Gender and Race in Computer Technology

¶ … software being reviewed, subject of the software, date of publication.

"Reader Rabbit 1st Grade: Capers on Cloud Nine!" (CD).

List the authors and state the author's sex, if possible.

Although The Learning Company releases information concerning who voices the characters in the Reader Rabbit series, the author for this application is simply listed as the company.

What grade level or age is this software written for?

First grade.

Is the protagonist, main character, in the software a male or female?

Reader Rabbit is a male rabbit, but he is no fuzzy little ball of rabbit fur. Indeed, Reader Rabbit is a high-energy go-getter who makes it clear that he is ready for action and fun in the process of learning.

What ethnicity is the protagonist of the game/software?

Reader Rabbit sports some Western-style attire, and if he was a person, it is reasonable to suggest he would be white. Conversely, although Sam the Lion also wears Western-style clothing, his dark skin suggests an African-American.

5.

If there is a narrator, is the narrator a male or female? What is the ethnicity of the narrator?

Both Reader Rabbit and his male friend, Sam the Lion narrate the learning adventures.

6.

Review the software type (written word) for gender/racial stereotyping. Please indicate what item(s) you found and why the item(s) is specific to gender/racial stereotyping.

The adventures featured in this version of Reader Rabbit are gender- and race-neutral, focusing on environmental issues while helping children build their vocabularies as well as improve their spelling and reading comprehension; however, there are no female characters in "Reader Rabbit 1st Grade: Capers on Cloud Nine!"

7.

Review the software visuals. Are there any visuals which portray males or females in gender-specific roles or behavior? Is there a different in how different ethnicities are portrayed?

Both Reader Rabbit and Sam the Lion demonstrate inquisitive behaviors that are intended to evoke curiosity. The visuals are consistent in showing these two characters as friendly but do not define any gender-specific roles or behaviors.

8.

Do the illustrations show all characters as active doers? If not, explain.

Both Reader Rabbit and Sam the Lion are perpetual motion machines in this application, and except for some explanatory segments, both lead children through a series of action-packed adventures to stimulate learning.

9.

Were the experts or authorities on the subject matter males, females, or both? If possible can you determine the ethnicity of the experts and/or authorities in the software?

The Learning Company has been publishing the Reader Rabbit series in updated version since 1986; however, there is no indication of the authors' educational credentials provided on the application or by the company.

10.

Does the software offer positive images of males and females? Does the software offer positive images of people from all cultures? Please explain.

As noted above, both characters in "Reader Rabbit 1st Grade: Capers on Cloud Nine!" are male. There are no other cultures presented in this application, but part of the action takes place in South America where young people try to help save the rainforest.

11.

Overall, on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest), what score would you give the software you reviewed in representing diversity (males, females, varied ethnicities) in the subject matter? Please give justification of your score.

Despite the well-written narratives and high production values that are apparent in "Reader Rabbit 1st Grade: Capers on Cloud Nine!," there is no true representation of diversity presented in the application except to the extent that Reader Rabbit is discerned to be white and Sam the Lion is discerned to be African-American, earning it a mere 3 on a scale of 1 to 10.