<i>Dora the Explorer:</i>Empowering Preschoolers, Girls, and Latinas

Ryan, Erin

doi:10.1080/08838150903550394

Cited by 15 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…One prior study comparing the assertiveness of male and female superheroes found no difference based on the gender of the show's lead superhero character (Baker & Raney, 2007). If female characters are regularly portrayed as leaders, children may incorporate ideas of female leadership and assertiveness into their gender schemas and hold less rigid gender representations (Keys, 2016;Ryan, 2010).…”

Section: Supportive Speech and Suggestionsmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…While all types of media can influence gender schemas (Witt, 2000), television may be the most influential in shaping young children's understanding of culturally expected gender roles and behaviors (Ofcom, 2017;Rideout, Vandewater, & Wartella, 2003;Statista, 2018;Vandewater et al, 2007). Television characters often represent stereotypical and onedimensional representations from which children learn about their world (Signorielli, 2012).…”

Section: Learning Gender From Televisionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To our knowledge, no prior content analysis has specifically investigated gender representations in television programming aimed at this age period. A few studies examined gender portrayals in specific preschool television series, such as Sesame Street (Kirkorian, Wartella, & Anderson, 2008), Dora the Explorer (Keys, 2016;Ryan, 2010) and Doc McStuffins (Keys, 2016). Otherwise, earlier content A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t analyses looked at shows aimed toward children in middle childhood (e.g., Hunting, Grumbein, & Cahill, 2018;Leaper, Breed, Hoffman, & Perlman, 2002;Martin, 2017;Thompson & Zerbinos, 1995), early adolescence (Gerding & Signorielli, 2013;Kirsch & Murnen, 2015), or a broad range of ages (e.g., Götz et al, 2008).…”

Section: Gender Representations In Children's Televisionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Content Analysis of Gender Representations in Preschool Children’s Television

Walsh

Leaper

2019

Mass Communication and Society

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Prior content analyses have revealed the pervasiveness of gender-stereotyped portrayals and the underrepresentation of female characters in television programming. The present study if the first to examine gender representations in television shows specifically targeted at preschool-age children, which is a period when children are developing their understandings about gender. The sampled programs included three episodes each from 34 current shows. We compared female and male characters for number of total characters and lead characters (either mostly male, mostly female, or mixed). In addition, we analyzed the relative rates that female or male characters were depicted in the following: talking, speech (suggestions or support), aggression, gender-typed activities, and gender-typed appearance. Overall, the findings indicate preschool television perpetuates many gender stereotypes. However, some trends were less likely in programs with mostly female characters. Also, gender-stereotypical representations may be less pervasive in preschool-age programs than those previously indicated in content analyses of shows aimed at older children.

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Section: Supportive Speech and Suggestionsmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Learning Gender From Televisionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Gender Representations In Children's Televisionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Content Analysis of Gender Representations in Preschool Children’s Television

Walsh

Leaper

2019

Mass Communication and Society

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“…Sesame Street and Blue's Clues both laid the foundation for a strong female Latina lead, and Dora represents the next phase in the evolution of preschool television characters. As Ryan (2010) concludes from her analysis of the show, "episodes of Dora the Explorer appear to empower preschoolers, young girls, and Latinas in various ways" (p. 65).…”

Section: The Environmentmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…This space was soon filled again by Nickelodeon, with Dora the Explorer. Structured around bilingualism, the show features the first Latina lead in preschool television (Diaz-Wionczek, Ryan, 2010). Due to the increasing importance of computers at the time of its 2000 premiere, the series was also created to explicitly develop preschoolers' technological literacy ; see Format subsection later).…”

Section: The Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%