Children’s Reception of Disney’s The Little Mermaid: Focusing on Femininity and Racial Diversity

Key Points

• The research aims to understand how children interpret and receive femininity and racial diversity in Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
• Conducted focus group interviews with 12 fifth-grade students divided into four groups after watching the film.
• Analyzed children's interpretations of the characters and themes related to femininity and racial diversity.
• Examined attitudes towards racial identity in the context of the film's representation.
• Most participants positively accepted the character of Ariel as a Black princess, indicating that whiteness and beauty are not essential to princess identity.
• Participants showed a preference for the brave and curious portrayal of Ariel over the previous passive depictions.
• Stereotypical and prejudiced attitudes towards race were still evident among some participants.
• Diversity messages and support for multicultural representations were read from the film, but understanding of diversity still remained superficial.

Abstract