MESSAGES REVEALED: ANALYZING A SELECTION OF MULTICULTURAL PICTURE BOOKS THROUGH A CRITICAL LENS. by Jill Sydney Madsen A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the Doctoral degree in Education Hamline University Saint Paul, Minnesota March, 2011 Committee: Dissertation Chair: Dr. Vivian Johnson Dissertation Reader: Dr. Heather Hackman Dissertation Reader: Dr. Jennifer Carlson
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MESSAGES REVEALED: ANALYZING A SELECTION OF MULTICULTURAL
PICTURE BOOKS THROUGH A CRITICAL LENS.
by Jill Sydney Madsen
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of
the Doctoral degree in Education
Hamline University
Saint Paul, Minnesota
March, 2011
Committee:
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Vivian Johnson
Dissertation Reader: Dr. Heather Hackman
Dissertation Reader: Dr. Jennifer Carlson
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Copyright by
JILL SYDNEY MADSEN, 2011
All Rights Reserved
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DEDICATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Dedication
This dissertation is dedicated to my partner Ali, my family, and my friends, who
continue to be my rock and support in life. Almost twenty years ago, when I was thirteen years
old, I was still reading at a first grade level when I was finally diagnosed with a learning
disability. I know deep down my mom and I both thought it would be a miracle if I graduated
high school. My support network got me through high school, undergrad, a masters program,
and now a doctoral program. Without them, this project would never have been possible. I
also thank my family for instilling the daily inspiration of tikun olam (repairing the world),
tzedakah (giving to others and community service), and B’tzelem Elohim (we are all created in
the image of God), as this foundation continues to guide me in everything I do.
Acknowledgements
Participants of pilot study. I want to thank the six amazing educators who participated
in the pilot study for this research project. Natalie, Jen, Deb, Brenda, Kelly, and Liz, the work
you do each day not only impacts the students you work with, but inspires me to be the best
educator I can be. I greatly appreciate your time, expertise, and support in this process.
Hamline EdD 5 Cohort. I want to thank the amazing cohort I had the opportunity to be
a part of to complete my doctoral program at Hamline University. I finished the program
learning so much more than what it means to be an educator from each participant in our group.
The friendships and connections will forever be there.
Sources of inspiration and support. Words can not begin to describe the inspiration
and support I have gained from my phenomenal dissertation committee, Dr. Vivian Johnson,
Dr. Heather Hackman, and Dr. Jennifer Carlson. Vivian, your assistance and support
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throughout the entire doctoral program is greatly appreciated. I do not feel like I could have
completed this process without you. You have transformed how I see myself as an educator,
researcher, and scholar. Heather, you continue to amaze and inspire me. Your dedication,
passion, and knowledge for equity and social justice education have empowered me to be the
educator I am today and will continue to be tomorrow. Jennifer, I feel so lucky to have found
someone who has the same passion for literacy and literature to be part of this journey with me.
I would also like to thank Dr. Paul Gorski for his continued assistance and support from afar
through this dissertation process. Paul, you opened my eyes to the possibilities of completing a
doctoral program and I am so grateful for that. I am looking forward to continuing to work
with you as I start this new chapter in my life.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter One: Introduction 8
My History 8
Definitions 11
Potential Significance of Proposed Research 15
Chapter Two: Literature Review 19
Introduction 19
Framework for Research ~ Multicultural Education 20
Importance of Analyzing Books 26
Past/Present Similar Research 30
Chapter Three: Methodology 36
Research Paradigm 36
Picture Book Selection Process 36
Rationale for Document Analysis 39
Rationale for Instrument Design 41
Pilot Study 45
Data Collection 51
Data Analysis 53
Limitations 54
Chapter Four: Analysis 56
Analysis Overview 56
Story Characters 59
Story Plot 66
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Connection to Continuum of Multicultural Education 71
Chapter Five: Conclusion 80
Introduction 80
Primary Research Question: Key Understandings 81
Secondary Research Question: Key Understandings 84
Implications 85
Next Steps that Arise from Current Research 87
Limitations of the Research 88
Recommendations for Future Research 89
Conclusion 89
References 92
Appendix A: Original Instrument 108
Appendix B: Final Instrument 112
Appendix C: Data Collection Schedule 116
Appendix D: Collection of Book Lists 118
Appendix E: Pilot Study 133
Appendix F: Sample of Completed Instruments 172
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Multicultural Education as an umbrella term. 22
Figure 2. Original instrument for critically analyzing Multicultural books. 42
Figure 3. Finalized version of the instrument for critically analyzing
Multicultural books. 50
Figure 4. Publication dates of analyzed books. 57
Figure 5. Genre of analyzed books. 58
Figure 6. Presence of subordinate groups in picture books. 60
Figure 7. Presence of story elements in analyzed books. 66
Figure 8. Examples of invisible power. 68
Figure 9. Evidence of empowerment in analyzed picture books. 70
Figure 10. Picture books categorized as teaching tolerance. 74
Figure 11. Picture books categorized as heroes and holidays. 77
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ABSTRACT
Madsen, J. Messages revealed: Analyzing a selection of Multicultural picture books through a
critical lens (2010)
My dissertation, Messages revealed: Analyzing a selection of Multicultural picture books
through a critical lens (2010) involved developing an instrument to critically analyze
Multicultural picture books. Authors such as Steiner, Nash, and Chase (2008), Botelho and
Rudman (2009), Christensen (1994, 2009), Dorfman (1983), Fox and Short (2003), and Norton
(1990, 2009), describe how stories convey powerful messages to children about social and
moral behaviors and ideas, thus are a powerful tool for teaching and learning. Using the work
of Sleeter (2009), Au (2009), Nieto (2007), Banks (1997, 2007), Gorski (2008), Christensen
(2009), and Hackman (2005), the analysis instrument and research was conducted using a lens
connected to Multicultural Education. The methodology used for this dissertation was
document analysis. The process included selecting picture books for the research, developing
the analysis instrument using best reading comprehension practices, conducting a pilot study,
revising the analysis instrument, and finally conducting the research. Once the research was
complete the findings were divided into three broad categories: depiction of story characters as
they connect to dominant and subordinate groups, evidence of power or empowerment within
the story plot, and connections between the continuum of Multicultural Education and each
picture book analyzed. The data supported the importance of using a process to analyze text to
reveal various messages. This is important to do, not to create a list of books to throw away or
not use, rather to inform teachers and transform the use of the books.
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CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
My History
My research question, what messages are revealed when analyzing a selection of
Multicultural Education picture books through a critical lens, has been evolving through my
own practice as a teacher. According to Galda and Cullinan (2002), picture books tell a story
or develop an understanding of a concept through the blend of text and illustrations. Authors
such as Steiner, Nash, and Chase (2008), Botelho and Rudman (2009), Christensen (1994,
2009), Dorfman (1983), Fox and Short (2003), and Norton (1990, 2009), describe how stories
convey powerful messages to children about social and moral behaviors and ideas, and are a
powerful tool for teaching and learning. One goal of this research is to bring awareness to
possible messages revealed when books are analyzed through a critical lens. Another goal is to
empower educators to critically analyze books used in their practice; to decrease the chance
that a teacher will send the message to tolerate each other when their actual goal/educational
objective was to challenge inequities. This brings me to my primary and secondary research
questions.
Primary Research Question: What messages are revealed when analyzing a selection of
Multicultural picture books through a critical lens?
Secondary Questions: How do books classified as Multicultural correlate with the different
philosophies (teaching tolerance, heroes and holidays, and equity and social justice) within the
continuum of Multicultural Education? In addition to this, what implications of the analysis are
there for classroom teachers?
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My own practice is grounded in the philosophy of Multicultural Education with an
emphasis on equity and social justice. According to Nieto (2007), Multicultural Education may
sometimes be seen as a continuum. She describes one end of the continuum as teaching
tolerance; the capacity to bear something, endure, but not embrace differences. In the middle
of the continuum is a heroes and holidays approach; that Nieto described as a basic acceptance
of “others” or, in educational practice where bits and pieces of the “other” are included here
and there, typically tokenizing the “other” or reinforcing stereotypes. Nieto continues that at
the other end of the continuum is affirmation, solidarity, and critique, which, in my perspective,
creates an equity and social justice lens to Multicultural Education. Nieto describes the
implementation of this philosophy by infusing multiple perspectives of dominant and
subordinate groups into all components of learning with a focus on looking at inequities,
injustices, and issues or power, while also addressing how to create change. The blend of
practices Nieto discusses are affirmation, solidarity, and critique end of the continuum creates
the philosophy as equity and social justice-based Multicultural Education that is the theoretical
foundation of this research.
This philosophy guides my daily practice as an educator. Throughout my practice I
have always used children’s picture books as a critical tool for engaging students in powerful
conversations and addressing issues of equity and social justice, while also teaching various
literacy skills, comprehension strategies, or introducing a new topic. For example, prior to a
unit on Ecology with elementary students I would read either A River Ran Wild (Cherry, 1992)
or The Lorax (Dr. Seuss, 1971), as both picture books depict the interconnectedness that best
defines ecology as well as the devastation that can occur when we do not care for ecosystems.
My use of picture books is supported by Lobron and Selman (2007) that state that stories that
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contain social issues assist students in developing and exploring their own beliefs about issues
such as racism, prejudice, and social justice; such texts also provide the opportunity for literary
instruction and developing strategies for readers to extend the meaning behind the text.
