Pre-School Children and Language and Gender Stereotypes

Language and Gender Studies analyse the social and verbal behaviour of human beings. Parents and family members, as well as peers and nursery teachers, influence language and gender socialisation of small children to become real boys or real girls . In today s Western society television and film play a major role in the socialisation process, as television provides children with gender-appropriate language and gender stereotypes. In order to adopt a critical attitude towards factors that influence children, particularly towards gender stereotyping in animated features, this book discusses the socialisation of gender roles, gender stereotypes, language acquisition and socialisation, as well as the acquisition of gender-appropriate language. An empirical study on gender stereotypes and gender-appropriate language in animated features suitable for children under the age of five answers the question if television and in particular animated features play a major role in the development of gender-appropriate language and gender stereotypes. Furthermore the findings of the empirical study are evaluated and possible solutions of how to avoid gender stereotypes are presented.