The main things to come out of this project, was that it is quite difficult to define "Australian" identity, and even harder to assess if children in the 0-7/8 age bracket are able to articulate what this even means. The research indicates that children are not really able to identity what they mean by "being Australian" until they are in the 11-13+ age bracket.
This doesn't mean that issues around teaching pre-school aged children about “Australian” identity should be abandoned though or to suggest that this endeavor has no value.
What was more interesting though was the argument put forward by Gee (1999) about the big "D" discourse. I also found the work by Shore (2008), which related to online worlds, quite relevant as well. I wonder if perhaps online worlds like "ABC for Kids" and "Sesame Street" with their interactive games and use of characters, (who also feature strongly in their accompanying television shows), are somehow preparing children for more advanced play and immersion in the online game worlds, as articulated by Steinkuehler (2008), and also by Buckingham (2008). Where learning the rules of the world you are in, the hidden meanings, etc are all literacies in themselves.
Interacting in online worlds like "Sesame Street", as outlined by Shore (2008), also encourages other new world literacies, including meeting people of different backgrounds and different races (e.g multiculuralism).
Unfortunately, I was only able to lightly touch upon a whole range of issues, ranging from use of accent; to the mixture of 'new' and 'old' literacies; the groups that are not represented in Australian children's television; as well as tackling only the surface issues related to teaching young children about 'Australian' identity.
However, this has hopefully given me a sense of where to continue my studies in the future. As I was unable to find research exactly related to what I was interested in, perhaps this means that there is lots of room to continue to explore these ideas further.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Putting it all into some context
As I come towards the end of this project, I thought it might be worthwhile to place what is happening with the content of some of these Australian's children's television shows/websites, into the broader context of Australian film literature. Although the issues being dealt with in the following articles are not specifically related to "Australian" identity in children's television, there are some similarties, just like with the references to Australian children's story books, mentioned in a previous entry.
An interesting article by Simmons (2003) notes that:
“National identity is fluid, not fixed. From the unashamed rural archetypes of many early Australian films, such as The Sentimental Bloke (1919) and The Squatter’s Daughter (1933) and Jedda (1955) (both dealing with Indigenous issues in the language of assimilation), to the Ocker genre, to the costumed nationalism of the ‘period’ films of the seventies, to the filmic subversion of the bush myth in the eighties and nineties, Australian film has increasingly embraced discourses which tell us about the instability and indeterminacy of national aspirations, ethos and experience”. (p.58.)
The article does a thematic review of different periods in Australian film. It documents the shift away from more traditional bush themes as it notes:
An interesting article by Simmons (2003) notes that:
“National identity is fluid, not fixed. From the unashamed rural archetypes of many early Australian films, such as The Sentimental Bloke (1919) and The Squatter’s Daughter (1933) and Jedda (1955) (both dealing with Indigenous issues in the language of assimilation), to the Ocker genre, to the costumed nationalism of the ‘period’ films of the seventies, to the filmic subversion of the bush myth in the eighties and nineties, Australian film has increasingly embraced discourses which tell us about the instability and indeterminacy of national aspirations, ethos and experience”. (p.58.)
The article does a thematic review of different periods in Australian film. It documents the shift away from more traditional bush themes as it notes:
“more recently these rural myths have been challenged and subverted by a new focus on urban life, a response to new stories that have taken root in a more pluralist, eclectic society” (p.59). (Simmons, 2003).
It is noteworthy that as far as the Australian film literature is concerned, the use of "bush themes" is a little past its used by date. Of the examples chosen in this project, the bush theme was only really present in "The Koala Brothers" which is produced in the UK. This show and its themes may therefore reflect more of an 'outsiders' view of Australia, (with an emphasis on the more stereotypical "Australian" themes like the bush and bush animals).
However, as also noted by Simmons (2003), the bush theme is not quite dead. Although its more recent incarnations tend to represent a more "chic rural female character", with examples such as McLeod's Daughters . It is possible that a character like 'dirtgirl' stems from this more modern interpretation of the bush life (or farm life), where a competant female character is running things.
It is noteworthy that as far as the Australian film literature is concerned, the use of "bush themes" is a little past its used by date. Of the examples chosen in this project, the bush theme was only really present in "The Koala Brothers" which is produced in the UK. This show and its themes may therefore reflect more of an 'outsiders' view of Australia, (with an emphasis on the more stereotypical "Australian" themes like the bush and bush animals).
However, as also noted by Simmons (2003), the bush theme is not quite dead. Although its more recent incarnations tend to represent a more "chic rural female character", with examples such as McLeod's Daughters . It is possible that a character like 'dirtgirl' stems from this more modern interpretation of the bush life (or farm life), where a competant female character is running things.
A scene from McLeod's Daughters - Source: http://mcleodsdaughters.ninemsn.com.au/slideshow_index.aspx
Another interesting issue to arise from reading some Australian film literature, in particular the article by Rekhari (2008) is the exclusion, marginalisation or reinforcement of stereotypes in the depiction of Indigenous Australians in Australian film. It is not possible to address all of the complexities of this article in this project, but it is worth noting that apart from some didgeridoo type music in the opening song of "The Koala Brothers", there is very little representation of Indigenous Australians in the Australian children's television shows explored within this project. The one general exception possibly being "Play school" (which was not included as a case study in this project). As noted in Mackinlay, E., & Barney, K.(2008) "Play school" does make an attempt to include Indigenous Australians as presenters in the show. However, the article also noted that previously, the show had (in earlier days) only featured Indigenous Australians as 'exotic others' - by depicting them only in scenes such as traditional dances, rather than featuring Indigenous Australians taking part in every day Australian life.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
And now we welcome the "Koala Brothers", all the way from the UK....
