Van Huyssteen et al 2023b
Van Huyssteen, Gerhard B., Rabé, Monique, and Puttkammer, Martin J. 2023. Ouderdoms- en inhoudsadvies vir Afrikaanse boeke vir kinders: resultate van ’n eerste kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe ondersoek [Age and content advisories for Afrikaans children’s books: Results of a first qualitative and quantitative investigation]. LitNet Akademies (Geesteswetenskappe) 20:185–212. https://doi.org/10.56273/1995-5928/2023/j20n1b7.
Dataset
Dataset: Age and content advisories for Afrikaans books for children [xlsx]
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DOI
Abstract
The Films and Publications Act 65 of 1996 (South African Government 1996) provides the framework within which films and publications can be controlled in South Africa, including the imposition of age and content advisories for films and television programs (f-ACAs) by the Film and Publication Board (FPB). However, no similar advice exists for books (b-ACAs), although this is the practice in the United States of America, for example.
The aim of this investigation was to determine how Afrikaans speakers feel about b-ACAs for books for children. Three methods were used in the investigation, namely (1) an interview with a publication control and legal expert; (2) an online focus group (made up of various individuals from the publishing value chain, such as authors, a publisher, a purchasing manager, and so on); and (3) an online questionnaire.
The participants of the focus group were of the conviction that b-ACAs are not really meaningful unless they relate to the intended reader's reading ability. They speculated that end-users (i.e. the intended readers/buyers) might find them potentially useful though.
This was confirmed by the results of an online questionnaire, which was aimed at end-users only. The questionnaire data was statistically analysed and interpreted using the standard Kruskal-Wallis test. It transpired that end-users believe that b-ACAs could potentially be valuable and beneficial; this was especially true for participants with children (who also made up the majority of the participants). The participants also indicated that b-ACAs should preferably be displayed visibly on the front or back cover of the book. They further indicated that these b-ACAs should be determined mainly by authors and publishers, since they have already written and selected the books with a specific target audience and genre in mind. However, the onus ultimately still rests with parents to decide to what extent they want to take these advices into account in their educational task.
Keywords
age advisory, book, censorship, content advisory, publishing value chain, standard Kruskal-Wallis test,
Afrikaans keywords
boek, inhoudsadvies, ouderdomsadvies, publikasiewaardeketting, sensuur, standaard-Kruskal-Wallis-toets,
