Isip, bata!: a study on the perceptions about unconventional children’s stories in child development

Abstract

This study is an exploration on the perception of parents and teachers about unconventional Filipino children’s stories and their possible effects on the development of children. Unconventional children’s stories, as defined in the study, pertains to stories with themes that veer away from the normal and traditional stories for children. While traditional and normal stories have themes that delve on good manners, moral values, myths and legends, and other fairytales, these unconventional stories explore themes that are controversial and sensitive issues in the Filipino society. This includes themes such as child abuse and LGBTQ+ issues which some may view as inappropriate for children even though they are published in children’s books. This research focused on how the parents and teachers of University of the Philippines Integrated School (UPIS) Kindergarten to Grade 4 students see the potential effects of unconventional children’s literature to the development of their children’s societal awareness, well-being, and personality. The researcher used the triangulation method in data gathering that included surveying parents, interviewing select parents and teachers, and interviewing authors of children's books highlighted in this study. The books were chosen through their underlying themes which focus on family situations namely, separation of parents in Papa’s House, Mama’s House by Jeanette Patindol (2004), having lesbian parents in Ang Ikaklit sa Aming Hardin by Bernadette Neri (2012) and incestuous sexual abuse in Ang Lihim ni Lea by Augie Rivera (2007). This researcher also provided a rhetorical text analysis of the three books mentioned. This study used the concept of rhetoric in the discussion of data and the analysis is guided by Kenneth Burke’s Dramatistic Pentad which is divided into five major components - agency, purpose, agent, act, and scene. Through the pentad, a comprehensive analysis of the different aspects that contribute to the introduction and effect of unconventional children’s literature to children’s development is presented.