"The Koala Brothers" is a tv show that features on the ABC for Kids website - although it should be noted it does not have a dedicated website within the broader website, unlike "dirtgirlworld" and "Banana's in Pyjama's". This is quite possible because ironically, the "Koala Brothers" is not a home grown product. It is produced in the UK
"The Koala Brothers" is in stop motion animation (whereas "dirtgirlworld" and the "Banana's" are 2D animation, and the "Banana's" also appear as people in suits). The type of animation used is not relevant to the scope of this project, but it is worth noting that "The Koala Brothers" do differ from the previous two television shows, in terms of its animation style.
"The Koala Brothers" main characters are called "Frank" and "Buster" and they fly a small plane. They live in the outback with a range of other characters including "Sammy" the echnida, "Josie" the kangaroo, "Alice" the platypus, "Archie" the crocodile etc.Most characters speak with an Australian accent, except for the exercising crocodile, "Archie" (in image below), who has a British accent.
In opening sequence to the show, there is an accompanying song. Within the last few bars of the song, there is the distinct sound of a didgeridoo. The main 'banner' for the show (featured above) also has a boomerang featured in the design.
In terms of fitting the criteria of "Australian" identity as outlined in the previous blog entry, the show appears to meet a lot of the criteria, including:
"The Koala Brothers" follows in the tradition of marsupials dressed as humans, established by such concepts as "Blinky Bill" (created in Australia by YorramGross).
As noted on the Yorram Gross website , Yorram immigrated to Australia from Poland in 1968.
It is interesting how both "Blinky Bill" and "The Koala Brothers" feature many elements that relate to "Australian" identity themes, however neither creator originates from Australia.
In thinking about this, I may now go and have a look through some literature related to Australian film and identity. Only in order to establish if there is something of use in this literature that might help with the project.
source: http://mojoesemporium.co.uk.
"The Koala Brothers" is in stop motion animation (whereas "dirtgirlworld" and the "Banana's" are 2D animation, and the "Banana's" also appear as people in suits). The type of animation used is not relevant to the scope of this project, but it is worth noting that "The Koala Brothers" do differ from the previous two television shows, in terms of its animation style.
"The Koala Brothers" main characters are called "Frank" and "Buster" and they fly a small plane. They live in the outback with a range of other characters including "Sammy" the echnida, "Josie" the kangaroo, "Alice" the platypus, "Archie" the crocodile etc.Most characters speak with an Australian accent, except for the exercising crocodile, "Archie" (in image below), who has a British accent.
In opening sequence to the show, there is an accompanying song. Within the last few bars of the song, there is the distinct sound of a didgeridoo. The main 'banner' for the show (featured above) also has a boomerang featured in the design.
In terms of fitting the criteria of "Australian" identity as outlined in the previous blog entry, the show appears to meet a lot of the criteria, including:
- democracy; agreeableness of personal characteristics (e.g., friendly, kind, fair - as discussed previously, this is a fairly common trait in most television shows aimed at pre-schoolers)
- uniqueness and diversity of environment (landscape, animals, weather, conservation - this is a very strong, and distinctive feature of this show as both the landscape (outback), animals (unique Australian marsupials) and weather are key features of the program);
- sporting prowess; (there is an episode titled "Penny's Big Game" which is all about an 'outback cricket match' and the crocodile character is constantly exercising outdoors)
- rules of citizenship (birth, living here, citizenship, pride, language - features a lot of Australian language
- and lifestyle"(the animals do seem to enjoy a lot of the stereotypical features of the Australian lifestyle, they seem to own their own business' and homes and enjoy lots of leisure time playing sport and eating ice cream).
"The Koala Brothers" follows in the tradition of marsupials dressed as humans, established by such concepts as "Blinky Bill" (created in Australia by YorramGross).
As noted on the Yorram Gross website , Yorram immigrated to Australia from Poland in 1968.
It is interesting how both "Blinky Bill" and "The Koala Brothers" feature many elements that relate to "Australian" identity themes, however neither creator originates from Australia.
In thinking about this, I may now go and have a look through some literature related to Australian film and identity. Only in order to establish if there is something of use in this literature that might help with the project.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Hanging out with "Dirtgirl"
Dirtgirl or her show "dirtgirlworld" is another show (and/or set of characters) than can be located in "ABC for Kids" online. According to the credits page, "dirtgirlworld" is a 52x11min preschool animation series co-production between a number of Australian and Canadian based production houses (co creators are Cate McQuillen and Hewey Eustace).
According to this project's established critiera for what "Australian" identity is (as outlined in blog entry) dirgirl contains a number of recognised "Australian" themes including:
For example, a recent publication by Julie M Davis, titled "Young Children and the Environment: Early Education for Sustainability" (published by Queensland University of Technology, (2010), cover blurb notes the following::
"Young Children and the Environment tackles one of the biggest contemporary issues of our times – the changing environment ..." (source:http://www.cambridge.org/aus/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521736121&ss=fro)"
Picture sourced from: http://www.abc.net.au/children/dirtgirlworld/
"Dirtgirlworld" has four main characters. The lead character is "dirtgirl" who seems to have a scientific background. It is not clear if "dirtgirl" is an adult or a child, but she has an Australian accent. The male lead character is called "scrapboy", as he likes to collect (and recycle) pieces of scrap/junk. He also has an Austsralian accent. There are also three insect characters, a spider, a grub (called "Grubby") and "Ken" (the weevil). Both "Ken" and "Grubby" speak with Canadian accents and have human-like faces.
As outlined on the MeMeMe Production website, "dirtgirlworld" aims to represent:
"real kids in real gardens having unreal fun. dirtgirlworld is a celebration of life outside".
dirtgirl and scrapboy - photo sourced from an interesting article on the show, featured here - http://www.girl.com.au/dirtgirlworld-go-get-grubby.htm
According to this project's established critiera for what "Australian" identity is (as outlined in blog entry) dirgirl contains a number of recognised "Australian" themes including:
- personal well-being (safety, health, education - for example in episodes 31 and 44, "dirtgirl" was very keen to spend time teaching the audience about how to read a map, how to work together with others on a scavenger hunt, and to learn about how rainbows are made);
- democracy; agreeableness of personal characteristics (e.g., friendly, kind, fair - as already noted, most programs targeted at the pre-school group tend to be friendly and kind. "dirtgirl" and "scrapboy" don't appear to agrue and treat all their insect and animal friends kindly and humanely);
- rules of citizenship (language - Canadian and Australian)
dirtgirl is shown in other countries, including the BBC in the UK, and according to this article, also has a range of clothing and merchandise.
