Abstract / Description of output
Intertwining words and images, picture-books are a rich source of play, pleasure and meaning for young children. Often engaged with repeatedly alongside family members, nursery staff or teachers, they constitute “a significant instrument of socialisation…a key means of apprenticeship into literacy, literature and social values” (Painter et al, 2014: 1). Thus, picture-books are not only objects of consumer culture in their own right; they also suggest how children might relate to the people – and often, to consumer goods and services – in their lives.
One key area of socialisation concerns intergenerational relationships. In Western cultures, perhaps reflecting the growing importance of grandparents in children’s lives (Marhánková 2015), many picture-books also venture beyond two-generational families to depict grandparent/grandchild relationships. A growing interdisciplinary body of research examines the presence of grandparents in children’s picture-books. Much of this work focuses on ageism, noting that grandparents tend to be depicted as old, often grey-haired and wearing glasses (Crawford & Bhattacharya, 2014). With few exceptions (eg Fenwick & Morrison, 2001; Sako and Falcus 2022), little attention has been paid to depictions of grandparent-child relationships or how interactions with grandparents shape children’s development. Even less is known about the role of consumer goods or consumption practices in these interactions.
Our study, then, examines 20 popular picture-books featuring grandparent-grandchild relationship. Recognising the different sociocultural contexts shaping grandparent-grandchild relationships, these books are drawn from Danish and British shelves. Unlike much prior research privileging content analyses of grandparent images, we draw on Painter et al’s (2014) multimodal discourse analysis to explore grandparent-grandchild-consumption relationships in a more holistic way. Our ongoing analysis suggests that these books show and tell readers (both adults and children) how interactions with grandparents, often involving consumer goods and services, open up fresh horizons for children, help them navigate new experiences or understand family history or relationships.
References
Crawford, P. & Bhattacharya, S. (2014) Grand images: exploring images of grandparents in picture books, Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 28:1, 128-144
Fenwick, G. & Morrison, A. (2001) Images of grandparents in young children’s picture books in the United Kingdom, New Review of Children’s Literature and Librarianship, 7:1, 127-145
Marhánková J (2015) The Changing Practices and Meanings of Grandparenthood. Reflections on the Demographical Trends and Changing Representations of Ageing. Sociology Compass. 9. 10.1111/soc4.12259.
Painter, C., Martin, J.R and Unsworth, L. (2014) Reading Visual Narratives: Image analysis of children’s picture books, Sheffield: Equinox
Sako, K. & Falcus, S. (2022) Care, generations and reciprocity in children’s picturebooks in Japan, in K. Sako & S. Falcus (eds) Contemporary Narratives of Ageing, Illness, Care, New York: Routledge, 177-199
One key area of socialisation concerns intergenerational relationships. In Western cultures, perhaps reflecting the growing importance of grandparents in children’s lives (Marhánková 2015), many picture-books also venture beyond two-generational families to depict grandparent/grandchild relationships. A growing interdisciplinary body of research examines the presence of grandparents in children’s picture-books. Much of this work focuses on ageism, noting that grandparents tend to be depicted as old, often grey-haired and wearing glasses (Crawford & Bhattacharya, 2014). With few exceptions (eg Fenwick & Morrison, 2001; Sako and Falcus 2022), little attention has been paid to depictions of grandparent-child relationships or how interactions with grandparents shape children’s development. Even less is known about the role of consumer goods or consumption practices in these interactions.
Our study, then, examines 20 popular picture-books featuring grandparent-grandchild relationship. Recognising the different sociocultural contexts shaping grandparent-grandchild relationships, these books are drawn from Danish and British shelves. Unlike much prior research privileging content analyses of grandparent images, we draw on Painter et al’s (2014) multimodal discourse analysis to explore grandparent-grandchild-consumption relationships in a more holistic way. Our ongoing analysis suggests that these books show and tell readers (both adults and children) how interactions with grandparents, often involving consumer goods and services, open up fresh horizons for children, help them navigate new experiences or understand family history or relationships.
References
Crawford, P. & Bhattacharya, S. (2014) Grand images: exploring images of grandparents in picture books, Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 28:1, 128-144
Fenwick, G. & Morrison, A. (2001) Images of grandparents in young children’s picture books in the United Kingdom, New Review of Children’s Literature and Librarianship, 7:1, 127-145
Marhánková J (2015) The Changing Practices and Meanings of Grandparenthood. Reflections on the Demographical Trends and Changing Representations of Ageing. Sociology Compass. 9. 10.1111/soc4.12259.
Painter, C., Martin, J.R and Unsworth, L. (2014) Reading Visual Narratives: Image analysis of children’s picture books, Sheffield: Equinox
Sako, K. & Falcus, S. (2022) Care, generations and reciprocity in children’s picturebooks in Japan, in K. Sako & S. Falcus (eds) Contemporary Narratives of Ageing, Illness, Care, New York: Routledge, 177-199
Original language | English |
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Publication status | Unpublished - 18 Oct 2024 |
Event | Child and Teen Consumption - York University/Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada Duration: 16 Oct 2024 → 18 Oct 2024 https://www.yorku.ca/events/ctc2024/ |
Conference
Conference | Child and Teen Consumption |
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Abbreviated title | CTC |
Country/Territory | Canada |
City | Toronto |
Period | 16/10/24 → 18/10/24 |
Internet address |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- grandparents
- grandchildren
- family
- consumption
- children's picturebooks