literacy skills during education. We developed story maps as graphic organisers to show the social status trajectories of heroes and heroines. Story maps show social trajectories and allow the possibility of viewing the stereotypes embedded in the story.