ERIC ED358850: The Role of Children's Books in a Multi-Cultural Society.

13 Pages·1992·0.23 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
IR 054 456
ED 358 850
Overduin, Pierre G. J.
AUTHOR
The Role of Children's Books in a Multi-Cultural
TITLE
Society.
92
PUB DATE
13p.; Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the
NOTE
International Association of School Librarianship
(21st, Belfast, Northern Ireland, July 20-24,
1992).
Viewpoints (Opinion/Position Papers, Essays, etc.)
PUB TYPE
Descriptive (141)
(120) -- Reports
Speeches /Conference Papers (150)
MFO1 /PCO1 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Afrikaans; Apartheid; Black Culture; *Childhood
DESCRIPTORS
Attitudes; *Childrens Literature; *Cultural
Pluralism; Elementary Education; Foreign Countries;
Publishing Industry; Racial Bias
Historical Background; *South Africa
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
It has been accepted that reading has a pertinent
influence on the reader, especially the yn-..ng reader. In a
multi-cultural society, a child learns about himself and the
child learns
different people around him from books. In this way, the
of other children,
to know and appreciate his own culture and that
and far can be
and a healthy understanding between children near
Until the
established; this should also be the case in South Africa.
depicted
1970's most children's books in the Afrikaans language have
played a subordinate
the social order of the time, in which blacks
books have
role. Since then, change has gradually taken place, and
live, play, and
been published in which black and white children
multi-cultural
appreciate each other in a normal way. A positive
especially in South
attitude in children's literature can contribute,
Africa, to a social change if it corresponds with other reforms
brief
toward a more humane and just society. This paper presents a
description of
history of the founding of South Africa, followed by a
indigenous languages. The
the many cultures and a list of the twelve
and problems of
development of Afrikaans children's books is traced;
detailed, including the limited
current Afrikaans book publishing are
limited expensive color
number of readers, high price per copy, and
illustrations. (ALF)
******************************************************,.,***************
be made
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can
from the original document.
***********************************************************************
S DEPARTMENT Of EDUCATION
U
Once o, Edo Cal C.*, Rdaaarcn and Imorovrnn
'PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
CENTER IERICI
Overduin
dtegoduce0 as
o
nes Divan
Tnra document
rCIcl !torn th 0010, or otoruzatIon
0.901brp
It
C 14Of ChNS ruby* Oat. mad lo nnpranJ
roroducbon
OualiI
CONGAS Filed 10 INS OCCu.
Ponta ot v.** at
man! CICr not .1.0111.0rNy iorrounf Oho.,
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
OERI Doen,on or 0OaCY
INFORMATION CENTER (ERICI.-
of School
of the International Association
21st. Annual Conference
Librarianship
SOCIETY
BOOKS IN A MULTI-CULTURAL
THE ROLE OF CHILDREN'S
Prof.dr. Pierre G.J. uverduin
Library and Information Science
Head. Department of
children's and Youth Literature
Information Centre for
Director
:
of Stellenbosch, South Africa.
and Media at the University
the child
The influence of reading on
1.
National Institute of Education,
by the
paper published
In a
Kent'Jcky Department
Reading Consultant with the
Betsy Mynhier.
the following:
of Education, stated
today,
media of
the mass
competition from
of the
In spite
American way
in importance in the
reading continues t.o increase
grow in tecLiological
continues to
our society
As
of life.
The
reading are required.
types of
and more
discovery, more
and
magnified as he guides boys
the reading teacher is
role of
reading
critical evaluation of
applying techniques of
girls in
television and what is
and heard on radio and
is seen
to what
and
magazines,
printed books,
amount of
the vast
read from
newspapers.
Reading a book
things to many people.
The printed page is many
discovery and awakening.
the moon, a means of
can be a visit to
Readino is
and interests.
for unleashed emotions
or a euphoria
social
of
complex system
of our
the e:,:tence
essential t.o
relived.
which the past can be
is the means by
It
arrangement..
of government can
be e-cpressed. forms
arguments and beliefs can
2
and generations ran be linked to the history tit
be understood.
brings people and
bond that
is the
truly. reading
nanktnd.
places together" (4 :12).
-.tressed
long time
the
for a
librarians have
Educator-, and
lassic per iod
As far back as the
word.
the written
Power of
c
Ihe
instrifttion.
literary
advocated
strongly
Aristotle
during the Middle Ages and was
reading Increased
influence of
Reformation's emphasis on the printed
by the
further extended
propaganda device against the Roman Church.
as a
book. mainly
has
print
use
years
the
ot
hundred
last five
During the
into what '.-ipengler
Western civilization
gradually transformed
one cannot over estimate the
called a 'Buch-and -lesen Kultur'.
this point of view can
certain books on society.
influence of
them at random:.
be illustrated clearly by referring to some of
a decisive influence on
the book that has had
The Bible
civilization
our Western
foundation
for
the
Principe that
laid
Machiavelli's Ii
absolutism in government
and
other
Rousseau
J.J.
