Abstract
Newbery books are a reliable representation of quality children's literature. They have not previously been formally evaluated by the family structures represented in the books. This content analysis considered 87 contemporary realistic fiction Newbery winner and Honor books since the 1930s that portray families in English-speaking, western settings. The family structures portrayed in these books were compared with the family structure categories of the decade in which each book is set. Percentage comparisons revealed that the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s do not represent the actual family structures of their time period. After the Age of New Realism began in the mid 60s, the family structures in the books more closely matched the family structures of their decade, but several discrepancies remained.
Degree
MA
College and Department
David O. McKay School of Education; Teacher Education
Rights
http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Despain, Shannon Marie, "A Content Analysis of Family Structure in Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1930 -- 2010" (2012). Theses and Dissertations. 3648.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3648
Date Submitted
2012-07-11
Document Type
Thesis
Handle
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd5518
Keywords
family structure, children's literature, Newbery, U.S. Census, contemporary realistic fiction, traditional family
Language
English