Depicting Dementia: Representations of Cognitive Health and Illness in Ten Picturebooks for Children

Autor/inn/en	Caldwell, Elizabeth F.; Falcus, Sarah; Sako, Katsura
Titel	Depicting Dementia: Representations of Cognitive Health and Illness in Ten Picturebooks for Children
Quelle	In: Children's Literature in Education, 52 (2021) 1, S.106-131 (26 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Caldwell, Elizabeth F.) ORCID (Falcus, Sarah) ORCID (Sako, Katsura)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0045-6713
DOI	10.1007/s10583-020-09405-w
Schlagwörter	Dementia; Childrens Literature; Picture Books; Health; Diseases; Aging (Individuals); Figurative Language; Older Adults + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Demenz; 'Children''s literature'; Kinderliteratur; Picture book; Bilderbuch; Gesundheit; Disease; Krankheit; Aging; Altern; Älterer Erwachsener
Abstract	It is estimated that a third of children know someone living with dementia, and there are now many picturebooks for young children that help to explain the changes dementia can bring to family life. Despite their number, there has been little examination of what these books communicate about health and illness. To address this, the current study presents a close visual and textual analysis of 10 recent picturebooks in English that aim to teach children about dementia. Our analysis reveals that in these books dementia is exclusively framed in terms of ageing, and as an illness of older adults. Furthermore, the books rely heavily on mechanistic metaphors to explain the causes of dementia. However, at the same time the "still the same person" narrative is dominant. This narrative emphasises the importance of foregrounding the unique history and personality of the person living with dementia, and offers a way to help children to continue meaningful relationships with their relatives. These books employ often ageist tropes of decline in the depiction of dementia and yet at the same time support a narrative of ongoing personhood, reflecting the complexity of broader social discourses around dementia and selfhood. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01