Investigation of the Need for Identity and Identity Formation in Award-Winning Children’s and Adolescents’ Stories Based on Erich Fromm’s Theory and Presentation of Strategies for Enriching Primary School Curriculum Content
Keywords:
Children’s literature, Erich Fromm, selected stories, need for identity, authentic identity, imitative identity, curriculum, primary schoolAbstract
Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the stimulation and fulfillment of the need for identity in the fictional characters of selected children’s and adolescents’ stories based on Erich Fromm’s theory and to propose strategies for enriching primary school curriculum content.
Methodology: This applied qualitative study was conducted using qualitative content analysis. The research population consisted of award-winning children’s and adolescents’ books, from which 27 titles were purposively selected. The researcher initially compiled a list of highly awarded children’s books and then selected stories in which the need for identity was activated in fictional characters. The collected data were classified and analyzed according to Fromm’s theory under two major categories: “authentic identity” and “imitative or unhealthy identity.” Themes related to self-awareness, independence, creativity, identity crisis, imitation, travel, education, and national identity were extracted and examined throughout the analysis process.
Findings: The findings revealed that in most of the examined stories, characters strive to achieve authentic identity through self-discovery, recognition of personal talents, experience, travel, study, critical thinking, and individual independence. In stories such as The Little Black Fish, Subway Mouse, Fish in a Tree, and Mockingbird, characters attained independent identities by accepting their differences and focusing on their abilities. In contrast, several stories portrayed unhealthy and imitative identities in which characters sought social acceptance and psychological security through conformity, dependence on groups, or externally imposed identities. The results further demonstrated that children’s literature can contribute significantly to the development of healthy identity formation by fostering critical thinking, creativity, self-awareness, and independence among children.
Conclusion: Children’s and adolescents’ stories, particularly award-winning literary works, possess substantial potential for indirectly teaching identity formation and guiding children toward self-awareness, intellectual independence, self-acceptance, and authentic identity achievement. Integrating such literary works into primary school curriculum content can effectively strengthen students’ psychological well-being, individuality, and development of a healthy and authentic sense of identity.
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