For example, a recent publication by Julie M Davis, titled "Young Children and the Environment: Early Education for Sustainability" (published by Queensland University of Technology, (2010), cover blurb notes the following::
"Young Children and the Environment tackles one of the biggest contemporary issues of our times – the changing environment ..." (source:http://www.cambridge.org/aus/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521736121&ss=fro)"
As well as tacklling current environmental issues, "dirtgirlworld" also fits in with the definition of 'new literacies' as explored by Shore (2008) in the previous blog entry. "Dirtgirlworld" not only has a very sophisticated online presence at http://www.abc.net.au/children/dirtgirlworld/ (which features lots of games and learning activities like a 'matching' card game and 'watering' your garden activity), but the television show itself, invites the audience to get involved via its "green thumbs" segment. During the "green thumbs" segment, we see lots of pre schoolers dressed in "green thumbs" t-shirts participating (or demonstrating how to participate) in whatever the show's main theme for the day is. For example in Ep.20, the "green thumbs" were invited to go on a scavengerhunt to find something "soft", "something that smelled nice" etc. In Ep.31. they were invited to "make a rainbow" using flowers and fruit.
dirtgirl on her tractor - source: http://www.abc.net.au/abcforkids/shows/s2948139.htm
Although this show demonstrates a few of the themes mentioned in this project's criteria for what is "Australian", this show may also be attempting to portray a different kind of Australia, where there is more of an emphasis on science (over sport for example) and female characters seem to have a strong voice and are capable of taking the lead. Perhaps it aims to promote Australia (and its co producing company of Canada) as 'environmentally responsible' nations. Perhaps this is part, or the beginning, of a new dialogue where local issues are also global issues. Also "dirtgirlworld" itself is a farm of some sorts and could be anywhere in the world. The very use of the word "dirtgirlworld" could indicate that this place is universal in theme and that the inhabitants of "dirtgirlworld" are more like citizens of the world, joined together to help protect the environment (or maybe not!). Either way, in comparison to "Banana's in Pyjama's", "dirtgirlworld" is representative of a whole new world in both early children's entertainment and possibly new literacy as well.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Ahhh... a "Lightbulb Moment"...
While looking around for a bit more information on accent and literacy (linking up with my previous blog entry) I came across an article by Amy Shore (2008) titled "Convergence Citizens: The New Media Literacy of Pre-School Television", in Afterimage, Vol. 37, issue 2, 2009.
This article steps away from the more detailed thread I was follwoing with identity, and looks a bit more at the bigger picture, which might be helpful at this point in time. The major point of this article is how it clearly explains how television actually sits across two media landscapes. One being 'old media' which includes television, print media, and radio and the other being 'new media' which can include:
"digital, computerized, or networked information and communication technologies that allow for new modes of content delivery (downloads and file sharing), media experience (interactive DVDs and iPods), and media production (viral videos and blogs). (no page ref).
There is also mention of a related 'new media' goal, which is to encourage multiculturalism. Shore points to the example of the American children's television show "Sesame Street"
"[as a] a form of media literacy based in the old media landscape to produce children as multicultural citizens whose media "citizenship" was formed through a highly mediated participatory community." (no page ref)
After reading this article by Shore (2008) it is much easier to idenitfy how the show mentioned in my aforementioned blog entry on the "Banana's in Pyjamas", fits into the new literacy landscape. The show itself is 'old media', in that there is no ability to interact with the characters on the show itself directly. It encourages passive watching. Also, unlike "Sesame Street" which is falling over itself to provide 'learning moments', a show like Banana's is more about entertainment. As noted by Hopkinson (2005) one of the original creators behind Banana's brief clearly stated that:
Although the transition from tv to internet is slightly more clunky than the seamless transition made by "Sesame Street", the Banana's concept does participate quite successfully in the new media landscape when the website and television show are viewed in conjunction with each other..
This success in part, may be due to another reason that Shore (2008) mentions, and that is the creation of the virtual world/television network as place. Shore cites Nickelodeon (a large US based children's network) as an example of this:
"{Nickelodeon of Nick Jr] is not only intended to be a place for children's television it is to be my place for children's television. ..."Nick Jr. is therefore a 'personality' and a place … it is also 'owned' and inhabited by the child viewer--it is 'just' for them."( n2)
Shore is quoting the work by Karen Lury, "A Time and a Place for Everything Children's Channels," in David Buckingham, ed., Small Screens: Television for Children (London and New York: Leicester University Press, 2002).
The point being made here is fascinating and puts a whole other spin on my thoughts with this project in regards to learning "identity". The "Banana's" website, actually forms part of a larger network of sites known collectively as ABC for Kids. On entering the website
This article steps away from the more detailed thread I was follwoing with identity, and looks a bit more at the bigger picture, which might be helpful at this point in time. The major point of this article is how it clearly explains how television actually sits across two media landscapes. One being 'old media' which includes television, print media, and radio and the other being 'new media' which can include:
"digital, computerized, or networked information and communication technologies that allow for new modes of content delivery (downloads and file sharing), media experience (interactive DVDs and iPods), and media production (viral videos and blogs). (no page ref).
