CHILDREN’S BOOK SOCIALIZATION:
A LOOK AT SOCIALIZATION IN SOCIETY
For this assignment you will need to find a children’s book to evaluate. You may use something you
already have at home or borrow a book from your local library or friend. The book should depict human
characters.
Children’s books are used every day in homes, daycares, schools, and libraries (just to name a few
places). These books allow parents, teachers, and other caregivers the opportunity to share messages with
children that are entertaining as well as informative regarding how they should behave in society. Pretend
you know nothing about our culture and you are learning about it by looking at the kinds of books
children read. What does the book say about how we think about masculinity and femininity in our
culture?
Consider the following:
Who are the main characters? How are they depicted?
What is the story about?
What sorts of images are on the cover? Inside the book? What kind of children are depicted?
What are they doing?
What sorts of words are used to describe the characters in the book?
What values, norms, statuses, and roles did the story portray and/or reinforce?
Did the book provide any race, class, and/or gender socialization messages? If so, what are they?
Do your conclusions accurately describe children in our culture? Why or why not?
How does this book (as well as others) serve as agents of socialization?
Paper Requirements:
4 – 5 pages, double-spaced, 12 point font
Evaluation & Grading:
Content: 50%
o Are all the questions answered in the paper?
Defining terms: 20%
o Is it clear the author understands the sociological concepts used?
Using sources: 10%
o Did the author select and use sources from the class appropriately?
Style: 20 points
o Spelling and punctuation: Did the author proofread?
o Clarity and structure: Is the writing clear and well organized?
Citations:
o Are sources properly cited in the text?
o Is there a formatted reference section at the end of the paper?
Provided below is the book being used for assignment
https://www.slideshare.net/ReadingSeed/were-all-wonders-243196519
It’s a very short read
