RECEPCIJA PRIČE SA ENORMATIVNOM RODNOM KARAKTERIZACIJOM LIKOVA OD STRANE UČENIKA PETOG RAZREDA
Authors:   University of Montenegro, Faculty of Philosophy in Nikšić, Vučković Dijana Lj. 
Published: July 2022

The aim of this research was to examine fifth-grade students’ reactions to a fairy tale which contains a non-normative gender characterization, entitled Cinderella Liberator by Rebecca Solnit. The research is based on a whole series of similar qualitative research studies that have been conducted in different parts of the world since 1980s. The research was inspired by the feminist movement, especially Marcia Lieberman, who drew attention to classical fairy tales as a very important factor in preserving the normative gender key (Lieberman 1972). As a result, pure feminist fairy tales have been written, stories in which independent and stroThe researchers have used these stories to test whether children accept non-normative gender discourse. Their studies have shown that resistance to alternatives increases with children’s age, that boys are more conservative while girls are more open to new ideas. Furthermore, the studies have shown that even a non-sexist and non-normative school curriculum can not encourage children to use gender equality discourse. The deconstruction of classical stories was highlighted as a very important factor. In order to investigate how ten-year-olds in Montenegro react to an alternative story, we conducted a survey with a total of 52 students from two urban schools. The students’ task was to read the story at home, and they were given a printed illustrated version of the text along with research questions. Having read the story, the students participated in focus group discussions. They were divided into six focus groups: two focus groups were made of girls, two other were made of boys, and the remaining two groups were mixed. Focus group interviews took approximately one hour, and the main goal of the interview was to determine how students reacted to atypical gender roles in the fairy tale they had read. The results of the research were grouped into three themes: whether children preferred the classic story or the new one; children’s attitude towards the relationship of the protagonist and the antagonist in both stories; children’s attitude towards the ending of the story. More than half of the respondents (32 students) pointed out that they preferred the new version because it differed from classic fairy tales, had more events and it was more interesting. Twenty students (15 male and 5 female) remained absolutely committed to the classic version of the text. The relationship between the protagonist and the antagonists was correctly understood by the students – there are no negative characters in the new version and all the characters eventually become friends. Most of the students liked the end of the story, but some of them thought that the story should have had a typical fairy tale happy ending. It can be concluded that in order to provide gender equality discourse among students it is necessary: to include alternative stories in the curriculum, to apply methods based on literary reception theory and to continuously train teachers to deconstruct classical texts and encourage children to critically evaluate gender equality discourse.ng heroines occurred (Zipes 1986).