Boys versus girls: representations of gender in cartoons and TV series according to the children’s view

Abstract

This article presents insights raised by an investigative experience concerning the television consumption in childhood. Such study aimed at learning the interactions established by children with such shows, identifying what is learned by them as viewers as they get the message and content from the media. Twenty-four children took part in this study, all of whom were students from public schools in the city of Rio Grande-RS. Under the orientation of qualitative approach’s assumptions, observations and interviews were carried out, in order to understand how the access to TV was processed within the family environment, as well a to find out the preferences of children concerning TV shows. As the study went on, reflective situations were proposed, debated and produced in the classroom, focusing on the cartoon Totally Spies (Três Espiãs Demais) and TV series Power Rangers Wild Force (Power Rangers Força Animal), which enabled us to unveil the interpretations of the group concerning to the plots and characters of such shows. Throughout the text, specifically, gender is focused as a category of analysis, highlighting that TV shows tailored to children build constructs based on oppositions and dualisms, teaching differentiated ways of being for girls and boys based on hegemonic cultural meanings.