Cartoons as Visual Culture in Children’s Education

Abstract

Concerns exist with regard to cartoons since children build their meaning through images and pictures. Current study investigates whether cartoons influence children’s visual culture within child education. Strategies will then be identified for the use of visual resources in the educational process. This study was developed in a municipal nursery school with children between four and five years old, in Maringá PR Brazil. Two children groups were randomly divided – an experimental and the control group. The experimental group watched Snow White and Hercules cartoons, whereas the control group developed other activities related to the research. Interviews were undertaken to complement the investigation. Results show that cartoons may interfere in the visual culture during children’s education and the construction of stereotypes are warranted. Teachers should discuss films and cartoons seen by children, coupled to debates on ideas, concepts and opinions that may be elaborated thereby so that stereotypes, biases and social tags may be avoided. In fact, these factors inhibit the formation of meanings and the understanding of social reality.