There is also mention of a related 'new media' goal, which is to encourage multiculturalism. Shore points to the example of the American children's television show "Sesame Street"
"[as a] a form of media literacy based in the old media landscape to produce children as multicultural citizens whose media "citizenship" was formed through a highly mediated participatory community." (no page ref)
Source: https://wiki.brown.edu/confluence/display/mcm1700p/Sesame+Street
A quick visit to the "Sesame Street" website confirms why the show is referenced by Shore (2008) as being a leader in the new media landscape. There are online videos, interactive games to play, and the characters on the show (such as Elmo) are 'speaking to you' as soon as you enter the site. The movement between watching the characters on the site and interacting with the games on the site is quite seamless. Added to this, the emphasis again and again is on learning. Whether it's about learning about different shapes, different letters, basic numeracy, etc, it is very hard to find anything that doesn't appear to have a 'learning moment' (Shore, 2008) embedded within in it.
Source: http://celebritybabies.people.com/2008/12/03/advent-house-an/
After reading this article by Shore (2008) it is much easier to idenitfy how the show mentioned in my aforementioned blog entry on the "Banana's in Pyjamas", fits into the new literacy landscape. The show itself is 'old media', in that there is no ability to interact with the characters on the show itself directly. It encourages passive watching. Also, unlike "Sesame Street" which is falling over itself to provide 'learning moments', a show like Banana's is more about entertainment. As noted by Hopkinson (2005) one of the original creators behind Banana's brief clearly stated that:
'this series will have no educational agenda. It is to provide nothing but entertainment for our audience" (p.16)
Welcome to the world of Sesame Street - Source: http://www.gpb.org/sesamestreet
What carries the Banana's into the new literacy landscape though is its website. With the date range of the series being 1992-2002, it's highly probable that the website as it is today, was not part of the original concept. The Banana's website, unlike the show, is full of quite a few 'learning moments' such as a memory game, a colour game, a mix n match game. There are also instructions on how to download images from the show and how to make the characters into fingerpuppets and paper dolls..
Activities from the Banana's in Pyjama's website
Although the transition from tv to internet is slightly more clunky than the seamless transition made by "Sesame Street", the Banana's concept does participate quite successfully in the new media landscape when the website and television show are viewed in conjunction with each other..
This success in part, may be due to another reason that Shore (2008) mentions, and that is the creation of the virtual world/television network as place. Shore cites Nickelodeon (a large US based children's network) as an example of this:
"{Nickelodeon of Nick Jr] is not only intended to be a place for children's television it is to be my place for children's television. ..."Nick Jr. is therefore a 'personality' and a place … it is also 'owned' and inhabited by the child viewer--it is 'just' for them."( n2)
Shore is quoting the work by Karen Lury, "A Time and a Place for Everything Children's Channels," in David Buckingham, ed., Small Screens: Television for Children (London and New York: Leicester University Press, 2002).
The point being made here is fascinating and puts a whole other spin on my thoughts with this project in regards to learning "identity". The "Banana's" website, actually forms part of a larger network of sites known collectively as ABC for Kids. On entering the website
you are 'greeted' by "Jimmy Giggle" and "Hoot the Owl" who encourage you to 'have fun', while in what is effectively being promoted as an 'online world'. Within the world there are games, videos, a playroom, an area where you can 'make things' etc. All of the characters and storylines featured on the website come from ABC children's television shows though, like "Banana's in Pjyama's"
Jimmy Giggle and Hoot the Owl from http://www.abc.net.au/children/
Further blog entries will continue to explore what this means in terms of "Australian" identity (for example, are children now more likely to identify with these 'online' worlds more readily than they will with their real life worlds - ie Australia) by looking at the other two selected ABC shows - "dirtgirworldl" and "The Koala Brothers".
Friday, October 8, 2010
The "Australian" Banana's
Hopkinson (2005) provides some background on the "Banana's".
"Bananas in Pyjamas' originated as a nonsense song composed by Carey Blyton, a music professor and coincidentally the nephew of Enid Blyton, for his young son in the late 60s." (p.15)
The Australian tv favourite, "Playschool" picked up the song and it was so popular that a banana was added to the cast. So it is therefore assumed that the "Banana's" concept originated in England, but was popularised and adapted into a television show by Australian television producers.
There were no available online video's of the Banana's to download from the ABC net website during the September/October 2010 period. A quick search of YouTube located some episodes from 1992. As noted on the Australian Screen website, the Banana's in Pyjama's episodes ran from 1992-2002. However, they still show these episodes on the ABC television station a few times a week.
The "Banana's" originally featured people in suits (however an ABC News article from 2009 notes that the characters are now going into 2D animation as well - see http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/18/2602041.htm). There are three bear characters, and the two banana's, who are portrayed as twin brothers. All the creatures live on a street called "Cuddles Lane". Each episode runs for about 5 minutes.
The "Banana's" almost appear universal in their stories, in that "Cuddles Lane" could be anywhere in the world. As noted on the official "about" website the "Banana's" are seen in 70 countries around the world. The website also proudly proclaims that the "Banana's" have been on the "Oprah" tv show! This is quite amusing as it suggests that you don't really hit the world stage until you have been on the "Oprah" show!
Looking at a number of "Banana in Pyjama's" episodes on YouTube including "Lost Voice", "Dreamtime" and "Take One" (seen above) there does not seem to be many of the nine themes (quoted in a previous entry) related to "Australian" identity present. "Diversity" might be present, as we have two pieces of fruit mixing it up with their neighbours who are teddy bears (best described as 'non-fruit' perhaps??) ...did I really just write that?! And there is evidence of "agreeableness of personal characteristics", but then one would wonder about a children's television show aimed at pre-schoolers that didn't demonstrate these kinds of characteristics.
The most obvious Australian characteristic present in the show is the Australian accent. The two "Banana's" have a strong Australian accent, however one of the bear's (Lulu) seems to speak in what sounds like a French accent (?) The role of language in defining something as being "Australian" is mentioned under the "rules of citizenship" theme.
