The effect of cartoon movies on children's gender development

Abstract

Cartoon movies which are necessary sources of fun for children also have educational aspects. Innocent display of cartoons which give many subtle messages include various negativities. One of these negativities is related with the characters’ gender. Characters in cartoon movies include females, males, animals and inanimate objects. While male and female characters’ roles are shaped according to existing stereotypical role models in society, animal and inanimate characters have anthropomorphic characteristics like walking on two feet or speaking. Such characters have their places in these movies with their human-like characteristics. Animal and inanimate characters are sometimes designed on the bases of stereotypical female and male role models and sometimes these characters are seen as asexual or homosexual. In some cartoon movies, transformations between sexes draw attention. For example, a character designed as female can be transformed into male via a magical process. Such changes of sex, asexuality and representation of characters according to the stereotypical role models are alarming. The fact that children spend much of their time watching television and especially choose such movies augments these concerns. Children coming across with such complicated gender role models will affect them negatively in the future years of their lives. This study, “The Effect of Cartoon Movies on Children's Gender Development”, will analyze these cartoons in which complicated gender role models are presented critically and propose some solutions to this problem.

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