Cinderella to Shrek: Developing

Intercultural Competence through

Fables and Fairy Tales

in a Training Context

SIETAR USA April 15, 2010

Hyoshin Kim hyoshin.kim@ubc.caMarg Toronchuk marg.toronchuk@ubc.ca

University of British Columbia, Continuing Studies

Little Red Riding Hood Manga

Campari (Italy)

Fairy Tales Defined

• Folk tale/fables:– “oral traditions to express wishes to attain

better living conditions …through struggles..”• Fairy tale:

– sub-genre of folk tale, using elements of folklore to criticize emerging bourgeois audience….. (Zipes, J. 1975)

• May see all used interchangeably

Power of Fairy Tales• Key elements:

– trials and tribulations– good versus evil– problem solving– magic

• Universal themes:– Courage, honesty, hard work, truth etc.

• Perspectives:– Cultural, sociological, feminist, psychological, and

historical

Cultural and Multicultural Perspectives

• Cultural: – Gender, family, hierarchy, wealth, status, etc. – One archetype, i.e. Cinderella across one

similar origin, i.e. Europe

• Multicultural:– Fairy tales from different countries within a

multicultural classroom

Cultural and Multicultural Perspectives

• Cultural: – Gender, family, hierarchy, wealth, status, etc. – One archetype, i.e. Cinderella across one

similar origin, i.e. Europe

• Multicultural:– Fairy tales from different countries within a

multicultural classroom

Cinderella• Over 300 variations historically and

globally• First recorded version 1st century

BC, Greco-Egyptian• Earliest European version, “Hearth

Cat” Italy 1634• Most popular version, Charles

Perrault 1697• Disney version based on this one

BRU Cappucino (India)

Group Discussions

• Cinderella (Charles Perrault, 1697)• Conkiajgharuna, the Little Rag Girl

(Georgian Tale, 1894?)• Story of the Black Cow (Himalayan

Tale, 1906?)• Indian Cinderella (Canadian Wonder

tales, 1920)http://www.surlalunefairytales.com

Influence on Values and Viewpoints

Fairy Tales in the Multicultural Classroom

Two Case Studies

Fables and ICT: Intercultural Communication

and E-Language Teaching

– University of Naples workshop – Teaching second languages in a

multicultural classroom in a secondary school

– Use of the universal narrative genre of fairy tales to join people of diverse cultures

Methodology

• Discovery & comparison of different fables

• Understanding of cultural differences while trying

to avoid hierarchical judgments

• Inventing new fables to encourage cooperation,

exchanges of experiences & achievement of a

common goal

Inspiring Principles• Sense of belonging• Decentralization capacity• Awareness of conventions• Tendency towards unity• Interaction capacity• Awareness of diversity

Beyond Shrek: Fairy Tale magic in the multicultural classroom

• Junior secondary English class in New Zealand

• Critical reading and composition of fairy tales

• Investigated stereotyping in actual fairy tales and through the film “Shrek”

Methodology

• Students chose fairy tales

from 13 different countries

• Compared them to show

differences and similarities

• Analyzed stereotypes in the

movie Shrek

Comparisons of Multi-cultural Dimensions: Shrek vs. Fairy Tales

• Fairy Tale Prince: Always good looking, tall, dark and handsome– Shrek: Ugly from the start and an

ogre

• FT Princesses: slim, long hair, fair or tanned skin – Fiona: Beautiful but changes to

an ogre at night

Fractured Fairy Tales

Fallen Princesses

Melissa Clothing (Brazil)

“When I examine myself and my

methods of thought, I come to the

conclusion that the gift of fantasy

has meant more to me than any

talent for abstract, positive

thinking.”

Albert Einstein

References & Resources• http://www.artofstorytellingshow.com//2008/06/29/jack-

zipes-fairy-tales• http://www.coloribus.com/focus/geroi_detskih_skazok_

v_reklame/• http://www.fallenprincesses.com/• http://www.immi.se/intercultural/nr14/elia.htm Elia,

Antonella Fables and ICT:Intercultural Communication and E-Language Teaching

• http://www.kotoworld.com/folktales.html• http://www.surlalunefairytales.com

References & Resources• Bettelheim, Bruno(1985) The Uses of Enchantment:

The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales, Vintage Books

• Hurley, Dorothy L. (2005) Seeing White: Children of Color and the Disney Fairy Tale Princess The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 74, No. 3

• Jorgensen, Jeana (2007) A Wave of the Magic Wand: Fairy Godmothers in Contemporary American Media Marvels & Tales - Volume 21, Number 2

References & Resources• Sturgess, J, and Locke, T. (2009)Beyond Shrek: fairy

tale magic in the multicultural classroom Cambridge Journal of Education, Vol. 39, Nov. 3 Sept. 2009 379- 402

• Zipes, Jack David (2002) Breaking the magic spell: radical theories of folk and fairy tales, U. of Kentucky Press

• Zipes, Jack David (1991) Fairy Tales and The Art of Subversion