July 31, 2008, Stockholm
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j3W-Qb1YrytPS23Mch8hzqIc6Nqw
Two new publishing houses for children's books have
sparked debate in gender-equal Sweden over their professed aim of instilling
the country's open-minded social values in the next generation.
"Our goal is for all people, regardless of gender, sexuality, ethnicity or
other such things, to have the freedom to create their own identity and be
respected for their personal qualities," said Karin Salmson, the co-founder
of the new Vilda publishing house.
But several critics are outraged, saying they are simply pushing propaganda
disguised as literature.
Vilda and another small publisher, Olika, both opened their doors last year
with the express aim of making children's books that promote liberal values
and challenge traditional views on gender, race and sexual orientation.
"Many parents feel forced to change he to she or she to he and other details
as they read stories for their children, because so many details in
children's books are so very traditional," Salmson said.
Vilda has therefore introduced a so-called "hug label", guaranteeing that
its books have been "scrutinised from a democracy, equality and diversity
perspective" and contain no details "based on prejudice or traditional
gender roles that rein in individual freedom".
The publisher for instance makes sure girls are not always dressed in pink
and boys in blue, that dad is not necessarily the one rushing off to work
while mom stays home whipping up dinner and that same-sex parents are
portrayed as a natural part of life.
Olika's co-founder Marie Tomicic also says her publishing house aims to
"break down traditional gender roles and offer children broader role models,
allowing them to be all they can be."
Together the two small publishers have so far only released about a dozen
titles, including a book about a boy who wears pink sandals, and a story
about a girl who likes to make farting sounds using her armpits, who just
happens to have two dads.
The publishers' philosophies are largely in line with ruling attitudes in
this Scandinavian country, which is widely considered a world leader in
gender equality and minority rights.
But critics have challenged their methods.
"For both Vilda and Olika, their values are the top priority ... and I think
that is simply the wrong approach when you want to make good children's
books," says Lotta Olsson, a literary critic at Sweden's paper of reference
Dagens Nyheter.
If the whole aim of a story is to promote an idea and alter children's
behaviour and attitudes, the artistic and literary side of the book tends to
suffer she insists.
"You cannot write a book simply because you want it to be gender equal. You
can however write a good book that is gender equal, but as soon as you can
see the thought behind the book, I think the artistic side has failed," she
tells AFP.
Both Tomicic and Salmson, however, dismiss the criticism as "cultural
elitism," pointing out that they have received an overwhelmingly positive
response from parents.
"It is perfectly possible to make good literature that takes these issues
into consideration," Tomicic says, pointing out that "we have good authors
and illustrators and we insist there is a good story. That is absolutely the
most important thing."
One of Olika's illustrators, Per Gustavsson, has publicly criticised the
publisher's request to change the colour of a girl's T-shirt from its
original pink in one book, while questions have been raised about the
interest of portraying homosexual parents in another book when the fact is
not important to the story line.
"We are trying to break a pattern," Tomicic responds, insisting that it is
important to show children that there are many natural alternatives to
traditional ways of describing gender roles, including the colours girls and
boys wear, and family structures.
Salmson agrees. "Portraying a gay family in a story that is not simply about
gay families shows that these families exist too and are just as normal as
other types of families."
"I really can't see how that can affect the quality of the story itself,"
she says, adding however that "I guess there are people who really feel very
threatened when you try to open up perceptions on sexuality and gender
identity."
Olsson rejects that notion, maintaining that the problem with the new
publishing houses is their "prerequisite that they only take in authors with
the same perspective. That affects their access to books in a way that just
isn't good."
"I don't think it works either," she insists. "Children do as we do, not as
we tell them to do. If you look around and see women being treated worse
than men, it makes no difference that you've read a children's book in which
the mother goes to work and the father stays home with the kids."
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j3W-Qb1YrytPS23Mch8hzqIc6Nqw
Two new publishing houses for children's books have
sparked debate in gender-equal Sweden over their professed aim of instilling
the country's open-minded social values in the next generation.
"Our goal is for all people, regardless of gender, sexuality, ethnicity or
other such things, to have the freedom to create their own identity and be
respected for their personal qualities," said Karin Salmson, the co-founder
of the new Vilda publishing house.
But several critics are outraged, saying they are simply pushing propaganda
disguised as literature.
Vilda and another small publisher, Olika, both opened their doors last year
with the express aim of making children's books that promote liberal values
and challenge traditional views on gender, race and sexual orientation.
"Many parents feel forced to change he to she or she to he and other details
as they read stories for their children, because so many details in
children's books are so very traditional," Salmson said.
Vilda has therefore introduced a so-called "hug label", guaranteeing that
its books have been "scrutinised from a democracy, equality and diversity
perspective" and contain no details "based on prejudice or traditional
gender roles that rein in individual freedom".
The publisher for instance makes sure girls are not always dressed in pink
and boys in blue, that dad is not necessarily the one rushing off to work
while mom stays home whipping up dinner and that same-sex parents are
portrayed as a natural part of life.
Olika's co-founder Marie Tomicic also says her publishing house aims to
"break down traditional gender roles and offer children broader role models,
allowing them to be all they can be."
Together the two small publishers have so far only released about a dozen
titles, including a book about a boy who wears pink sandals, and a story
about a girl who likes to make farting sounds using her armpits, who just
happens to have two dads.
The publishers' philosophies are largely in line with ruling attitudes in
this Scandinavian country, which is widely considered a world leader in
gender equality and minority rights.
But critics have challenged their methods.
"For both Vilda and Olika, their values are the top priority ... and I think
that is simply the wrong approach when you want to make good children's
books," says Lotta Olsson, a literary critic at Sweden's paper of reference
Dagens Nyheter.
If the whole aim of a story is to promote an idea and alter children's
behaviour and attitudes, the artistic and literary side of the book tends to
suffer she insists.
"You cannot write a book simply because you want it to be gender equal. You
can however write a good book that is gender equal, but as soon as you can
see the thought behind the book, I think the artistic side has failed," she
tells AFP.
Both Tomicic and Salmson, however, dismiss the criticism as "cultural
elitism," pointing out that they have received an overwhelmingly positive
response from parents.
"It is perfectly possible to make good literature that takes these issues
into consideration," Tomicic says, pointing out that "we have good authors
and illustrators and we insist there is a good story. That is absolutely the
most important thing."
One of Olika's illustrators, Per Gustavsson, has publicly criticised the
publisher's request to change the colour of a girl's T-shirt from its
original pink in one book, while questions have been raised about the
interest of portraying homosexual parents in another book when the fact is
not important to the story line.
"We are trying to break a pattern," Tomicic responds, insisting that it is
important to show children that there are many natural alternatives to
traditional ways of describing gender roles, including the colours girls and
boys wear, and family structures.
Salmson agrees. "Portraying a gay family in a story that is not simply about
gay families shows that these families exist too and are just as normal as
other types of families."
"I really can't see how that can affect the quality of the story itself,"
she says, adding however that "I guess there are people who really feel very
threatened when you try to open up perceptions on sexuality and gender
identity."
Olsson rejects that notion, maintaining that the problem with the new
publishing houses is their "prerequisite that they only take in authors with
the same perspective. That affects their access to books in a way that just
isn't good."
"I don't think it works either," she insists. "Children do as we do, not as
we tell them to do. If you look around and see women being treated worse
than men, it makes no difference that you've read a children's book in which
the mother goes to work and the father stays home with the kids."
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