Gender Stereotyping in Children’s Picture Books and the Impact on 10-Year-Old Children in China

This mixed-methods study investigates the manifestation and impact of linguistic gender stereotypes in children’s picture books within contemporary China, addressing three research questions. Analyzing the 2022 Ministry of Education edition of Beauty and the Beast alongside responses from 60 Chinese children (aged 9.5-10.5), the research reveals how language reinforces gender binaries. Quantitative and qualitative data demonstrate that male characters are predominantly described with agentic vocabulary ("assertive," "competitive," "decisive") and action verbs ("roar," "fight"), while female characters are labeled with........