Constructions of Childhood Found in Award-winning Children's Literature Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Wilson, Melissa Beth Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 26/09/2021 17:25:52 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195174 1 CONSTRUCTIONS OF CHILDHOOD FOUND IN AWARD-WINNING CHILDREN'S LITERATURE by Melissa B. Wilson _____________________ Copyright © Melissa B. Wilson 2009 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE, READING, AND CULUTRE In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2009 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared Melissa B. Wilson by Constructions of Childhood Found in Award-winning Children’s Literature entitled and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy 8/14/09 Dr. David Yaden Jr. Date: 8/14/09 Dr. Chris Iddings Date: 8/14/09 Dr. Leisy Wyman Date: Date: Date: Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate’s submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirements. Kathy G. Short ______________________________________________Date:8/14/09 Dissertation Director: 3 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder. SIGNED: Melissa B. Wilson 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As with any work involving so substantial a commitment of time and effort, there are many people who have contributed greatly to the completion of this dissertation and who deserve recognition for their willingness to assist, understand, support, and endure. While I extend my gratitude to each and every person who in some way helped with the completion of this project, I also appreciate the certainty that many contributors will remain, unfortunately, unnamed. To those people I will thank directly, my only regret is that I can never repay your kindness and patience more adequately. The best I can do is a sincere thank you. First, I extend my deepest gratitude to Dr. Kathy G. Short, advisor, colleague, and mentor. From her I learned the value of reading for myself and being able to trust my interpretations. From the first day I bounded into her office unannounced, Dr. Short has used her considerable intelligence, intuition, and patience to guide me (sometimes lovingly push me) to work harder than I ever imagined I could. Without her hard work and her willingness to be there, this project most certainly would most certainly never have reached fruition. I offer my thanks, my respect, and my promise to continue to uphold her vision about what teaching and learning should and can be. Second, I wish to acknowledge the dedication and assistance of the other members of my dissertation committee: Dr. Chris Iddings, Dr. Leisy Wyman, and Dr. David Yaden, Jr. From each I learned. Their willingness to guide, to share, to listen, and to criticize was a collective gift that I shall never forget. Without their support, their wisdom, and their experience, I would never have attained my goal. I also wish to thank my many colleagues for their aid and for their continuing commitment to education. I especially want to thank Dr. Mary DeBey who first told me, “Go get a doctorate!” Through her mentorship at and beyond Bennington College I was able to learn how to be dogged and tenacious in the midst of a complicated life. She is and will continue to be my role model in scholarship and in life. Again, thank you Dr. DeBey. To my Mum, Susan Sklar Payne, I cannot say enough. Thank you for reading to me every night. You have been a true friend and mother, even when the job may have been less than pleasant. Thanks for sticking by me and loving me unconditionally. To my friend and co-parent, Michael, grazie. Thank you for continuing to be my champion for the past twenty years. When I was stuck, you always said that you believed in me and everything would work out. Thank you for your optimism and friendship. To Kevin Vinson, colleague, friend, and husband. Thank you for the last minute philosophy tutorials, the endless ice coffees, and your loving, critical, and intelligent support. It is a lucky thing indeed to have a spouse who can discuss the ins and outs of Dewey while doing the laundry. Lastly, to Miriam, my daughter. For her patience, support, and insightful readings of children’s literature. Thank you for our last eleven years of bedtime stories. I offer you, Miriam, my love, my gratitude, and the long awaited statement, “The thing has been written!” I dedicate this to my daughter, Miriam. 5 DEDICATION To Miriam Pellegrino, sister reader, junior colleague, and daughter 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………12 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION AND POSTMODERN CHILDHOOD STUDIES….................................................................................................................. 14 Background of the Study………………………………………………………….. 16 Description of the Study…………………………………………………………... 18 Theoretical Framework……………………………………………………………. 18 Postmodern Childhood Studies…………………………………………………. 18 Postmodern childhood studies and the critique of developmental Psychology…………………………………………………………………… .20 Contentions within postmodern childhood studies…………………………... 21 A critique of postmodern childhood studies…………………………………. 26 Buber and Foucault and Postmodern Childhood Studies…………………………28 Buber’s Philosophy of I/You……………………………………………………….. 30 Foucault’s Parrhesia………………………………………………………………… 34 What is Childhood.................................................................................................... 36 The History of Childhood in Western Culture…………………………………….. 37 Dissertation Overview…………………………………………………………….. 41 CHAPTER TWO: CHILDREN’S LITERATURE STUDIES AND RECENT RESEARCH………………………………………………………………. 44 Critical Children’s Literature Studies…………………………………………… 45 Maria Tatar………………………………………………………………………45 Peter Hunt……………………………………………………………………… 46 Peter Hollindale………………………………………………………………… 48 Perry Nodelman………………………………………………………………… 50 Rebecca Lukens………………………………………………………………… 54 Summary………………………………………………………………………… 56 The History of US Children’s Literature: An Overview………………………… 57 Ideology and Power……………………………………………………………… 61 Ideology………………………………………………………………………… 61 Power…………………………………………………………………………… 64 Review of Related Literature……………………………………………………… 67 Newbery Awards……………………………………………………………… 67 (Critical) Content Analysis…………………………………………………… 73 Themes and Issues……………………………………………………………… 77 Childhood Studies and Children’s Literature Studies………………………… 78 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS – Continued CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY: CONTENT ANALYSIS, CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS, AND CRITICAL CONTENT ANALYSIS.…………….82 Content Analysis versus Literary Analysis………………………………………... 83 Content Analysis………………………………………………………………… 84 Content Analysis: A History……………………………………………………. 86 The Doing of Qualitative Content Analysis……………………………………..87 Relevant Examples of Content Analysis………………………………………...90 Critical Discourse Analysis………………………………………………………... 92 A History of Critical Discourse Analysis………………………………………. 95 The Doing of Critical Discourse Analysis……………………………………… 97 Relevant Examples of Critical Discourse Analysis…………………………….. 98 Critical Content Analysis………………………………………………………….. 99 Relevant Examples of Critical Content Analysis………………………………..100 Doing Critical Content Analysis: My Study……………………………………… 104 Methods for Data Collection…………………………………………………… 104 The Awards……………………………………………………………………... 105 The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) Carnegie Medal (UK)……………………………………………………... 105 The Newbery Award (USA)…………………………………………………. 106 The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA)………………………… 106 The Books……………………………………………………………………… 108 Just In Case by Meg Rosoff (2007: UK)......................................................... 108 Tamar by Mal Peet (2006: UK)………………………………………………109 Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce (2005: UK)……………………………….109 A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly (2004: UK)………………………..110 Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech (2003: UK)………………………………….110 The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron (2007: US)……………………111 Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins (2006: US)……………………………….111 Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata (2005: US)…………………………………..112 The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo (2004: US)…………………112 Crispin: Cross of Lead by Avi (2003: US)……………………………………112 Beeing Bee by Catherine Bateson (2007: