'The child' in television programmes and primary school books : multiple identities of 'the child'?

Abstract

Our purpose was to investigate how 'the child' is portrayed in popular television programmes and primary school books. After presenting a comparison between the origins of the concept of childhood, and the contemporary ideology of 'the child', five themes were selected for our analysis. The themes include: illustrations and images, the family setting, the independent or dependent child, the voice of 'the child' and the otherness of 'the child'. 'The child' as presented in Maltese and English school readers, which are used in Years 4, 5 and 6, was analysed and compared with the depiction of the child in popular television programmes. The analysis has shown that television shows often depict a more realistic view of 'the child' in society although a foreign portrayal of society is presented; whereas the school readers analysed present a more conservative portrayal of 'the child'. These significant differences may serve as a balance of the realities which children are exposed to in contemporary Maltese society.