GENDER REPRESENTATION IN CHILDREN’S STORIES: A TRANSITIVITY ANALYSIS

Abstract

The overriding purpose of this study is to examine the features of gender representation in the English stories for children by analyzing the transitivity system, which is a component in the ideational meaning of systemic functional grammar, associated with the internationally influential linguist M.A.K Halliday. The data were collected from the website https://www.bedtimeshortstories.com and analyzed at the levels of clause and word group. The results show that all the six types of transitivity processes are found, with material processes having the highest frequency and followed by verbal, mental, relational, behavioral and existential processes. Besides, both genders are represented in a relatively equal manner in terms of occurrences as participants in different process types, though some gender bias still perpetuates. This may present a tangible challenge for those who attempt to use stories for children for educational purposes.