Beyond Balls and Dolls

Unlocking Children’s Potential through Gender Atypical Kiswahili Children's Storybooks

Abstract

This paper explores the exciting possibilities offered by gender-atypical Kiswahili storybooks to dismantle barriers during playtime for children. It examines how these storybooks, featuring characters that challenge traditional gender norms, can inspire a new generation of children to explore a broader scope of play opportunities in their playgrounds, thereby enhancing creativity and assisting self-discovery. The paper adopts participatory visual methodology design (PVMD) with a qualitative research approach. Data was generated using drawings with fifteen grade three children from a school in Trans-Nzoia County-Kenya, that was selected through purposive sampling. Social learning theory was used to frame this paper. Data was analyzed using thematic-qualitative analysis. The findings of this paper revealed that most boys and girls conformed to gender stereotyped plays even after being exposed to gender-atypical Kiswahili children’s storybooks. The findings also revealed that even though some participants conformed to gender stereotyped plays, there was change in their perspectives to adopt gender-atypical plays. This paper therefore suggests that exposing children to gender-atypical children’s storybooks could challenge gender stereotyped plays during early years of socialization. The paper recommends that the Ministries of Education integrate the use of gender-atypical children’s storybooks in Early Childhood Education (ECE) to enable children construct gender plays beyond the borders of gender binaries and promote inclusive play patterns. The paper also recommends the infusion of gender education to the in-service teachers to equip them with skills on gender treatment during reading lessons. Through this, children will be empowered to unleash their potential and engage in a wider range of play activities of their interests, thus transforming playtime from a battlefield of stereotypes to a boundless landscape of imagination.