"Bananas in Pyjamas' originated as a nonsense song composed by Carey Blyton, a music professor and coincidentally the nephew of Enid Blyton, for his young son in the late 60s." (p.15)
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/
The Australian tv favourite, "Playschool" picked up the song and it was so popular that a banana was added to the cast. So it is therefore assumed that the "Banana's" concept originated in England, but was popularised and adapted into a television show by Australian television producers.
There were no available online video's of the Banana's to download from the ABC net website during the September/October 2010 period. A quick search of YouTube located some episodes from 1992. As noted on the Australian Screen website, the Banana's in Pyjama's episodes ran from 1992-2002. However, they still show these episodes on the ABC television station a few times a week.
The "Banana's" originally featured people in suits (however an ABC News article from 2009 notes that the characters are now going into 2D animation as well - see http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/18/2602041.htm). There are three bear characters, and the two banana's, who are portrayed as twin brothers. All the creatures live on a street called "Cuddles Lane". Each episode runs for about 5 minutes.
The "Banana's" almost appear universal in their stories, in that "Cuddles Lane" could be anywhere in the world. As noted on the official "about" website the "Banana's" are seen in 70 countries around the world. The website also proudly proclaims that the "Banana's" have been on the "Oprah" tv show! This is quite amusing as it suggests that you don't really hit the world stage until you have been on the "Oprah" show!
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/18/2602041.htm
Looking at a number of "Banana in Pyjama's" episodes on YouTube including "Lost Voice", "Dreamtime" and "Take One" (seen above) there does not seem to be many of the nine themes (quoted in a previous entry) related to "Australian" identity present. "Diversity" might be present, as we have two pieces of fruit mixing it up with their neighbours who are teddy bears (best described as 'non-fruit' perhaps??) ...did I really just write that?! And there is evidence of "agreeableness of personal characteristics", but then one would wonder about a children's television show aimed at pre-schoolers that didn't demonstrate these kinds of characteristics.
The most obvious Australian characteristic present in the show is the Australian accent. The two "Banana's" have a strong Australian accent, however one of the bear's (Lulu) seems to speak in what sounds like a French accent (?) The role of language in defining something as being "Australian" is mentioned under the "rules of citizenship" theme.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
So what is meant by "Australian Identity"?
Buckingham (2008) speaks of two different meanings for identity. One being about the individual (and their uniqueness) and the other one which is related to this project's interest in 'identity', which defines "identity" as "[that which] is about identification with others whom we assume are similar to us (if not exactly the same), at least in some significant ways." (e.g. national identity).(p.1).
Overall, I think it is still quite difficult to define "Australian" identity. What may encapsulate a sense of belonging to one person, may not be the case for others. It seems even more difficult to find any kind of academic work related to children in the early childhood bracket (0-7/8 year olds) and their views on what "Australian" identity is. One of the papers investigated in a previous blog entry (Purdie and Wilss 2007) highlights that very little work has been done so far on researching how children understand or interpret "Australian" identity.
Yet, as highlighted by the book review from Galda and Tobin (1992) there is a lot of reading material aimed at the younger age bracket that contains stereotypical images of what it means to be "Australian".
Overall, the initial literature review into understanding "Australian" idenitty has revealed a few themes, best described by the research of Purdie and Wilss (2007) and described on this previous post.
Although these themes come from adolescents, rather than small children, they will form the basis of the next section of this project, which will look at whether these representations of "Australian" identity are present in the three shows chosen from the ABC website - (Banana's in Pyjuama's, dirtgirlworld and The Koala Brothers).
Another issue to consider has come up through an article by Howard (1994) which explores issues around 'reality'. Whether children for example, perceive the "Banana's in Pyjama's" to be real or not. Which brings me back to my premise about Gee's "big D" discourse. If the children who watch these television shows are still grappling with the concept of reality, then isn't it possible that these children could be engaging with these characters in the character's own make believe world? And if so, what does this mean as far as literacy is concerned?
The other interesting thing I have come across so far, has included the negative emphasis on television in regards to early childhood education. Searches on metalib across databases - using the term 'early childhood" and 'television' has a tendency to bring up negative issues like - early childhood and television and obesity. There seems to be an automatic assumption that television is bad for children. Yet, television is often the first major media interaction young children have and many of the characters from television, like Banana's in Pyjama's, dirtgirl and The Koala Brothers have their own accompanying websites with intereactive games etc. Therefore, the characters themselves often have a cross platform multimedia persona.
So I am somewhat confused by the separation of televisoin (bad) from other media forms (e.g. computers) which are seen to have a somewhat higher educational value? I could just be imagining this though and this line of thought is unfortunately outside the scope of this project. But worth mentioning.
Overall, I think it is still quite difficult to define "Australian" identity. What may encapsulate a sense of belonging to one person, may not be the case for others. It seems even more difficult to find any kind of academic work related to children in the early childhood bracket (0-7/8 year olds) and their views on what "Australian" identity is. One of the papers investigated in a previous blog entry (Purdie and Wilss 2007) highlights that very little work has been done so far on researching how children understand or interpret "Australian" identity.
Australian beaches (Bondi, Sydney is pictured above) are another popular image representing "Australia". Source of image - http://www.lastbeach.com/australia/australian-beaches-tips-hints-and-surfing-bondi-style/
Yet, as highlighted by the book review from Galda and Tobin (1992) there is a lot of reading material aimed at the younger age bracket that contains stereotypical images of what it means to be "Australian".
Overall, the initial literature review into understanding "Australian" idenitty has revealed a few themes, best described by the research of Purdie and Wilss (2007) and described on this previous post.
Although these themes come from adolescents, rather than small children, they will form the basis of the next section of this project, which will look at whether these representations of "Australian" identity are present in the three shows chosen from the ABC website - (Banana's in Pyjuama's, dirtgirlworld and The Koala Brothers).
Another issue to consider has come up through an article by Howard (1994) which explores issues around 'reality'. Whether children for example, perceive the "Banana's in Pyjama's" to be real or not. Which brings me back to my premise about Gee's "big D" discourse. If the children who watch these television shows are still grappling with the concept of reality, then isn't it possible that these children could be engaging with these characters in the character's own make believe world? And if so, what does this mean as far as literacy is concerned?
