Reimagining Gender: A Study of Evolving Gender Representations in Contemporary Children’s Books — Is That for a Boy or a Girl?, Sadiq Wants to Stitch and The Weightlifting Princess

Abstract

Children’s books play a crucial role in the development of children, as they serve as a readily accessible cultural resource. These books provide young children with numerous opportunities to acquire knowledge, become acquainted with printed images and entertainment, and gain exposure to different perspectives. Children’s books have been imbued with socially constructed gender roles and identities. As a result, these stereotypes have become an integral and inseparable component of our future as well. We should redefine gender roles and expression to encourage positive character development and cultivate a thriving society. Modern texts are starting to reflect these sentiments in themes and characterisations. In this paper, we will analyse the portrayal of evolving gender dynamics in the selected children’s texts: “Is That for a Boy or a Girl?” “Sadiq Wants to Stitch” and “The Weightlifting Princess.” We will also examine the cultural and universal themes of gender retained or deconstructed in the works. The research wants to examine how contemporary children’s literature challenges conventional gender norms and promotes a more comprehensive understanding of gender for kids through content analysis. The study aims to trace several ways of expressing gender, encompassing the subversion of
traditional roles as well as the introduction of non-binary and fluid identities.