Over the years as a classroom teacher I have come across many books that have been
deemed great Multicultural Education books to use in my instruction. While looking at one of
these Multicultural picture books, I find myself wondering who decided that these specific
books were a piece of great Multicultural literature or an education tool. My wonderings
include wanting to know what criterion were used to make this determination and discovering
what possible messages were in these books. I was also intrigued in finding out which
approach of Multicultural Education was being modeled through these books (i.e., are the
messages more of a teaching tolerance approach or does the book really get at issues of equity
and social justice). My reflection has lead to the conclusion that answers to these questions are
needed not only to ensure quality equity and social justice education is occurring, but even
more importantly, so teachers understand the messages behind the literature they are using and
its impact. All of these unanswered questions support my research goal of examining picture
books that people have deemed Multicultural literature.
The purpose of this research project is to critically analyze a selection of the literature
that is deemed to be Multicultural picture books and reveal possible messages, while also
finding out at what placement on the continuum of Multicultural Education these books fall and
the impact this may have on classroom teachers. On a deeper level, the purpose is also to
improve educational practice while illuminating social issues through a blend of what
McMillan and Schumacher (2001) and Marshall and Rossman (2006) term explanatory,
descriptive, emancipatory, and exploratory research. A potential outcome of this project is
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discovering messages found in the picture books and describing and explaining the patterns
discovered in the group of books analyzed. In addition to this, by the nature of the research, it
creates an opportunity to engage in social action and empower teachers to begin thinking
critically about the materials used in their own classrooms. This is done by shedding light on
possible messages revealed through analysis, showing the correlation between a specific book
and how its messages connect to a specific placement on the continuum of Multicultural
Education, as previously described by Nieto (2007), and providing teachers with a process and
instrument to use with books used in their own classroom. This process could also be used by
librarians who may select or recommend books.
Definitions
Multicultural Education, Multicultural children’s literature, equity, social justice,
empowerment, power, privilege, dehumanizing bias, and picture books are terms that will be
found throughout this paper. The following definitions are a starting place for the meaning
behind these words used throughout this dissertation.
Multicultural Education. In Annenberg Media’s Professional Development (1997-
2010) online Workshop 7: Social Justice and Action, Nieto describes Multicultural Education
as the same as basic education such as math, reading, and writing. She continues that it is not
something that should be seen as an add-on or separate from the core curriculum, rather as a
basic knowledge for living in today’s world. Nieto also describes thinking of Multicultural
Education in a socio-political context, meaning as educators we cannot just focus on the fun or
comfortable aspects of diversity such as food, music, or other cultural traditions. She shares
that while those aspects are a piece of the Multicultural perspective, one must also confront the
institutional policies and practices that marginalize groups of people each day. Adding to
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Nieto’s definition is Lee (2009), who states Multicultural Education is “fundamentally a
perspective” (p. 10). She continues that it is a point of view that cuts across all subject areas,
looks at the histories and experiences of the people who have been left out of curricula, and
creates a more equitable educational environment. My literature review will describe in detail
the different philosophies of education that fall under the umbrella term Multicultural
Education.
Multicultural children’s literature. Harris and Willis (2003) state that the definition of
Multicultural children’s literature is influenced by the philosophies of Multicultural Education,
critical pedagogy, and critical literacy. They describe the term Multicultural children’s
literature as fluid and linked to the ever changing and shifting historical, sociopolitical, and
economic contexts of the world around us. Historically, they add that Multicultural children’s
literature was by and about people of color in response to the underrepresentation and
disempowerment of people of color in US society, curricula, and children’s books. Similar to
the expansion that Multicultural Education has experienced, Multicultural children’s literature
now encompasses a much broader scope and must focus on the populations who have
experienced exclusion or marginalization.
Equity. Nieto (2000) defines equity as a more comprehensive term than equality, which
often times is used interchangeably. Nieto describes when considering education, equality
encompasses the notion of providing everyone with the same resources and opportunities for all
students, while also looking at the individual skills, talents, and experiences people bring to the
table. She continues that equity takes this a step further than equality; equity is the suggestion
of fairness and that equal does not necessarily mean fair. For example, when considering
school funding, government can give each school the same amount of money per student and
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this would be equality, however, recognizing that different students will require different levels
of funding is equity.
Empowerment. Page and Czuba (1999) define empowerment as a process that is multi-
dimensional and that helps people gain control over their lives, the community they are a part
of, and in society. They continue that empowerment can occur at the individual, group, or
community level. Derman-Sparks and the ABC Task Force (2000) describes the notion of
empowerment as the goal of anti-bias education or Multicultural Education. She adds that
empowerment specifically is when people have the ability to confront oppression and work
together to create change.
Power. Johnson (2006) describes power as being connected to a socially constructed
reality. He continues that power, in essence, is a privilege that comes with being a part of the
dominant group. He identifies an identity wheel (diversity wheel) where people can look at
various identities such as age, race, religious beliefs, or income. With each piece of the wheel
there is a dominant and subordinate group and this produces an oppressive social structure
where people are organized to encourage the inclusion or exclusion of people based on
differences. He adds that this system of power also allows people to be credited or discredited,
elevated or oppressed, valued or devalued, left alone or harassed. Johnson states that an
outcome of having this power based on membership to various identity groups is privilege.
Similar to Johnson, Tatum (2000) states that dominant groups hold the power and authority and
set the parameters for the subordinate groups to operate. The dominant group thus has the
power and influence to determine the structure of the society. In regards to this specific
research project power is being looked at through the content and illustrations in the selected
picture books.
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Privilege. Rothenberg (2005) states that privilege is an advantage or a right that is not
available to everyone, typically as a result of a social status or an identity one holds. In
addition to not being available to everyone, Wildman and Davis (2005) describe privilege as
“systemic, not an occasional occurrence” (p. 95). Both Wildman and Davis (2005) and
Rothenberg (2005) examine the aspect of invisibility embedded within privilege.
Rothenberg explains that privilege is often invisible to those who benefit most from it.
The privilege those in the dominant group experience becomes like water for fish; one is so
immersed in it, it is invisible, something that is seen as the norm and the way things have
always been. Unlike Rothenberg (2005), Wildman and Davis (2005) would not describe it as
invisible, but rather to the holder it is simply there, a normative part of their life, the way things
are, and those that lack it must be deficient. Black and Stone (2005) expand on these ideas and
capture the notion of privilege through five core components. Through these components
privilege is described as: a special advantage for the dominant group that is not universal;
something that is granted, not earned through effort or talent; it is a right or entitlement based
on a status or rank, based on membership to the dominant group; it is a benefit for the recipient
at the detriment of those in the subordinate group; and is seen as a status that often the person
receiving is unaware of its presence.
Dehumanizing bias. Derman-Sparks and the ABC Task Force (2000) and Bergen
(2001) share that bias is any attitude, belief, or feeling a person may have towards a person or
group that results in, and helps to justify, the dehumanizing treatment of an individual because
of their identity connected to a subordinate group. Derman-Sparks and the ABC Task Force
(2000) continues that in a sense it is an unfair preference or dislike of something that, as Bergen
(2001) adds, are typically played out in prejudice and oppression.
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Picture books. Murphy (2009) and Backes (2001) describe picture books as short text,
about 30 pages long, that contains intriguing illustrations that enhance the text which can range
from a few words to a paragraph on each page. Backes (2001) adds that these types of books
are often read aloud. According to Galda and Cullinan (2002), picture books tell a story or
develop an understanding of a concept through the blend of text and illustrations. They
continue that the content of picture books falls into any of the genres. Galda and Cullinan add
that formerly, picture books were mainly for preschool and primary aged children, but today
readers of all ages find value in them.
Potential Significance of Proposed Research
This research project is exciting because it could provide insight to many of my
unanswered professional questions and fill a void in the research literature. When conducting a
basic literature search for this research, I searched both ERIC and Education Full Text
databases. The descriptors I used for these searches included Multicultural Education,
Multicultural Education and children’s literature, Multicultural Education and picture books,
Multicultural Literature, social justice education, and social justice education and children’s
literature. From these searchers there were over 5000 articles and books about Multicultural
Education, but, when making the search more specific to children’s literature, there were less
than 100. When reviewing these specific articles and books they simply gave suggestions on
what books to use in a teacher’s practice. The initial review of the literature did not reveal any
resources about the criteria or process used to identify Multicultural books being recommended
for the use in classrooms or how they connect to the various philosophies on the continuum of
Multicultural Education.
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For example, the book Amazing Grace (Hoffman, 1991) is on many lists of
Multicultural picture books such as the Hennepin County Library (2010) list of Multicultural
Picture Books, and also is a title I have found teachers to use in their practice. What criterion
was used to determine that this book should be placed on such lists? Is it because there is
representation of people of color; is it because it challenges gender roles; is it because the
message within the plot is to empower the reader to stand up for themselves and not let
someone tell them they can or cannot do something because of their identity? When
contacting the Hennepin County Library and inquiring about their list, their children’s
reference librarian shared that they do not use any specific criteria to identify the books for this
list, rather it is updated annually by a group of librarians that meet and look at what books are
new or coming in. The group of librarians’ goal is to ensure the list simply has a balance of
different cultures or languages and typically are about kids balancing between two cultures.
