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Reading revision
Is removing six Dr Seuss texts justified , or an overreaction ?
Larissa McLean Davies interviewed by Wade Zaglas
The Dr Seuss Foundation ’ s recent decision to cease publishing six books in the collection has been applauded by many but also derided by others , who see this latest move as a result of a society that has become far too politically correct .
Associate Professor of Language and Literacy Education at the University of Melbourne , Larissa McLean Davies , says she is supportive of the change . She also emphasises that racial and hurtful images found in much of the collection has long been of interest to scholars around the world .
CR : While the six books have been labelled hurtful , harmful and racist , do they nevertheless constitute a cultural product of their times and provide some teachable moments ? LMD : I think the Dr Seuss Foundation ’ s decision should be acknowledged and affirmed . The Foundation is responding to some years of scholarship and mounting public pressure to take some of the texts out of circulation because they do not represent the views that are important for young children to be hearing and being exposed to .
And they have been acknowledged as presenting stereotypes of people of colour that are just not appropriate , and
There ’ s been a lot of criticism in scholarship around these texts for some time .
not the things that we would be wanting to share with our students . I think we need to be really careful in reflecting that we ’ re just talking about six of many texts and many textbooks will still be in circulation .
These texts themselves do have teachable moments , in terms of bringing a critical literacy approach to these texts that actually looks at the way in which certain texts do circulate views of power that are really problematic in a contemporary society .
There are many powerful and wonderful texts , particularly Australian texts , in our society that we would really encourage young people to take up .
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