Language and Power in New Zealand Children's Literature

When non-dominant perspectives are represented in children’s literature, it is labelled multicultural, and this form of literature has much potential for altering existing power structures in society. Bishop (1990) first... [ view full abstract ]

When non-dominant perspectives are represented in children’s literature, it is labelled multicultural, and this form of literature has much potential for altering existing power structures in society. Bishop (1990) first introduced the metaphor of multicultural children’s literature offering the possibility of windows- an opportunity to see into other’s worlds, mirrors- an opportunity to see your own world being reflected back, and glass sliding doors- an opportunity to step into a world through a book. However, to date, any exploration of the extent to which language diversity contributes to the representation of non-dominant perspectives in multicultural children’s literature has been limited, and the use of sociolinguistic theories to frame and theorise such explorations almost non-existent. In this colloquium we will explore the use of te reo Māori and English in New Zealand children's literature, considering issues such as language, education and diversity; language and identity; and language revitalisation.