In addition to wondering how these books get recommended I wondered if there was a
connection between how characters are portrayed and the possible messages within the plot of
these recommended books to the various philosophies of education that fall under the
Multicultural Education umbrella. Being able to place a book on a continuum such as Nieto’s
(2007) could provide a better indicator for teachers, parents/caregivers, librarians, or social
service providers as to why the book should be used as a Multicultural tool while also giving a
more specific definition of the philosophy the book supports.
This project also leaves many possibilities for the professional community when it is
completed. For example, if I identify picture books that send a teaching tolerance perspective
or leave issues of power or privilege unchallenged that could inform a teachers decision on how
the book is used. Does that mean these books should just never be used again? I do not think
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so; rather, this is an opportunity where teaching tools could be created to accompany the text as
a resource for teachers. This resource could shed light on the messages within the text and
provide suggestions for best practices in using the text with students; in essence, using the text
as a teaching source with students.
Chapter Two is an overview of the current literature connected to my research question.
It begins with looking at Multicultural Education as an umbrella term and then addresses three
different philosophies that fall under this term. Next, there is a section which looks at the
literature that discusses the importance for analyzing books, specifically books used with young
children. The chapter concludes with describing past and present research that is similar to this
research project.
Chapter Three describes the qualitative research paradigm this dissertation was
conducted in and the rationale for document analysis as the primary research method.
Throughout this chapter the process of selecting books is described, the rationale for now the
analysis instrument was created is shared, and details of the pilot study are provided. Finally,
the chapter ends with describing how the data was collected and analyzed.
Chapter Four provides an overview of the analysis process. Then it shares the findings
connected to the publication date, genre, and the inclusion or omission of characters based on
dominant and subordinate social identities. Next the analysis looks at the plots of the stories
for evident of empowerment and the invisibility of acknowledging dominant group power.
Finally the books are then connected by various traits to the three levels of Multicultural
Education, teaching tolerance, heroes and holidays, and equity and social justice.
Chapter Five shares my key understandings as they connect to my primary and
secondary research question. Then the chapter goes on to describe the implications and
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limitations for my research. Finally, I share possible next steps for the current research and
recommendations for future research.
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CHAPTER TWO
Literature Review
Introduction
My primary research question for this project is: what messages are revealed when
analyzing a selection of Multicultural picture books through a critical lens? This is followed by
two secondary questions: How do books classified as Multicultural correlate with the different
philosophies (teaching tolerance, heroes and holidays, and equity and social justice) within the
continuum of Multicultural Education? In other words, which of these philosophies do the
books seem to best support? In addition to this, what implications of the analysis are there for
classroom teachers? When reviewing the literature connected to terms Multicultural
Education and children’s literature, three broad categories were uncovered, Multicultural
Education, analysis of texts, and related research. Throughout this chapter I will summarize the
key concepts connected to each category.
The first category examines the framework for this research, which is Multicultural
Education. In this section a brief history of Multicultural Education will be provided, followed
by a deeper exploration of the definition of Multicultural Education; specifically how
Multicultural Education can be thought of as a broad umbrella term that has three different
more specific philosophies that align under it. The three philosophies are teaching tolerance,
heroes and holidays, and equity and social justice; these three philosophies will be connected to
Nieto’s (2007) continuum of Multicultural Education. This section also focuses on the work of
(2009), and Hackman (2005). This section will also discuss Social Justice Education and
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highlights the connections to Multicultural Education as an umbrella term. This category
creates the foundation for the framework behind this research project.
This second category focuses on what various authors and organizations state about the
importance of analyzing books used with young children. Galda and Cullinan (2002), Steiner,
Nash, and Chase (2008), and Botelho and Rudman (2009) all describe literature as a way for
young people to explore and understand the world around them, thus making it critical to
analyze the messages being portrayed in text and illustrations. This category is an important
piece to the literature review as it provides a rationale for the importance of the work in this
project.
The third category describes past and present research that is similar to this research
project, specifically the work of Kohl (2007), Dorfman (1983), Christensen (1994), Johnson
(1994), Wolpert (1994), Roderick, McClure, and Chief Roy Crazy Horse (1998), Bigelow
(2009), Caldewell-Wood and Mitten (1991), and Sims-Bishop (1982, 1991). In their research,
the above mentioned all critically analyze various forms of children’s text and describe in their
work the process used to complete analysis and outcomes. This aspect of the literature review
was instrumental in the development of the analysis instrument created to use in this research
project. It also provides insight for readers into various messages that can be found in text.
Framework for Research ~ Multicultural Education
The framework that grounds my research is the umbrella term Multicultural Education.
Sleeter (2009) provides a brief background to Multicultural Education and shares that it can be
traced historically back to the Civil Rights Movement, post World War II, and started with the
term multiethnic education. Sleeter explains that this term was used to bridge racial and ethnic
groups together, where at the time there was a divide. She also notes that the term
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Multicultural Education was later created to broaden the umbrella and include identities such as
gender and other forms of diversity. She stresses the purpose of Multicultural Education was
to be more than simply appreciating diversity or learning about the foods people may eat; rather
it is about justice, hence its ties to the Civil Rights Movement.
Sleeter’s description of Multicultural Education is similar to Au (2009) who describes
Multicultural Education as a teaching philosophy that is grounded in the lives of the students,
involves teaching multiple perspectives, and is a rigorous practice. He adds that this type of
learning invites students to engage in real social and political issues and creates a classroom
environment where students can engage with one another meaningfully. He continues that this
type of education is connected and infused to the entire curriculum, not just something that is
added here and there. Finally, Au states that Multicultural Education celebrates social
movements and provides students the opportunity to explore how social, economic, and cultural
institutions contribute to inequities.
This proposed research is grounded in the umbrella term Multicultural Education, but
specifically equity and social justice education. It is important to me that the reader has an
understanding of the philosophy that will be used during the analysis of the picture books and
determining the correlation of the books to the different philosophies on the continuum of
Multicultural Education (Neito, 2007). When considering Multicultural Education as a broad
umbrella term, I will be focusing on three levels of Multicultural Education described by Nieto
that fall within the umbrella, a continuum (Figure 1), with teaching tolerance at one end, heroes
and holidays in the middle, and equity and social justice on the other end.
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Multicultural Education
Figure 1. Multicultural Education as an umbrella term.
Nieto (2007) describes that Multicultural Education can sometimes be seen as this
continuum; at the beginning she starts with monocultural education. This is not included on my
continuum because, as Nieto explains, at this level school structures, policies, and materials are
represented only of the dominant group; diversity of any kind is ignored, and the notion of
“color-blindness” is celebrated. While on the surface it appears that this type of practice is
doing nothing, Nieto notes that it, in fact, is extremely problematic as it is reinforcing dominant
norms and ignoring pieces of people’s identities.
The continuum that guides the critical analysis in this research begins with Nieto’s
second level, teaching tolerance; the capacity to bear something, endure, but not embrace
differences. The goal at this level is assimilation. Nieto states that a movement beyond
tolerance is necessary if true Multicultural Education is to be more than a “superficial band-aid
or a feel-good” (p. 7) addition to a school’s curriculum.
Equity and Social Justice
Heroes and Holidays
Teaching Tolerance
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In the middle of my continuum is a heroes and holidays approach. According to Nieto
(2007), this sometimes is also considered basic acceptance of others. Banks (2007), who has a
similar continuum, describes this as the contributions or additive approach in which there is the
addition of ethnic heroes into the curriculum here and there. An example of the acceptance and
additive approach described by Banks and Nieto (2007) is when schools have events such as
Cinco de Mayo celebrations or Black History Month; they are using a heroes and holidays
approach. Nieto would argue that it is with this approach that bits and pieces of the “other” are
included here and there, typically tokenizing the “other” or reinforcing stereotypes. Banks
(2007) discusses how the use of this approach glosses over important concepts and issues that
address oppression and victimization. He notes that using this approach often leaves the
“other” being portrayed as strange or exotic, thus reinforcing stereotypes and misconceptions.
It also fails to help students see society from diverse cultural and ethnic perspectives.
Gorski (2008) deepens this critique and adds that it is through heroes and holidays
experiences such as taco night that, while the intentions may be good, in reality it is simply
reinforcing stereotypes with which the students have been socialized since birth. He continues
that often these practices are in place in schools because they are safe and comfortable for those
of the dominant group; the infusion of the subordinate group here and there offers no challenge
to the dehumanizing bias, power, privilege or the practices that maintain the marginalization of
the oppressed subordinate groups.
At the other end of my continuum is an equity and social justice education approach.
Nieto (2007) calls this affirmation, solidarity, and critique. With this approach the curriculum
has gone through a tremendous change; multiple perspectives are embedded into all
components of learning, and with all learning there is a focus on looking at inequities and
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injustices, as well as how to create change. Similar to Nieto is Christensen (2009), who adds
that the learning environment created through this approach is one where students feel safe
enough to take risks; students are more engaged with the curriculum because it focuses on
content that really matters, and real life is at the center of what is being learned.
Hackman (2005) focuses on the critique and creating change aspect on this end of
Nieto’s (2007) continuum and discusses that, through social justice education, students are
encouraged to take an active role in their own learning while teachers are also supported in
creating environments that are empowering, democratic, and critical. Hackman (2005)
continues that at this level of Multicultural Education one is not merely examining differences,
but is paying attention to systems of power and privilege and encouraging students to examine
oppression on multiple levels.
