GENDER SENSITIVE MESSAGES DELIVERED IN THE DISNEY MOVIE FROZEN

Abstract

In the era of information technology, electronic media are broadcasted throughout the world by farreaching
multinational companies. In that way, various forms of entertainment have become
inseparable from childrens daily lives. Due to their extensive presence, media may have considerable
influence over childrens development and behaviour. Naturally, media are expected to provide not
only creative entertainments but also positive didactic messages for child viewers, including those
under five (5) years old. Early age education practitioners can make use of the movies to introduce
the child viewers to certain values such as relevant gender sensitive messages. Frozen (2013) is a
movie which depicts female independent characters that do not pursue romance as their only life
goal; instead, they prefer to stay together and keep their mutual love as sisters after a long journey
full of adventures.In this preliminary study, the visual and narrative elements of the movie are studied
in order to analyze the gender sensitive messages wrapped in entertaining styles. To some extent,
themessages can also enhancefive different developmental domains of childrennamely social, physical,
intellectual, creativity, and emotion development (in short, S.P.I.C.E.).Thus, watching the movie can
bring benefits to child and adult viewers from the viewpoints of entertainment, education, and child
development.