Voltaire,
works
by
The
French
the
society
prepared
for
that
contemporaries
Revolution
through their philosophic
';attre who
Marx and
Kant, Karl
works have influenced modern thinking
3
3
Britain). Uncle lom's,
Books like Oliver Twist, LC.Dickens
America). Havelaar
stowe
Max
Beecher
Cabin
(H.E.
beloved
fountry
and
Cry
the
Netherlands)
(Multatuli
the
have opened
oyes
many
south Africa)
to
(.A.Pton
,,Ituation of the poor and the oppressed.
that minimize the influence of books
Notwithstanding attitudes
exposure
advertisemenr:-.
iontinuous
to
daily
life,
on
has
pertinent
perspectives
ideological
and
a
Propaganda
If this is
the broader society.
individuals and
influence on
aoPlicable to a mature person it will especially be true in the
their
influenced
easily
by
are
who
children
case
of
establish
be
it appears
to
Difficult as
to
surroundings.
they read. It is
the hooks
responses to
precisely children's
effects of the
meafure the
assess or
difficult to
even more
There is. however.
their development.
fiction on
reading of
among educators that extensive reading of
remprkable concensus
influence a child's developinn
does indeed
quality literature
lived
time
that
is
"Childhood
is
a
conscience.
social
The child's reading is an intense activity which
intensively.
:he becomes part of the action.
whole attentton
engrosses his
they were his
as if
the characters
experiences of
lives the
capacity
special
for
that
have
lost
adults
as
We
own.
make it
fuutentration, the imagination and the sensitivity that
Usually we remain bystanders. while the child makes
Possible.
"Perhaps it
Graham Greene said
own.
book his
the entire
:
intluence on nor
any deep
books have
childhood that
only in
lives-
i S
4
4
ine
but especially
in
in general
holds true
Fhis influence
literature
a
!-Ince
multi-cultural -zocietiei,:.
field of
r
rhildren'.. and youth
especially since
culture and
product of
.orialiatinn
encuituration
or
of
medium
literature
a
Is
yound.
tho
tranmitted
the
to
values
are
which
through
attitudes. whether negative
that racial
probability exists
negative racial attitude..
positive will be reflected in it
literature, then it follows that
can be found in any children's
infra ethnic
foster
negatively
can
possible that
it
it is
value as well as Interracial values
(6
(i) .
agn it wa demonstrated that
some
Years
American study
In an
based upon the actual
of fiction.
and discussion
the reading
sensitivity
increased
lo
of students,
day-to-day existence
human
nr'entation to
about greater
and brought
human values
147).
relationshi,ds (1
:
..rarians should rernan-:e
teachers and
o
important that
it is
I it
racial
they are playing in transmitting or abnlishing
the part
interracial
and
promote intercultural
order to
prejudice in
this is not only an educational matter but
understanding since
socio-political
far-reaching
has
which
one
social
also
a
this calls tor a
According to Madison (3
:'10)
repercussions.
:
which
a totally rever'.e,1 outlook
comprehensive re-orientatinn.
believes
that
He
entire ytem of
values
affects one'
make
which
for
attitudes
devPlop
literature
be eparted trom tho morality
it cannot
toLor.-Inft. bera ;e
h rani
Ito wnii
a .pier
the othifal
t... ot
humanity ind
t
r pion l on tor an.-11v--.1,;
An uriport.-int
under--; rand inr-1.
rat
I a I
,
5
S
that nt moral. spiritual and social value content
therefore be
In this
elclimnts.
rind inter-racial
including inter-rultural
multi-racial
engaged
educators
that
repeats
in
respect he
literary images concerning black
that positive
education find
self-confidence
and
inspiration
provide identification,
i'or
and promote understanding and appreciation for
black children,
white children.
has
accepted fact
that
a
reading,
is an
To summarize:
It
pertinent influence on the reader, especially the young reader.
multi-cultural society books enable a child to learn i.a.
In a
around
people
him.
different
about
the
and
about himself
and
enrichment
of
medium
literature
a
is
Children's
the
transmitted
to
values are
which
socialisation through
and
comprehend
child
learns
to
way
this
the
young.
In
that of other people and
and also
own culture
appreciate his
children,
between
tolerant understanding
healthy and
thus a
near and far, can be established.