It is at this level of Multicultural Education one begins to see some connections to
Social Justice Education, which is considered an independent educational philosophy from
Multicultural Education. As Nieto (2007) and Hackman (2005) describe, at this level of
Multicultural Education there is a deep examination of systems of power, oppression,
inequities, and injustices, and encouraging students to engage in creating change. Ayers (1998)
describes social justice education as one that demands a dialectical stance, one focus on the
students and the other on the context. He adds that this type of teaching engages students to
identify obstacles and create change.
Building on Ayers is Bell (2007), who adds that this philosophy of education is both a
process and goal that looks at multiple forms of oppression and helps students understand
social differences and oppression in their personal lives and in social systems around them.
She adds that social justice education also works with students to develop critical skills to
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understand their own socialization within oppressive systems and develop the sense to create
change and interrupt those systems in themselves, institutions, and their community to which
they are a part.
Adams (2007) argues that Social Justice Education, the blend of what is taught and how
it is taught, comes out of various other philosophies and theories such as Social Identity
Development Theories, Multicultural Education, Critical Race Theory, a Feminist Framework,
Social Action, and Critical Pedagogy. She describes this practice as balancing the emotional
and cognitive components of the learning process to ensure a safe place to learn for students.
She adds that this practice also acknowledges and supports the personal interests students bring
while illuminating the interactions among the group. Adams further states that using Social
Justice Education builds social relations in the classroom and provides students a chance to
name behaviors as they emerge from the real life group dynamics. If, for example, during a
conversation about the Civil Rights Movement a student makes an offensive comment about
People of Color or validates the actions of oppressive Whites, the setting is created for
classmates to address this behavior and engage in critical dialogue. Finally, Adams shares how
using Social Justice Education balances different learning styles and the various needs of the
students. Hardiman and Jackson (2007) summarize that in order to teach social justice
education, one must understand oppression as a social phenomenon; everyone must understand
that oppression has consequences for all and that all forms of oppression are interconnected.
A strategy to implement equity and social justice education is to use children’s literature
as books are often one of the first educational tools children are exposed to. Understanding the
framework behind this research leads us to the next aspect of why it is important to analyze
books.
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Importance of Analyzing Books
As Galda and Cullinan (2002) describe, literature provides entertainment and
information for young people. It provides a way for them to explore and understand the world
around them. It is meant to enrich their lives. Information provided by literature includes
young people learning about people and places on the other side of the world as well as ones
down the street. It provides a way for young people to explore their own feelings, shape their
own values, and imagine lives beyond the one they live. Similar ideas on the values of
literature are described by Steiner, et al. (2008) with a specific focus on Multicultural literature.
Steiner, et al. (2008) share that literature, specifically quality Multicultural literature,
provides an opportunity for all children to see themselves in books; fosters a positive self-
esteem; prevents people from feeling isolated; and cultivates respect, empathy, and acceptance
of people. They continue by advocating that to avoid literature having an opposite effect it
must be analyzed to ensure the messages being portrayed are accurate and valuable. Steiner, et
al. also add that because literature can have such a impact on children, it is important that the
literature depicts people from multiple identities interacting with one another, to ensure the
“difference” is not the focus of the text, rather an integrated part of the larger story.
Similarly, Botelho and Rudman (2009) use the metaphor of mirrors and windows to
describe how children not only need literature in which they are reflected so it can affirm who
they are, but also need literature that provides a window so they can view a variety of
differences. They add that children’s literature creates an opportunity where children can meet
people across lines of social differences. To ensure that this exposure is accurate there is a
need to make sure that the literature teachers are using is analyzed from a critical perspective.
They argue that texts are socially constructed and told from a particular viewpoint, often that of
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the dominant group, so books need to be deconstructed and understood through the
sociopolitical context in which they were framed. In addition to the importance of the critical
review of Multicultural literature, Botelho and Rudman also acknowledge that Multicultural
literature is a vehicle to engage children in discussing social and emotional issues, while also
engaging them in social action and justice work. These two important components of
Multicultural literature are supported by Partners Against Hate (2003) and the Anti-Defamation
League (ADL) (2003).
Partners against Hate (2003), an organization that works to eliminate bias and hate and
ensure equity and justice, adds that books are powerful tools in helping young people
understand their homes, communities, and the world around them. The impressions and
messages within the books they read can last a lifetime. The organization states that,
unfortunately, children’s books often contain the same biased messages as other forms of
media, and because children are interested in the plot and the characters of the story it is
unlikely they will know or consider that there may be dehumanizing bias messages or other
stereotypes in the text.
Similarly, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) (2003) states that when books reflect
people in the world it provides an opportunity for children to learn to develop respect for self
and others. The organization describes quality literature as a two-way mirror, where children
can see themselves reflected and can explore the world around them. In addition to this, quality
literature can be an avenue through which children can see people from diverse backgrounds
playing and working together, solving problems, and overcoming obstacles. They add that
quality literature also challenges stereotypes and provides realistic glimpses into the lives of
people, helping children to learn to see unfairness and how to challenge inequity. The ADL
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also shares that if young children are exposed to dehumanizing bias messages over and over,
there is a danger that such distortions will become a framework for their own thinking.
Keeping that in mind, the Council on Interracial Books for Children (The Council)
(1994) found that children are repeatedly exposed to racist and sexist attitudes in books, and
that the overexposure of these messages gradually distorts their ideas until the stereotypes and
myths included in the stories are accepted as reality. The Council (1996c) adds that children’s
books are not just simply text and pictures; children’s books carry a message of a certain set of
values or morals that are molding young people’s minds. While this may seem like a positive
concept, according to the Council on Interracial Books for Children (1996c), the critical piece
is that children’s books typically reflect those messages that dominant society, and thus
children’s books, are portraying, and are in a sense a tool that is maintaining this dominance.
When defining the dominant group, the Council describes one that is very white, keeps females
in traditional roles, is oriented around the needs of the rich, focuses on individual achievement
instead of the well-being of community, and has systems that keep people of color, poor
people, women, and other oppressed groups in their place. In addition to organizations such as
Partners Against Hate (2003), the ADL (2003), and the Council on Interracial Books for
Children (1994, 1996c), Christensen (1994) also describes a similar impact literature can have
on its readers.
Christensen (1994) describes how children’s literature is very influential and how, over
time, the stereotypes and views embedded in these stories become accepted knowledge. She
explains Dorfman’s (1983) term “secret education,” which is believed to be delivered by
children’s books and movies that instructs students to accept the world as it is portrayed in
these “social blueprints.” Dorfman (1983) continues that these blueprints often depict a world
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where one gender, one race, one class, and one country are dominant over another, and that
through the main character readers absorb the dominant group’s norms and ideas. Dorfman
argues that while fiction stories are merely meant to entertain, they are also a primary shaper of
people’s emotions and intellect, teaching how to love, buy, conquer, forget the past, and
suppress the future. When reflecting on Dorfman’s work, Christensen (2009) explains that the
books educators bring into the classroom say a great deal about what the teacher thinks is
important, whose stories get told, whose voices are heard and whose are marginalized; so even
deeper than the messages that can be found in the books are the message about those voices
that are absent from them.
It is also critical to analyze children’s picture books because, as Fox and Short (2003)
state, “children have the right to see themselves within a book, to find within a book the truth of
their own experiences instead of stereotypes and misrepresentations” (p. 21). They continue
with discussing how books provide children with “insights into power and sociopolitical issues
while also serving to challenge the dominant, monocultural perspective” (p. 21) that dominates
most schooling. They add that the use of such books allows students the opportunity to tackle
issues of differences, equity, and assumptions, thus preparing them for success in an
increasingly diverse society.
Similarly, Norton (1990, 2009) connects how experts in the field of Multicultural
Education emphasize the importance of using literature to raise awareness and that these tools
are needed to help students grow a deeper understanding of themselves and others in the world
around them. Norton continues that Multicultural literature also helps students expand their
understandings of history and sociopolitical change while broadening their appreciation for
literature.
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When considering the impact children’s literature can have on students and wanting to
ensure equity and social justice education is at the foundation of teachers’ practice, the need for
analyzing text used in classrooms is obvious. The next section will review past and present
research that is similar to the research of this dissertation.
Past/Present Similar Research
Whether it be picture books, fairy tales, or movies, various people have spent time
looking at the messages in these texts. For example, Kohl (2007) takes a critical look at the
story of Babar and brings to light many perspectives not considered previously. When
conducting this research Kohl (2007) decided to focus his analysis on issues of power that are
represented in this story. Kohl states that power relationships are a critical component to
acknowledge as they are models for students of what is considered appropriate social and moral
behavior.
Kohl describes the process he used when conducting his research. This process
involved him asking himself various questions, such as, “Who has the power in Babar? Who
makes the decisions in the story? Who is obeyed and tells the other characters what to do? And
how is power distributed among the characters in the text?” It was through this process of
asking self-reflecting questions Kohl uncovered that in the story, power lies with the people,
not the animals. Specifically, he found that the rich lady, who takes Babar under her wing, tries
to assimilate him to act like a person by dressing him in human clothes and attempting to teach
him to eat. The underlying message, Kohl concludes, is that there are different classes of
people. In this instance, the rich lady is portrayed as better off, sending the message that the
rich class are better; whereas the elephants are seen as not as good as people, but might be if
they assimilate and act like people. Kohl makes the connection between the actions in this
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book and a form of colonization, when members of a group are seduced into letting those with
power proselytize them.
In addition to Kohl, Dorfman (1983) has done a similar analysis of Babar. In his
retelling, the messages he uncovers in the book are assimilate or fail. Dorfman describes that
there are deep messages of assimilation present; specifically, a goal of the character to fulfill
the dominant country’s colonial dream which leaves the readers looking at how happy the
elephants are once they have assimilated. He adds that he also sees messages of Babar playing
the part of the barbaric African and the rich lady being the Europeanized goal, giving additional
messages about conquest and enslavement.
Kohl (2007) goes beyond his analysis of Babar and also looked at the stories of
Pinocchio and Little House on the Prairie. Kohl describes in his review of Pinocchio the
notion of what is considered good and what is considered bad or evil, and how those attributes
are portrayed through the main character. He also discusses the sexism messages found in the
text, such as boys will be boys and that boys are mischievous, apt to get into trouble, and more
adventurous; compared to the female in the story, the blue fairy who is mild-mannered, passive,
and nurturing. Kohl also describes the false realities of immigration that can be inferred from
the story. He summarizes that Pinocchio runs away to America where he has the idea he can be
free to do whatever he wants. When Pinocchio gets there he is homesick for Gepetto, his
father, and just leaves and goes home. Kohl believes this depicts an unrealistic picture of the
immigrant experience, as few immigrants are in the sociocultural position to go back and forth
due to socioeconomics, political climate of the country leaving, or immigration laws.
Kohl (2007) shares that, to some, the stories of Little House on the Prairie may be seen
as a classic, but to others who take a closer look, they will notice that Native Americans in the
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book are seen as barely-human savages. While the series of stories is about the personal tales
of White settlers, it is also about the conquest of the prairies, which can be seen as
dehumanizing to the Native people who had their land stolen from them.
Christensen (1994) did similar research uncovering bias in fairy tales and films,
specifically Disney movies. With her students, Christensen uncovered that various fairy tales
and films present women as passive, whereas men are strong; people of color are either
nonexistent or evil. This research was done looking at fairy tale books such as the Ugly
Duckling, films such as Snow White, The Little Mermaid, and various other texts, such as
cartoons and comics. Her analysis was done by charting stereotypes while watching films or
reading text; specifically looking at women, men, and people of color. She provides critical
questions to guide the charting, which includes who plays the lead, buffoon, or servant; what is
the race, station in life, mission, and body type of each character; what would children learn
from the portrayal of people of color; which characters are women, what roles they play, what
concerns they have, what jobs they have, and what messages this sends to children about
women. The blend of these questions are addressed for various characters in the text and then
analyzed for stereotypes.
Johnson (1994), a student of Christensen who participated in this analysis, shared that
after reviewing books and cartoons she discovered they included issues about the roles of men
and women in society, as well as about people of color. Based on the analysis she conducted
she describes how text can create images in people’s minds, where Indians are seen as savages
or Arabs are seen tearing through the desert in robes with swords. She also adds that sexist
images have been created about women, as often their roles lack intelligence or depth and are
portrayed as helpless and need to be saved by a prince. Johnson discusses how these
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messages and stereotypes come directly from cartoons, advertising, and media that young
children are reading and watching on a regular basis.
Wolpert (1994) is another educator that has spent time analyzing text. She shares how
it is important to talk about the stereotypes embedded in so many favorite stories, such as The
Three Little Pigs. She wonders who decided that brick houses were better than straw houses
and suggests that the underlying message within the story is lazy people build straw and stick
homes while brick homes, which are strong enough to stand against problems, are built by
serious and hard-working people. Wolpert stresses that she thinks the best practice is not to
refuse to read books such as these, but rather use them as teaching tools. For example, with
The Three Little Pigs, through dialogue a teacher can work with students to challenge
ethnocentrism and see why homes in different parts of the world are different and the value to
each of them. Similar critiques of children’s stories and movies were found in Roderick’s et al.
(1998) work.
Roderick et al. (1998) critiques children’s movies, specifically Pocahontas, which was
later made into a children’s picture book and uncovers the inaccurate portrayal of the
characters. When looking at this specific example, Roderick et al. describes that more
disturbing than the inaccuracies in how Pocahontas is depicted is the distortion of the larger
story of the Europeans’ invasion. These authors’s explains that the story makes it seem that the
conflict was due to cultural differences and that each side had a responsibility in the conflict,
rather than the reality of one group colonizing over the other as their profits took precedence.
They also add to the discussion that while Disney’s ultimate goal for this movie, and later the
book, was to make money, the problem is what both the movie and book teach. She describes
that, unfortunately, the movie reinforces racism, stereotypes, and misunderstandings about the
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real people being portrayed in the movie. These findings go beyond forms of entertainment,
but also connect to curriculum found in schools. Similarly, Bigelow (2009) discusses his
analysis of nonfiction biographies of Columbus.
As Multicultural literature comes in various forms, so it is important to consider critical
analysis of the nonfiction genre as well. Bigelow shares that in his analysis five different
messages could be found that supports colonialism and racist ideas. These messages include:
teaching young children to accept white people ruling over people of color;
depicting the journey to the new world as some great adventure;
characterizing Columbus as a brave, smart, and determined hero compared to the other
sailors who are shown as stupid cowards;
that “Americans” should be lucky he made the discovery;
and that a strong Christian base is needed for God to be on your side.
Bigelow argues that these messages justify colonialism and racism, and create an anti-working
class message. Bigelow also shares that it is not just the bias in the books that is concerning in
this case, but that the omission of multiple perspectives or truth is just as detrimental. In
addition to this he found that none of the books asked students to think about the story or ask
themselves questions such as, why do you think Columbus felt he could just claim the land;
how might the Native Americans been feeling or thinking during this experience; or what have
been the short and long term consequences of Columbus’s expedition?
Another critique of the portrayal of Native Americans was done by Caldwell-Wood and
Mitten (1991) who argue there are many “good” books, meaning well-written by respected
authors, that are terrible when considering the depiction of Native American people. They
continue that in text such as The Indian in the Cupboard (Banks, 1985) and its sequel, much-
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loved books by librarians and readers, there are subtle dehumanizing stereotypes and
misperceptions. Their specific critique of Indian in the Cupboard describes the Indian as a
miniature toy, an object or thing that is dressed like a western version of a generic Plains Indian
with a headdress and all. In addition, they describe that the book depicts the Indian in the most
stereotypical terms and shows a person who only speaks in subhuman grunts and partial
sentences. Throughout the plot of the story the Indian is manipulated by the more powerful
white child.
Similar to the in-depth look at the depiction of Native Americans done by Roderick et
al. (1998), Bigelow (2009), and Caldwell-Wood and Mitten (1991), is Sims-Bishop (1982),
who conducted a study specifically on books published by and about African Americans
between 1965 and 1979. In this study Sims Bishop considered who the implied reader of the
book was and the books’ cultural perspective or focalization. Again using guiding questions to
analyze the books, Sims-Bishop organized the 150 books into three categories: social
conscience, melting pot, and culturally conscious, which created the framework used
throughout her analysis. Recognizing the time and place in society that these books came from,
Sims-Bishop (1991) asserts “if you want authentic African American experience, go to the
people who have lived it and who bring those life experiences to bear on creating literature for
children” (pp. 34-35).
The past and present research described above provides a snapshot of what other people
have uncovered when analyzing text. Reviewing this material helped me gain an understanding
of how these researchers conducted their studies. This leads to the next chapter, which
describes the research design behind this project.
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CHAPTER THREE
Methodology
Research Paradigm
My primary research question for this project is: what messages are revealed when
analyzing a selection of Multicultural picture books through a critical lens? This is followed by
two secondary questions: How do books classified as Multicultural correlate with the different
philosophies (teaching tolerance, heroes and holidays, and equity and social justice) within the
continuum of Multicultural Education? In addition to this, what implications of the analysis are
there for classroom teachers? The research paradigm for this study is qualitative. Marshall
and Rossman (2006) describe qualitative research as research that takes place in the natural
world, is emergent, and fundamentally interpretive. They continue to explain that it is a broad
approach to studying a social phenomenon. In regards to my specific research questions the
social phenomena that is being addressed is possible messages are uncovered in Multicultural
picture books and therefore a qualitative approach is well suited to my research question and
purpose. McMillan and Schumacher (2001) add that qualitative research is collecting data in a
face-to-face setting, followed by describing and analyzing actions, thoughts, and perceptions
from the data. They also share that in essence qualitative research presents data as a narration.
The research design for this study required that I work “face-to-face” with the books that were
analyzed, describing their content and their illustrations, and then created a narrative summary
of my findings.
Picture Book Selection Process
This research design required compiling lists of Multicultural Education picture books,
developing an analysis instrument, and using the instrument to analyze the books from a critical
37
lens to reveal possible messages. The process used to identify books was what McMillan and
Schumacher (2001) term reputational sampling; meaning gathering recommendations from
knowledgeable experts to obtain best examples for this study. The first step was gathering lists
of Multicultural picture books by conducting internet searches to obtain lists of books
suggested to use as Multicultural picture books. This was done using typical internet search
engines such as Google and searching for Multicultural Education Picture Books. Through this
process I found three libraries that had specific lists of Multicultural picture books. These
included the Hennepin County Library, MN, the Duluth Public Library, MN, and the Boston
Public Library, MA.
Through this search process various reading organizations and resources were found.
