Stereotypes and ethnic-racial discrimination in and by means of illustrated books for children and young people

Abstract

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14244/198271991227

In the French law, the integration of the European Directive 2000-43, 29/6/2000, regarding equal treatment among people, irrespective of racial or ethnic origin, and the official recognition of the racial discrimination issue (EUROSTAT, 2007; FASSIN, 2010; MASCLET, 2012) led the public agencies to develop actions towards the fight against race prejudice and stereotypes, and to promote education for diversity (DIM, 2012).This study is situated in the field of educational research on discrimination in children’s education from an early age (DERMAN-SPARKS, 1989; VANDENBROECK, 2005). It examines children and young people’s illustrated books, as well as the discourse of the professionals related to these works. It comes after two studies (FRANCIS; THIERY, 2011; THIERY; FRANCIS, 2013) whose authors observed the small number of fiction books, published between 1980 and 2010, whose main character is a black child. The books in which black kids live peaceful, happy childhood experiences are rare. Black children most often appear in situations dealing with the difference, tolerance, identity, exclusion, and racism (THIERY; FRANCIS, 2015). The study proposes an analysis of some emblematic books and the comments about them, produced by the institutions of the book and reading, librarians, teaching counselors and teachers, particularly from nursery schools. In fiction books, black children characters are usually associated with themes, toponyms, and objects. The body representations are notably partially or completely mute. The space representations are simultaneously limited and bounded by literary, aesthetic and plastic reasons. The themes, comments and references found in some books regarding others show the effects of stereotyping, prejudice and highlight ethnic-racial discrimination. The results of the study invite us to question the illusion of in-differentiation of white children’s and black children’s representations in the contemporary production of fiction books and show the importance of studying, besides the books, the voices that come with them, as they may – or not – influence our reading and, especially, our criticism.

Keywords: Black children, Anti-racist education, Illustrated books for children and young people.