Image of children watching television from an American website titled "The Parents Zone" which provides advice to parents on how to manage their children's television watching habits. The emphaise is that too much television is bad for your child.
The other interesting thing I have come across so far, has included the negative emphasis on television in regards to early childhood education. Searches on metalib across databases - using the term 'early childhood" and 'television' has a tendency to bring up negative issues like - early childhood and television and obesity. There seems to be an automatic assumption that television is bad for children. Yet, television is often the first major media interaction young children have and many of the characters from television, like Banana's in Pyjama's, dirtgirl and The Koala Brothers have their own accompanying websites with intereactive games etc. Therefore, the characters themselves often have a cross platform multimedia persona.
So I am somewhat confused by the separation of televisoin (bad) from other media forms (e.g. computers) which are seen to have a somewhat higher educational value? I could just be imagining this though and this line of thought is unfortunately outside the scope of this project. But worth mentioning.
Through an American's eyes...
An interesting article by Galda & Tobin (1992) is titled "Children's Books: Dreamtime Downunder: Exploring Australian Books". This is a book review of sorts, but the article also promotes itself as a teaching guide for American teachers who want to explore "Australia" with their pupils.
It covers a range of books, including "Possum Magic" and also the work by Graeme Base.
Galda & Tobin start out by commenting that many Australian themed books help to 'perpetuate the narrow stereotype' of what it means to be Australian, by focusing on 'bush adventures' and 'cuddly koala's'. The article also highlights a number of books which it claims deals with multiculturalism and cites the Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawkins bicentennial publication "My Place" (which has also been turned into a television series) as a good example of this.
Environmental issues are also tackled, and the authors highlight books by Jeannie Baker who is concerned with preserving the environment. Indigenous themed story books for children are also covered.
Overall, this review provides a balanced view of how Australia can be represented abroad. In that the books covered include universal themes, as well as those which explore the Australian Indigenous culture. However, there is still an overwhelming number of books that deal with bush themes, in particular Australian animals.
It covers a range of books, including "Possum Magic" and also the work by Graeme Base.
Source: http://www.memfox.net/possum-magic.html
Galda & Tobin start out by commenting that many Australian themed books help to 'perpetuate the narrow stereotype' of what it means to be Australian, by focusing on 'bush adventures' and 'cuddly koala's'. The article also highlights a number of books which it claims deals with multiculturalism and cites the Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawkins bicentennial publication "My Place" (which has also been turned into a television series) as a good example of this.
Environmental issues are also tackled, and the authors highlight books by Jeannie Baker who is concerned with preserving the environment. Indigenous themed story books for children are also covered.
Overall, this review provides a balanced view of how Australia can be represented abroad. In that the books covered include universal themes, as well as those which explore the Australian Indigenous culture. However, there is still an overwhelming number of books that deal with bush themes, in particular Australian animals.
Australian animals - Source: http://www.alivenotdead.com/
Sport and other interesting things about young people and "Australian Identity"
Purdie and Wilss (2007) is a very useful article that looks at how young people conceive what being "Australian" means. They also touch on the issues of "mateship", Anzacs, and how this links into sport. Purdie and Wilss reference a study by Philips and Smith (2000) and note that "ideas focusing on the conquering of fear, sport, strength of character and achievement, and physical prowess" are still identified as being part of the "Australian" identity of today. (p.69). Purdie and Wilss (2007) also note that studies on what younger people think "being Australian" means are rare. (p.79)
Purdie and Wilss completed a study on adolescents (there doesn't seem to be any known research on children younger than 11 years on this topic), where they were asked to write a short essay on what it means to be "Australian". Nine themes emerged and they included:
"Traditional views of an Australian identity exhibited by students in this study included a focus on sport and a leisurely lifestyle often linked with the outdoors and sunshine.".
This photo below is a good illustration perhaps of what this means. This photo shows the crowds of happy Collingwood supporters, plus the captain and coach of the team, after winning the AFL Grand Final Premiership on Sunday October 3, 2010.
A stereotypical image of an Australian child? Source (as at 23 October 2010):
http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/kids/schooling/lets-demonstrate-a-little-class-and-give-every-child-a-fair-go-20091210-kkq6.html
Purdie and Wilss completed a study on adolescents (there doesn't seem to be any known research on children younger than 11 years on this topic), where they were asked to write a short essay on what it means to be "Australian". Nine themes emerged and they included:
- "national well-being (security, prosperity);
- personal well-being (safety, health, education);
- democracy; agreeableness of personal characteristics (e.g., friendly, kind, fair);
- uniqueness and diversity of environment (landscape, animals, weather, conservation);
- sporting prowess;
- rules of citizenship (birth, living here, citizenship, pride, language);
- diversity (cultural, other);
- and lifestyle" (p.72)
"Traditional views of an Australian identity exhibited by students in this study included a focus on sport and a leisurely lifestyle often linked with the outdoors and sunshine.".
This photo below is a good illustration perhaps of what this means. This photo shows the crowds of happy Collingwood supporters, plus the captain and coach of the team, after winning the AFL Grand Final Premiership on Sunday October 3, 2010.
Source (as at 4 October, 2010): http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-grand-final-winners-collingwood-looking-forward-to-proud-new-chapter/story-e6frf9jf-1225933306124
Of interest to Purdie and Wilss was that there were no themes coming through from the adolescents that related "Australian" identity to achievements in science, the arts of other intellectual pursuits.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
And what does YouTube say?
A slight diversion now....
One of the advantages of a blog project is that you can post things as they occur to you. I thought before engaging in some more reference analysis, I might take a quick side trip into YouTube, to see what kinds of things came up when I typed in "Australian" identity. Another benefit of the blog, is that I can then post these links directly.