The first was the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) website. RIF (2007) is the oldest and largest
children’s and family nonprofit literacy organization in the United States and its priority is to
reach underserved children. On their website they have a list of what they deem the best
Multicultural Read Aloud Books. I looked through all of the books that were listed and
identified all of the titles that were picture books. I was able to do this by checking each book
listed on the library database to determine what type of book it was as there were a blend of
picture books and chapter books.
Sticking with the reading resources theme, I next reviewed two literacy books, both of
which state a connection to Multicultural Education. One of these books was put together by
the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and called Kaleidoscope: A Multicultural
Booklist for Grades K-8 (Sims-Bishop, 1994). Within this book there are two sections: books
for very young children and picture books from which additional titles of picture books are
38
located. The other book was Strategies that Work by Harvey and Goudvis (2000), which also
has an appendix which lists picture books that connect to contemporary social justice issues.
The search then moved to resources connected to Multicultural Education, starting with
Wolpert’s (2005) book, Start Seeing Diversity, which has a suggested list of books in the
appendix to use with children. Moving on to the National Association for Multicultural
Education (2010) website, I found titles from a list of recommended Multicultural picture
books. The last organization reviewed was the Syracuse Cultural Workers Tools for Change
(2010) online catalog. This organization is a Peace and Justice Publisher and Distributer. It
was founded in 1982 and is a progressive publisher committed to peace, sustainability, social
justice, feminism and Multiculturalism.
All of the book titles that were identified were from sources that stated a clear
connection to Multicultural Education or had in the organizations description of the list a
focused on equity and social justice education. There were a number of other organizations and
books also reviewed, but their resource lists did not explicitly state that they were Multicultural
literature. For example, the Teaching Tolerance (n.d.) website does not have a specific list of
books, but rather embeds book titles in some lesson plans. Since these titles were not on a list
stating specifically that they were Multicultural Education picture books, I did not include these
titles.
Again, this process utilized what McMillan and Schumacher (2001) term reputational
sampling; meaning gathering recommendations from knowledgeable experts to collect the best
examples for this study. For this study, organizations and authors were considered experts if
they were connected to literacy education or Multicultural Education. As a literacy teacher,
advocate for Multicultural Education, and scholar, I know there are many other places, perhaps
39
better resources, to obtain lists of Multicultural books. However, for the purpose of this
research I wanted to follow the path I envision typical classroom teachers would follow, with
time and resource constraints, to generate ideas for books to use in their classroom. To ensure
the lists collected represented titles from other scholarly sources they were checked against
books suggested from The Cooperative Children’s Book Center (2010), which has a section
dedicated to Multicultural literature. The generated lists were also compared to a study done by
Gorski (2010), where he collected the titles of the best children’s books in this field. When
comparing the generated lists to these two additional resources, the same titles were
represented.
Once all that data was collected from the searches, a list of suggested books was created
(Appendix D). This list holds a total of 384 picture book titles from the nine different sources.
With the list compiled, frequency of suggestion was then used to narrow the list. For example,
if a title was mentioned in all of the searches, that title would have a high frequency of
suggestion. An important aspect of this research design was to select titles that are most
common as they may be more well-known, thus used more frequently in classrooms. To
determine frequency, I reviewed the list and looked for all the titles found on three or more
lists. Only two books were identified with this frequency. Wanting a bigger sample size, I then
reviewed the list again and identified all the titles found on two or more of the lists compiled.
From this process a total of nineteen books (Appendix E) were identified that would be
reviewed in this research project.
Rationale for Document Analysis
With this initial process completed, I was ready to begin my proposed research; the use
of document analysis, also known as content analysis. For the purpose of this study, document
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analysis and content analysis are synonymous and only the term document analysis will be used
when discussing the research method. In regards to this research study, the documents that
were analyzed are the nineteen selected Multicultural Education picture books. When looking
at various research methods, document analysis, in its description alone, provided a research
instrument to accomplish the goals of this study.
According to Rapley (2007), document analysis, simply put, is working with or
exploring text. He describes that through this exploration one is looking just as much at what is
said to what is not said; the silence, gaps, or omissions. Similarly, McMillan and Schumacher
(2001) describe this method as the process of analyzing, criticizing, and interpreting the artifact
or document. Through this research project, the Instrument for Critically Analyzing
Multicultural Books was developed and used with the nineteen picture books selected to guide
the process McMillan and Schumacher describe. This process looks at what is present and not
present in each book, as well as creating an outline for analyzing the books.
Marshall and Rossman (2006) dig deeper into the explanation of document analysis.
They describe three genres found within the qualitative research paradigm. One of the genres
they describe is language and communication, in which the main method used in this type of
research is document analysis. Comparable to Rapley (2007) and McMillan and Schumacher
(2001), Marshall and Rossman (2006) describe document analysis as the process of looking at
written materials such as textbooks, novels, newspapers, or e-mail messages, and describing
and interpreting the documents. Anderson (2004) also terms this method as document analysis,
which falls under what he describes as descriptive research. Anderson shares that this method
is the analysis of documents and creating a systematic description of the content. He continues
41
by sharing various uses for this method, one being the evaluation of bias and prejudice in
printed materials.
Rationale for Instrument Design
It is through the use of document analysis that my data collection began. Marshall and
Rossman (2006) share that one way researchers typically gather information for their data
collection is by analyzing documents, or picture books in the case of this study. Using the
work of Christensen (2000), Kohl (2007), Dorfman (1983), Botelho and Rudman (2009), Sims-
Bishop (1982), Council on Interracial Books for Children (1994, 1996c) and Norton (1990,
2009), the Instrument for Critically Analyzing Multicultural Books was created to conduct the
document analysis of the selected picture books. Each author uses various techniques, such as
reflective questioning, to review books. These strategies have been blended together to create
the instrument that will be used through this research project. Figure 2 shows the original
version of the instrument that was created.
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Book Citation:
First Reading:
Initial Reading
Second Reading:
Second Reading ~ Characterization and depiction of characters in text and illustrations
Step 1. Reread book.
Step 2. Identify characters in story and place them into chart below.
Step 3. Look back at the book and take notes on the chart below on the characterizations (descriptive words) of characters based on text and illustrations.
Step 4. Answer reflective questions.
Character: Character: Character: Character:
Reflective questions on :
How are people in the book depicted based on: (when reflecting on these depictions keep in mind the role of dominant and subordinate relationships associated with oppression that
may be reflected in book; for example how are the female characters depicted compared to the male characters; see attached grid for
outline of dominant and subordinate groups)
Gender
Race
Religion
Socioeconomics
Sexual Orientation
Abilities
Do the pictures provide accurate, real illustrations of the people the story is about or are stereotypical, cartoon images portrayed?
Third Reading:
Third Reading ~ Analysis of the plot of the text
Step 1. Reread book.
Step 2. Answer reflective questions. Consider explicit and implicit messages.
Reflective questions:
Describe the plot of the story.
What are the characters’ motivations? (Goals/missions out of situation/life)
What roles do the characters’ play? (Some possible questions to ask: Who plays the lead? Who plays the buffoon? Who plays the servant? Does a character need saving?)
How do the roles characters play support or challenge stereotypes of dominant or subordinate groups?
What role do money and possessions play in the book? Who has it? Who wants it? How important is it to the story?
Who has the power or privilege in the book? How is it used? How does this impact other characters in the book?
Are there any examples of dehumanizing bias noticed?
Fourth Reading:
Fourth Reading ~ evidence of empowerment
What evidence of empowerment from an equity perspective is there in the book? (For example are characters seen creating change,
standing up for others, and/or work to eradicate forms of inequities and injustice?)
How does the story invite students to engage in real social and political issues?
Fifth Reading:
Final Reading
Add any additional notes to note taking document and create summary of my thoughts.
Summary of my thoughts on book… Summary of my thoughts on using the instrument…
Bias and positionality on book… Bias and positionality on using the instrument…
Figure 2. Original instrument for critically analyzing Multicultural books.
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The instrument is set up for there to be five different readings of the same picture
books. The layout for each reading was developed by looking at the work of Harvey and
Goudvis (2000) and Pilonieta and Medina (2009) who share that, just like planning a lesson,
before reading people need to be clear on what they want to get from the reading. In addition,
Pilonieta and Medina (2009) add that setting the purpose for the reading is a strategy readers
use to enhance understanding of the text; simply asking yourself why you are reading this and
what you are trying to find out helps focus the brain for the reading. Gallagher (2004) calls
setting the purpose for the reading as a way of focusing the reader and encourages readers to
have a focus question while reading to ensure they know what they are looking for in the text.
Similarly, Harris (1999) reminds us when applying critical theories to children’s literature
questions should emerge through the reading and be asked to oneself. Thus, each reading on
the instrument has a specific focus and poses questions for the user.
The first reading is just to gain familiarity with the text, as Gallagher (2004) stated;
simply getting introduced to what is being said. In this stage the reader engages with the text
on a basic level by simply reading it and becoming familiar with the basic plot and characters.
There are no specific questions to answer with this reading, just an entry point developed for
the remaining readings.
The second reading is focused on looking at characterization and depiction of characters
in text and illustrations. In this reading the analyzer is describing in detail the characters in the
story. In addition, the analyzer is asked to consider the role dominant and subordinate group
membership may or may not play out in how characters are depicted. As described in the
literature review, books serve as a social blueprint for society and it is important to identify
what dominant messages about race, class, gender, or other social identities are embedded in
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the book. In addition to this, note will be taken if there is no representation for a specific group
membership, as Botelho and Rudman (2009) remind us of the importance of looking for who,
meaning characters, is present as well as who is not present in the story.
