An investigation into the impacts of globalism on diversity representations in children’s picture book literature across the western Anglosphere

Abstract

This investigation was a cross comparison of the cultural and geographic regions of the United States, Canada, The United Kingdom/Ireland, and Australia/New Zealand as representatives of the Western Anglosphere to determine the impact of globalism on children’s picture books. Mixed methods of quantitative data analysis and critical discourse analysis were used to evaluate each region separately, then those findings were compared and contrasted to determine the impact of globalism per region and across the board. Key findings revealed that while every region had shared themes promoting diversity or pushing against traditional gendered stereotypes, how and how often those themes were approached varied widely and provided a clear reflection of their importance within each region. Final results showed little economic or social evidence of increased globalism for three of the four regions, with Canada being the one exception, having the least locational self-representation, most representation of other nations, and a high level of outside influence in the fields of publisher, author, and illustrator.