A study on family in children's literature works: Family types, intra-family communication and attitudes

The most minimal institution of society is the family. The family is a very important structure for the socialization of the individual. Although all families have different communication styles, attitudes and structures, it is also known that there are quality books that appeal to children regarding the introduction of children to different family structures. The aim of our study is to examine how the family is reflected in children's literature works. For this purpose, 22 children's books by different authors were examined within the framework of the concept of family. The books selected for the study were analyzed according to the types of family, intra-family relations and parental attitudes in relation to the concept of family. The selected works were subjected to content analysis through document review. It was determined that the examined books included many types of family in parallel with the changes in the social system. Many examples of family conflicts and family attitudes were also conveyed in the examined works. The most frequently mentioned family attitudes are the democratic/supportive attitude and the unrelated attitude, followed by the authoritarian attitude. Among the findings, it has been found that parents who have a democratic/supportive attitude have more positive communication with their children, while children whose parents have an authoritarian attitude experience conflicts in relationships and become unhappy and withdrawn. Authors have conveyed to children's book readers the types of families in society, their attitudes and family relationships through books. It is thought that writing more works that reflect children's sensitivity due to the place of the family in society will contribute to children's literature.