Thus far in the outline, the focus of the second reading seems to be on the text.
However, the illustrations are also a critical piece to the analysis for this day as well, as the
visuals are telling the story for young children. The Council on Interracial Books for Children
(1996c) suggests that when looking at illustrations one is looking for stereotypes, tokenism,
and, more specifically, what the illustrations show the characters doing. These ideas guide the
questions developed on the instrument for looking specifically at the illustrations.
The third reading is based on analyzing the plot of the text. The Council on Interracial
Books for Children (1996c) argues one must look closely at the story line or plot, specifically
how problems are presented and resolved. When considering this the analyzer is addressing the
roles characters play and characters’ motivations or goals within the plot as connected to
dominant and subordinate group membership. In addition to looking at the plot, the analyzer
will be looking at issues of power and possession and how it relates to the plot of the story.
Foucault (1995) encourages that questions be asked such as who has and exercises power when
critically analyzing a children’s Multicultural book.
The fourth reading is geared around looking for evidence of empowerment in the text.
This is an important piece within the Multicultural analysis as Derman-Sparks and the ABC
Task Force (2000) states that empowerment is the goal of anti-bias or Multicultural Education.
At this stage the analyzer will refer back to the plot of the story and identify if there were
examples of characters standing up for themselves, standing up for others, or challenging an
injustice or inequity that may be present in the conflict of the plot.
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The fifth and final reading is to give the analyzer another opportunity to review the text
as a whole and add any additional notes to any of the previous readings. This stage, similar to
the first reading, does not have any specific questions posed for the analyzer. Rather, it is
designed to allow the reviewer to once again look at the text as a whole and add any last
reflections.
In addition to the instrument having a built-in focus for each reading, it is also
embedding the practice of reading the book five times. Harvey and Goudvis (2000) share that
the more a story is read the better is it comprehended, which leads to inferring deeper meaning
of the text. They also state that rereading a text not only enhances the understanding of it, but
also leads the reader to develop insights. Gallagher (2004) discusses that rereading gets the
reader to a place where they can infer, or see and consider, ideas that are not literally on the
page but written between the lines. He adds that one reading is not sufficient to get below the
surface to a richer, deeper meaning and understanding of the text. Gallagher suggests reading a
text at least twice, as the first reading is simply an introduction to what is being said. The
following reading is where you can ask what it means and why it matters, truly digging deeper.
Pilot Study
The Instrument for Critically Analyzing Multicultural Picture Books is a critical piece
of the research study and I needed to avoid bias in my judgment. To address this before
conducting the analysis of the selected books, a pilot study was conducted, where I reviewed
two of the selected books using the instrument and then asked six other educators in the field of
education to review the same books using the instrument and compared our findings. Anderson
(2004) describes pilot studies as a small scale study conducted before the actual research as a
way of testing procedures and techniques. Through this process I used the strategy McMillan
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and Schumacher (2001) call negative cases or discrepant data, actively searching for
discrepancies in the use of the tool that in turn would impact the trustworthiness of my research
findings. Conducting the pilot study also allowed me the opportunity to use what Maxwell
(1996) terms triangulation by collecting information from different people and comparing their
findings with two of the picture books. This procedure had the potential to increase the
trustworthiness of the data collection analysis instrument.
The pilot study involved the analysis of two of the selected books, Virgie Goes to
School with us Boys (Howard, 2000) and A Birthday Basket for Tia (Mora, 1997). These titles
came from the list of nineteen that were selected for analysis through this research project.
These two specific books were selected at random by placing the titles of all nineteen books
into a bowl and selecting two from the pile. I then completed an analysis of both books using
the Instrument for Critically Analyzing Multicultural Books. Once my analysis was finished,
six educators were invited to analyze the same two books using the instrument (Appendix F).
The educators were selected as they each have a solid foundation in best educational practice,
yet each brought different expertise and experience based on the population with which they
work. Two reviewers work in higher education, one specifically in courses related to diversity
and education. Three reviewers work with elementary-aged students, with one having an
extensive background in early literacy. One reviewer works as a high school English teacher.
The first part of the analysis of data in regards to the pilot study involved comparing my
initial findings with the findings of the peer reviewers. On the peer reviewer instruments words
or phrases that match my initial review of the book are highlighted in yellow. This was done to
ensure consistency in big picture findings across reviewers and highlight the similarities found
when analyzing the text. This review found that the majority of responses were similar; while
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there were some differences in wording or depth of responses, this is to be expected when
different people are analyzing the books. The next step in this review of the pilot study was
reading comments and suggestions made by peer reviewers about the use of the instrument.
The general consensus was that the instrument was helpful to push educators to look deeper at
the explicit and implicit content of the book through multiple readings of the book with a
specific focus. Some other questions or comments in this section that were provided included
whether the instrument needs to consider the author’s background or intent, the genre of the
book or context in which it was written, and the point of view in which the story is being told.
These comments and questions led me to amend the instrument to strengthen it.
The first addition was simply a section at the top of the instrument that instructs
reviewers to preview the book and determine if there is any information about the author’s
background or intent stated. For example, in Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys (Howard,
2000), the book jacket gives a brief biography of the author and her connection to the story. At
the back of the book there was also a short passage on “learning to be free,” which was a key
concept throughout the plot of the story. Reading the story without this information gives a
very different picture than considering the context in which it was written and the author’s
connection.
The next two additions were added to the third reading when looking at the plot of the
story itself. First, the reviewer is now asked to identify the genre of the book. According to
Galda and Cullinan (2002), a genre is a category that has defining characteristics which help
organize literature. The major genres include fiction and nonfiction, with subgenres underneath
those broad categories. In regards to this research project reviewers were asked to identify if
the book is fiction (not true) or nonfiction (true). Specifically for fiction, the reviewer was
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asked to identify the book as realistic fiction, historical fiction, or fantasy. Galda and Cullinan
(2002) define realistic fiction as fiction text set in modern times with events that could happen
in the real world; historical fiction as stories that are set in the past and portray events that
actually happened or could have happened; or fantasy as imaginative literature that has clear
components that could not happen in the real world. They define nonfiction, which includes
biographies, autobiographies, and informational text, as books that talk about a real person’s
life or informational sources that explain a specific subject.
The other addition to the third reading asks the reviewer to identify the point of view
from which the story is being told. Galda and Cullinan (2002) define point of view as who
narrates the story. They continue that it is important to consider the point of view as it tells you
from whose vantage point the story is being told; 1st person means the story is being told by a
character in the story and 3rd
person means the story’s narrator is not a character in the story.
Reviewers from the pilot study felt this was important when considering the book Virgie Goes
to School with Us Boys, by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard (2000). While the story is written in
first person since CC, one of the brothers, was telling the story, the main character was Virgie.
Perhaps the story would be better told from her lens.
Overall the pilot study provided a great deal of information about the strengths of the
instrument as well as giving some suggestions to enhance the instrument as the research project
moved forward. As the primary researcher one of the benefits also discovered through this
process was how beneficial it is to have multiple reviewers of a text. As the instruments
completed by the peer reviewers were reviewed, many included comments expanded my own
thinking of the book. I spent some time considering having multiple reviewers for the
remaining seventeen books, however remembered that the purpose of this study is to conduct it
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through the lens of a classroom teacher; providing an instrument and process that could be used
with many other books in the future. Due to time constraints few educators may have the
opportunity to collaborate with colleagues to review a book they intend to use in their
classroom. Figure 3 shows the finalized version of the instrument with the changes
highlighted.
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Book Citation:
Information about author’s background or intent stated on book:
First Reading: Initial Reading
Second Reading:
Second Reading ~ Characterization and depiction of characters in text and illustrations
Step 1. Reread book. Step 2. Identify characters in story and place them into chart below.
Step 3. Look back at the book and take notes on the chart below on the characterizations (descriptive words) of characters based on
text and illustrations. Step 4. Answer reflective questions.
Character: Character: Character: Character:
Reflective questions on:
How are people in the book depicted based on:
(when reflecting on these depictions keep in mind the role of dominant and subordinate relationships associated with oppression that
may be reflected in book; for example how are the female characters depicted compared to the male characters; see attached grid for
outline of dominant and subordinate groups)
Gender
Race
Religion
Socioeconomics
Sexual Orientation
Abilities
Do the pictures provide accurate, real illustrations of the people the story is about or are stereotypical, cartoon images portrayed?
If they are cartoon images, do the faces look stereotypical alike, or are they depicted as individuals with distinctive features?
Do the illustrations depict the dominant group in leadership or action roles (the doers) and the subordinate group in
subservient or passive roles (the inactive observer)?
What are the characters’ motivations? (Goals/missions out of situation/life)
What roles do the characters’ play? (Some possible questions to ask: Who plays the lead? Who plays the buffoon? Who plays the servant? Does a character need saving?)
How do the roles characters play support or challenge stereotypes of dominant or subordinate groups?
What role do money and possessions play in the book? Who has it? Who wants it? How important is it to the story?
Who has the power or privilege in the book? How is it used? How does this impact other characters in the book?
Are there any examples of dehumanizing bias noticed?
Fourth Reading:
Fourth Reading ~ evidence of empowerment What evidence of empowerment from an equity perspective is there in the book? (For example are characters seen creating change,
standing up for others, and/or work to eradicate forms of inequities and injustice?)
