Divorce in Children's Literature: A Look at Chapter Books from 1970-2004
The purpose of this study was to see how the portrayal of divorce has changed in children’s chapter books from 1970 to 2004. Specifically, the question was “Has the portrayal of divorce changed from 1970 to 2004?” Forty books were used in the study, ten for each decade. In order to keep the findings consistent, ten books were used for 2000-2004. By using content analysis, themes were determined and counted in each book and then compared across and within decades. The themes were put in three categories: coping with the divorce, response to the divorce, and trends in divorce. Quotes from the books were provided in order to gain an understanding of the themes. Graphs counting and plotting the themes were also provided. Findings show that though there were differences across decades, many of the themes remained constant.
School:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
School Location:USA - North Carolina
Source Type:Master's Thesis
Keywords:children’s literature chapter books divorce content analysis
Date of Publication:04/11/2005