{"title":"Gender messages in girls' puberty books: A focus on parent representation.","authors":"Rona Carter, Jessica Pitts, Joonyoung Park","doi":"10.1002/jad.12439","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>This study provides an ethnographic lens to understand gender messages in girls' puberty books, focusing on the representation of parents in both text and images.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A content and thematic analysis was performed on 22 children's books on girls' pubertal development drawn from Amazon bestselling books on Children's Health & Maturing.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Content analysis results demonstrated an imbalance in the representation of parents in books about girls' pubertal development. Mothers appeared and were mentioned in the text significantly more than fathers. Mothers relative to fathers also were depicted significantly more in illustrations with positive expressions (e.g., smiling) while talking or interacting with their daughters. Fathers were under-represented and portrayed as relatively stoic actors with no clear role in preparing their daughters for puberty. Thematic analysis of the books reinforced and challenged gender norms and expectations. While mothers were observed as the primary source of support during this transition, some books emphasized fathers' valuable role in advocating for their daughters' well-being and fostering open communication.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Implications for girls' gender role development are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":48397,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Adolescence","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Adolescence","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12439","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Introduction: This study provides an ethnographic lens to understand gender messages in girls' puberty books, focusing on the representation of parents in both text and images.
Methods: A content and thematic analysis was performed on 22 children's books on girls' pubertal development drawn from Amazon bestselling books on Children's Health & Maturing.
Results: Content analysis results demonstrated an imbalance in the representation of parents in books about girls' pubertal development. Mothers appeared and were mentioned in the text significantly more than fathers. Mothers relative to fathers also were depicted significantly more in illustrations with positive expressions (e.g., smiling) while talking or interacting with their daughters. Fathers were under-represented and portrayed as relatively stoic actors with no clear role in preparing their daughters for puberty. Thematic analysis of the books reinforced and challenged gender norms and expectations. While mothers were observed as the primary source of support during this transition, some books emphasized fathers' valuable role in advocating for their daughters' well-being and fostering open communication.
Conclusions: Implications for girls' gender role development are discussed.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Adolescence is an international, broad based, cross-disciplinary journal that addresses issues of professional and academic importance concerning development between puberty and the attainment of adult status within society. It provides a forum for all who are concerned with the nature of adolescence, whether involved in teaching, research, guidance, counseling, treatment, or other services. The aim of the journal is to encourage research and foster good practice through publishing both empirical and clinical studies as well as integrative reviews and theoretical advances.