This is quite interesting, particularly the reference to language and accent. Also there is reference to humour and sport.
This is another representation of "Australian" identity and probably encapsulates, via images, some of the more standard, mainstream views (?) perhaps of what it means to be Australian. So some of the imagery presented in this clip below, probably comes closer to some of the broadstroke (or cliched) views of how "Australian" identity can be represented. Images like the bush and sport are included as well as references to 'diggers' in the song that plays over the images.
One of the advantages of a blog project is that you can post things as they occur to you. I thought before engaging in some more reference analysis, I might take a quick side trip into YouTube, to see what kinds of things came up when I typed in "Australian" identity. Another benefit of the blog, is that I can then post these links directly.
This is quite interesting, particularly the reference to language and accent. Also there is reference to humour and sport.
This is another representation of "Australian" identity and probably encapsulates, via images, some of the more standard, mainstream views (?) perhaps of what it means to be Australian. So some of the imagery presented in this clip below, probably comes closer to some of the broadstroke (or cliched) views of how "Australian" identity can be represented. Images like the bush and sport are included as well as references to 'diggers' in the song that plays over the images.
Diggers
As noted in Due (2008), the role of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who landed in Gallipoli in World World I (and known collectively as Anzacs) have played an important role in defining Australian cultural identity. As Due states:
"People gather all around the country to attend a dawn service in order to commemorate the soldiers who lost their lives in the failed attempt to occupy Gaillipoli, and to celebrate qualities such as 'mateship' and courage which are thought to be indicative of the 'Anzac spirit' and are considred distinctively Australian" (p.24)
Due notes that depictions of the Anzacs helps to shape a certain type of Australian cultural identity, which sees both the pioneers and Anzacs as being represented as 'tough, masculine and practical', with a 'wry sense of humour'. He comments that both are 'disrespectful of authority and both are dedicated to their 'mates'. Both are unashamedly male'. (p.29)
Due puts forward some very challenging views about the role of the Anzac in forming Australian cultural identity. However, for the purposes of this assignment, I am simply seeking some basic definitions of Australian identity and then comparing this to what is represented in some early childhood television characters to see what, if any, messages about Australian identity are being communicated (or 'taught') to children via the characters and storylines.
"People gather all around the country to attend a dawn service in order to commemorate the soldiers who lost their lives in the failed attempt to occupy Gaillipoli, and to celebrate qualities such as 'mateship' and courage which are thought to be indicative of the 'Anzac spirit' and are considred distinctively Australian" (p.24)
Infantry marching ahead in single file to the Front Line Source www.sl.nsw.gov.auacms.sl.nsw.gov.au/albu/album
Due notes that depictions of the Anzacs helps to shape a certain type of Australian cultural identity, which sees both the pioneers and Anzacs as being represented as 'tough, masculine and practical', with a 'wry sense of humour'. He comments that both are 'disrespectful of authority and both are dedicated to their 'mates'. Both are unashamedly male'. (p.29)
Australian Diggers Source: http://www.convictcreations.com/history/images/tobruk.jpg
Due puts forward some very challenging views about the role of the Anzac in forming Australian cultural identity. However, for the purposes of this assignment, I am simply seeking some basic definitions of Australian identity and then comparing this to what is represented in some early childhood television characters to see what, if any, messages about Australian identity are being communicated (or 'taught') to children via the characters and storylines.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Diggers, Sport and the Bush...
I will come back a bit later to the issue of the big "D" discourse, as I suspect its relevance will continue to reveal itself. It has something to do with how participants engage with various worlds that are presented to them. I suspect it has more relevance to interactive play, (e.g. games) rather than watching television, but I am curious to see whether it could apply to early childhood television, where issues around reality and make believe are less concrete (Howard, 1994).
Today though I am looking at trying to identify what is meant by "Australian" identity. This is a huge field. A search across Google Scholar and various databases via Metalib has revealed that there are many different viewpoints on this topic. Although this is an important issue to define for my assignment, I do need to keep an eye on my word limit. After an initial broad search I have restricted my articles on "Australian" identity to those concerned with diggers/war, sport and the bush.
I will therefore limit my selection of references and discussion to these areas. This is not ideal, however some boundaries do need to be placed around what I am investigating, otherwise it could very easily get out of hand.
The first topic to be addressd will be the 'digger/war' angle to "Australian identity'. Again, the reason I am looking at this is to try and work out whether the selection of Australian television show characters - B1 and B2, dirtgirlworld and The Koala Brothers actually can teach children anything about Australian identity.
Today though I am looking at trying to identify what is meant by "Australian" identity. This is a huge field. A search across Google Scholar and various databases via Metalib has revealed that there are many different viewpoints on this topic. Although this is an important issue to define for my assignment, I do need to keep an eye on my word limit. After an initial broad search I have restricted my articles on "Australian" identity to those concerned with diggers/war, sport and the bush.
I will therefore limit my selection of references and discussion to these areas. This is not ideal, however some boundaries do need to be placed around what I am investigating, otherwise it could very easily get out of hand.
The first topic to be addressd will be the 'digger/war' angle to "Australian identity'. Again, the reason I am looking at this is to try and work out whether the selection of Australian television show characters - B1 and B2, dirtgirlworld and The Koala Brothers actually can teach children anything about Australian identity.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
The "big D" Discourse
A quote from Gee (1999) but reproduced in Steinkuehler (2008, p.623), caught my attention.
"[Big-D Discourses are] different ways in which we humans integrate language with non-language “stuff,” such as different ways of thinking, acting, interacting, valuing, feeling, believing, and using symbols, tools, and objects in the right places and at the right times so as to … give the material world certain meanings … make certain sorts of meaningful connections in our experience, and privilege certain symbols systems and ways of knowing over others." (Gee, 1999, p. 13)
I think that exploring the critial theory of "big D" Discourses may be quite relevant to my assignment topic. In my mind, characters such as B1 ad B2 from "Banana's in Pyjama's", "dirtgirlworld" and the "Koala Brothers" are all, or perhaps all incorporate "non-language" stuff in order to have meaning (or perhaps literacy value?) to their audience.