6
The South African scene
Atter the Cape had been established as a etreshment :tation by
the Dutch East India company in IhS2 and later became colonised
and the
by the British. segregation between the white colonists
a way of life until it was
gradually became
black inhabitants
Government in the 1940's and
South African
by the
legalised
fully
system
became
the education
Also
upheld thereafter.
segregated following the establishment of different schools and
four mater population groups in
for the
education departments
At
Coloureds. Indians and Whites.
viz.: Blacks,
the country.
changes are taking place which hopefuls
present constitutional
iuist. society.
will bring about a new democratic, non-racial and
languages.
and
cultures
country of
many
is a
South Africa
and English.
languages, Afrikaans
two official
Besides the
.1
like Zulu. Xhosa and Sotho are
indigenous languages
number of
the 1980 census the distribution of the
According to
spoken.
total population according to home language is as follows:
21%
Zulu
12%
Xhosa
16%
Afrikaans
g%
English
.4%
North Sotho
2%
Tswana
7%
south Sotho
4%
Isonqa
2%
Ndebele
2%
Swazi
2%
Venda
2%.
Roc:t
h million people
41) million
population of
the total
uut ot
language and nearly halt ot the total
as home
speak Afrikaans
Afrikaans.
PnPulation ran speak and understand
language has the Cape
developed at.
from
L/th
The Afrikaans
especially from the language of the workers and
century Dutch.
medium between the
the communication
seafarers and
it became
were
natives and
the slaves.
colonists, the there
As
few
of the unskilled developed
this language
the Cape
schools at
into a new language which originally was only a spoken language
elitist Dutch.
more
influenced the
oradually also
but which
officials. This
Cape
written by
Government.
the
spoken and
the local people
influenced by
was obviously
spoken language
parts of Furnpe and the slaves from
from other
and immigrants
Afrikaans
had
form
early
first this
of
to
At
the East.
the upper class in Cape
spoken by
the Dutch
struggle against
Later under the British ctcupation it
surroundings.
Town and
To a
battle against the all powerful Fnglish language.
had to
played a major role in cnmbattino the
the church
large extent
only recognised as an
Afrikaans was
However
English threat..
This was part of the rise to power
official language
in 1925.
fields of
society.
in many
Afrikaans-speaking people
of the
the (Afrikaners) Nationalist Party
1948 when
especially since
As a result of the apartheid
Parliament.
power in
took over
rejection of
and the
National Party
by the
policy legalised
the Afrikaans language was
black majority
by the
this policy
as the language of the oppressor.
t.:onsequently
gradually seen
school children against the compulsory learning nt
boycotts by
this language became a strong force against the Government.
'in
the other hand Afrikaans remains today the home lannualle of the
million).
marority of the se called Coloured people (.
t,
result of
As a
the present
negotiation process
between
the
other maior
government and
parties in the country it seem:: as
Afrikaans language
if the
is gradually
being
depoliticiod.
However the
future of
Afrikaans as an official language V: at
preSent uncertain.
Afrikaans children's books in a past and present South Africa
The first Afrikaans children's book, a Bible story, was written
by C.F.
Hoogenhout and
published in
1873.
Hoogenhout was a
driving force
behind the
first Afrikaans
Language
Movement.
His aim
was the
recognition of
Afrikaans as
written
and
a
spoken language instead of Dutch, mainly for religious reasons.
The Second
Afrikaans Language
Movement originated
after
the
Anglo Boer
when most
War (1902)
of the
Afrikaans people had
Lost their farms and means of living.
It was realized that the
one uniting
factor was
Afrikaans language
the
against
the
domination of
the English language.
Gradually some children's
books were
published and in 1925 Afrikaans became a recognised
official
language
with
together
English.
At
that
time
approximately 25
Afrikaans children's
books
were
available.
Many of
the stories were adapted from Dutch or German stories.
These books
were mostly
published in
the Netherlands and the
illustration and
production were riot of a high quality.
Until
the Second
World War
no children's
Afrikaans
books in
were
comparable In quality to European children's books.
9
was given to
more attention
World War
the Second
Only after
and
the production
stories and
itlustratiorr
original local
Library
African
respect South
the
this
improved.
In
creating
C.P.
part
the
enormous
by
Association played
an
book
Children's
best Afrikaans
for the
Hoogenhout Award
in
prize was awarded annually.
At first
this prestigious
1960.
Initally it was either awarded to an
bi-annually.
since 1992
the creation of the Katrine
After
an illustrator.
author or
for children's book illustrations in 1973 (named
Harries Award
after the famous South African illustrator from German origin).
These
awarded to authors.
is only
Hoogenhout prize
the C.P.
awards have improved children's books in Afrikaans tremendously
comparable
so that the writing, graphic work and production are
to the best in the world.
problem is the
a maior
Afrikaans hooks
publisher of
For the
English
publishers
of
Where
readers.
number
of
limited
children's hooks can often publish 10 000 copies of a book, the
books
500.
children's
Afrikaans
2
is
number
of
average
this small number must be
copy of
price per
Consequently the
This also has its
book.
or American
the British
higher than
illustrations.
[he
expensive coloured
consequences regarding
result is that often the South African publisher has to rely on
needs
the
to meet
overseas publishers
for
co-printing with
problem
that
the additional
books, with
full-colour picture
the illustrations may be unfamiliar to the
text or
either the
illustrator must accept the
The local
reader.
South African
10