How does the story invite students to engage in real social and political issues?
Fifth Reading:
Final Reading
Add any additional notes to note taking document and create summary of my thoughts.
Summary of my thoughts on book… Summary of my thoughts on using the instrument…
Bias and positionality on book… Bias and positionality on using the instrument…
Figure 3. Finalized version of the instrument for critically analyzing Multicultural books.
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Data Collection
Once the pilot study was completed and trustworthiness was established with the
instrument I moved forward with conducting the analysis of the remaining 17 books.
According to Thompson, McCoy, and Williams (2000), trustworthiness is, in essence,
describing that there is truth value to the research, that the research is applicable and consistent,
and that there is neutrality within the research. I established this trustworthiness with the
instrument by using triangulation. Denzin (1997) states that triangulation is the use of various
research methods to ensure the research is based on sophisticated rigor. Denzin continues that
there are different types of triangulation, including using multiple observers, rather than one,
which was the process used throughout this pilot study. Establishing trustworthiness was
important because it provides credibility to the use of the instrument used throughout this
research project.
My use of the Instrument for Critically Analyzing Multicultural Books follows
Gallagher’s (2004) suggestion that the five step process employed of rereading the text leads to
a deeper understanding of text. (Appendix C). This process took place over a two month
period. With each of these readings my notes were taken directly in the analysis instrument,
essentially creating field notes for each book (Appendix G).
The first reading was just to gain familiarity with the text, whereas the rest of the
readings involved looking for specific information and asking specific questions that are
outlined on the instrument. In the second reading I looked at the characterization and depiction
of characters in the text and illustrations. With this, I took notes using descriptive words to
illustrate how the characters were portrayed and asked questions regarding how characters are
depicted and if the pictures are accurate representations of the people the story is about or are
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stereotypical images portrayed. This was a critical piece as Fox and Short (2003) discuss the
importance of evaluating books to ensure the images are authentic and free of stereotypes.
The third reading focused on looking specifically at the story plot. The Reading is
Fundamental (2007) website stresses the importance of ensuring that Multicultural Education
books selected are those with well-developed plots and characters; simply because a book
contains a character that happens to be black or happens to be in a wheelchair does not make it
an adequate piece of Multicultural Literature. Through this step I described the plot of the
story and looked at the motivations and roles of the characters as well as looking at the role of
money, possessions, power, privilege, and bias.
In the fourth reading I looked for evidence of empowerment; specifically if there were
any messages in the text of creating change, standing up for others, or working to eradicate
forms of inequities or injustices. Finally, the fifth reading of all the books was done during the
last week of the two month period and gave me the chance to re-read the text and add any
additional notes and create a summary of my thoughts.
To enhance reflexivity in my data collection I used two strategies described by
McMillan and Schumacher (2001). The first strategy was audibility. While collecting my data,
a detailed record of information on the analysis was recorded on the instrument, also seen as
my field notes that can be found in Appendix F. The second strategy was practicing critical
reflexivity. Through this process I critiqued myself by asking difficult questions to address my
bias and positionality, and stated these explicitly on the bottom section of the analysis
instrument.
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Data Analysis
Once the picture book selection process was complete, each of the nineteen books was
read, and field notes were generated for each of the selected books, and the data analysis phase
of my research project began. Marshall and Rossman (2006) state “qualitative data analysis is
the search for general statements about the relationships and underlying themes” (p. 154). This
analysis was grounded in an inductive approach as recommended by McMillan and
Schumacher (2001) and Marshall and Rossman (2006). Using the inductive approach, I
systematically organized and interpreted the information gathered through the rereading
process by identifying categories, patterns, relationships and themes that emerged from the
data. In essence, my analysis involved looking through and rereading my field notes. I took
one question on the analysis instrument at a time and read the responses generated for each of
the books to look for similarities and differences. From this, I used what Maxwell (1996) calls
coding, a categorizing strategy, where I rearranged the data into categories that allow for
comparisons to be made. The broad codes were the posed questions on the instrument, with
more specific codes underneath. For example, one of the first pieces of information
documented in the field notes is the publication date within the book citation. Three codes
developed under this broad code were before 1990, 1990-1999, and 2000-2010. Having these
specific codes I was then able to look at the field notes for each book and tally how many
books were published under each of these codes. I used this same process for the genre of the
book, the depiction of different dominant and subordinate groups within the book, the roles
money and possessions play within the plot, the manner in which power and privilege is used
by characters, and evidence of dehumanizing bias, social and political issues, and
empowerment.
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When considering looking for how the different Multicultural picture books connect to
the three different Multicultural Education philosophies, I used what McMillan and
Schumacher (2001) and Marshall and Rossman (2006) describe as immersion. While the
categories of philosophies are present, what the categories look like in picture books are not
prefigured; rather it emerging from the books themselves, discovering what these philosophies
look like in picture book form. As I read each book, under the summary of my thoughts section
I described which philosophy I assigned the book to and why. I used the definitions of each
philosophy to guide this. Once finished, I was able to look at all the comments I made in the
summary of my thoughts in the field notes and establish a clear description of each philosophy
in the books. In my analysis I am able to provide an explanation of how each book correlates
with one of these three philosophies (teaching tolerance, heroes and holidays, and equity and
social justice).
Limitations
As with any research study there are limitations. The first limitation is that I did this
research alone, so there were not other individuals that analyzed the selected books with me.
This means I could not compare and contrast my findings with others. This limited the analysis
to my findings while conducting the review of the picture books. Within this, it also means the
research success was dependent on the skills, knowledge, and socio-cultural historical
background I brought as the researcher.
In addition to the skill set I brought to complete this study, comes my own bias,
education, and previous experiences that shaped how I conducted this research, which creates
another limitation. This served as a limitation because it makes it difficult for others to
replicate the study. As stated previously, to mitigate my bias in the research I documented my
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own bias and positionality as it connects to the analysis of each picture book in my notes,
which is included in the appendices. For example, on the analysis instrument completed for
the book The Wall (Bunting, 1990), I state in the bias and positionality section that this was a
difficult book for me to keep an open mind about due to my political beliefs about war.
Another limitation in this study is it has a small sample size, as I only looked at nineteen
picture books. Due to the size of the sample external generalization is not applicable. Maxwell
(1996) defines external generalization as expanding the findings beyond the study, meaning my
findings could be assumed of other Multicultural picture books or the new books entering the
market.
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CHAPTER FOUR
Analysis
Analysis Overview
During the course of this research project I analyzed nineteen children’s picture books
that were identified as Multicultural books. According to Harris and Willis (2003),
Multicultural literature is children’s literature that is influenced by the philosophies of
Multicultural Education, critical pedagogy, and critical literacy. The purpose of this analysis
was to identify what messages may be revealed when analyzing these Multicultural picture
books through a critical lens. My goal was to also determine how these books classified as
Multicultural correlate with the different philosophies (teaching tolerance, heroes and holidays,
and equity and social justice, as defined in Chapter Two) within the continuum of Multicultural
Education. Behind this purpose and goal was to address the research questions:
Primary Research Question: What messages are revealed when analyzing a selection of
Multicultural picture books through a critical lens?
Secondary Questions: How do books classified as Multicultural correlate with the different
philosophies (teaching tolerance, heroes and holidays, and equity and social justice) within the
continuum of Multicultural Education?
The first step in the analysis process was reviewing some general information about the
books that was collected on the instrument. This included the publication date of the book and
the genre of the book. When reviewing this information a piece of data that stood out was the
publication date of the books analyzed. Of the nineteen books, none of them were published
before 1990; seventeen were published between 1990-1999; and two were published between
2000-2010. It was surprising that even though the lists utilized (Appendix D) to gather the
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titles for this research project are lists currently available to educators, the majority of the books
gathered are more than ten years old. This surprised me because in my experience as an
educator I am aware of many recent Multicultural picture books that have been published.
0
5
10
15
20
Before 1990 1990-1999 2000-2010
Books Published
Figure 4. Publication dates of analyzed books.
Another piece of data that stood out was the genre into which the books fell. Twelve
out of the nineteen books were realistic fiction. Galda and Cullinan (2002) define realistic
fiction as fiction text set in modern times with events that could happen in the real world.
According to the authors, these are the books that provide students with characters they can
relate to and story plots that provide experiences students connect with. The purpose of
realistic fiction is to entertain the reader, while helping the reader understand problems or
issues they may encounter in their life. Realistic fiction also helps the reader understand the
complexity of human relationships and develop empathy for characters who are working
through problems.
By Galda and Cullinan’s definition, realistic fiction literature does exactly what Botelho
and Rudman (2009) describe in their metaphor regarding children’s literature. They state that
the literature should provide mirrors for affirming who children are, but also gives a window so
they can view a variety of differences. They add that children’s literature creates a space where
children can meet people across lines of social differences. In my experience as an early
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childhood educator and K-8 reading specialist, these are often the books I have found students
most interested in reading due to the connections they are able to make with the text.
There are many other genres and subgenres aside from realistic fiction. Galda and
Cullinan (2002) describe that within fiction literature, which are stories that are not true, the
subgenres are realistic fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, mysteries, and fantasy.
Another broad genre would be non-fiction, which includes texts that are factual. Subgenres for
non-fiction include biographies, autobiographies, and informational text. Other broad genres
include poetry, folktales, and drama. In this research project the majority of the books analyzed
were realistic fiction, while other genres were also represented. Figure 5 depicts the genres of