When reading the "dirtgirlworld blog", Cate McQullien (co-creator/editor) of the show writes:
"When dreaming about dirtgirlworld, we always envisaged something truly beautiful. A photomontage world that blended the real with the unreal, a world inhabited by characters that celebrated life outside and connected with children in a profound way. We wanted simple, sustainable stories; to create a show about the things we know and have really come to love. We wanted to share our love and thoughts about the future of our planet, from a hopeful and positive place, and we wanted it to be fun ... and weird ... and with heaps of music. Not 'worthy' and wholesome, but layered with humour and fantasy."
As the blog comment notes, "Dirtgirl" lives in a specific world, where the 'non-language "stuff"' like the unusual style of animation blends with a specific agenda about saving the planet. There is also the comment about connecting with the audience (children aged 4 - 7 years) in a "profound way".
"[Big-D Discourses are] different ways in which we humans integrate language with non-language “stuff,” such as different ways of thinking, acting, interacting, valuing, feeling, believing, and using symbols, tools, and objects in the right places and at the right times so as to … give the material world certain meanings … make certain sorts of meaningful connections in our experience, and privilege certain symbols systems and ways of knowing over others." (Gee, 1999, p. 13)
I think that exploring the critial theory of "big D" Discourses may be quite relevant to my assignment topic. In my mind, characters such as B1 ad B2 from "Banana's in Pyjama's", "dirtgirlworld" and the "Koala Brothers" are all, or perhaps all incorporate "non-language" stuff in order to have meaning (or perhaps literacy value?) to their audience.
When reading the "dirtgirlworld blog", Cate McQullien (co-creator/editor) of the show writes:
"When dreaming about dirtgirlworld, we always envisaged something truly beautiful. A photomontage world that blended the real with the unreal, a world inhabited by characters that celebrated life outside and connected with children in a profound way. We wanted simple, sustainable stories; to create a show about the things we know and have really come to love. We wanted to share our love and thoughts about the future of our planet, from a hopeful and positive place, and we wanted it to be fun ... and weird ... and with heaps of music. Not 'worthy' and wholesome, but layered with humour and fantasy."
dirtgirl - Source:
As the blog comment notes, "Dirtgirl" lives in a specific world, where the 'non-language "stuff"' like the unusual style of animation blends with a specific agenda about saving the planet. There is also the comment about connecting with the audience (children aged 4 - 7 years) in a "profound way".
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Let's rock!
This blog is part of an assessment for the Monash University subject EDF6115. As blogs are quite public, this seems a slightly odd way to do an assignment. Assignments are usually private affairs, involving late nights spent slaving over a hot laptop with loads of stimulants at hand, like coffee (although I don't drink coffee...) and malteses and insanely coloured so called 'cheese' flavoured snacks.
However, this subject is on multimedia literacies. Much of the reading so far has really challenged the way media is influencing education. To write an assignment in one of these multimedias in 'real' time is, I think, a very practical way of trying to digest and comprehend some of the issues that these new literacies present. A number of things have already popped into my head, including the slightly informal nature of interacting with online communities. Things such as language and audience are also at the back of my mind. Then there is the immediate nature of it all.
So where do I start? My main interest with this assignment is the role that animated characters on television and the internet play in literacy. I am interested in the meanings and value of these characters and the stories that they engage in. What messages are they sending? Who are they excluding? In particular I am interested in what role (if any) that they play in educating children about their national identity.
To explore this, I am going to evaluate a number of characters and shows as represented on the ABC for Kids website
In particular, the main shows that I wish to explore via their websites (over the September/October period of 2010) are:
- Banana's in Pyjama's
- dirtgirlworld
- The Koala Brothers
With each show, I will analyse their characters and their storylines in terms of what they say about 'Australian' identity. This is going to be challenging on a number of fronts, none more so than establishing what is meant by 'Australian' identity for the purpose of this assignment. For that I will turn to my literature review, which I will document here on the blog.
Overall, my questions are:
What does Australian identity mean to your average preschooler?
Do these characters teach children about "Australian" identity?
If these characters do teach this to children, how do they do it?
What subtexts are present, what is missing, who is excluded?
How valuable is teaching 'Australian identity' to preschoolers - how important/relevant is it?
So stay tuned!
However, this subject is on multimedia literacies. Much of the reading so far has really challenged the way media is influencing education. To write an assignment in one of these multimedias in 'real' time is, I think, a very practical way of trying to digest and comprehend some of the issues that these new literacies present. A number of things have already popped into my head, including the slightly informal nature of interacting with online communities. Things such as language and audience are also at the back of my mind. Then there is the immediate nature of it all.
So where do I start? My main interest with this assignment is the role that animated characters on television and the internet play in literacy. I am interested in the meanings and value of these characters and the stories that they engage in. What messages are they sending? Who are they excluding? In particular I am interested in what role (if any) that they play in educating children about their national identity.
To explore this, I am going to evaluate a number of characters and shows as represented on the ABC for Kids website
In particular, the main shows that I wish to explore via their websites (over the September/October period of 2010) are:
- Banana's in Pyjama's
- dirtgirlworld
- The Koala Brothers
With each show, I will analyse their characters and their storylines in terms of what they say about 'Australian' identity. This is going to be challenging on a number of fronts, none more so than establishing what is meant by 'Australian' identity for the purpose of this assignment. For that I will turn to my literature review, which I will document here on the blog.
Overall, my questions are:
What does Australian identity mean to your average preschooler?
Do these characters teach children about "Australian" identity?
If these characters do teach this to children, how do they do it?
What subtexts are present, what is missing, who is excluded?
How valuable is teaching 'Australian identity' to preschoolers - how important/relevant is it?
So stay tuned!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)