Diverse & Multicultural Identities
The methodology for LNDb's analysis of diverse and multicultural identities is adapted from Crisp et al. (2016)'s study, which looked at the multicultural and diverse identities featured in children's books.
Applying this principle to a Roman context, stories about “parallel cultures” refers to stories about non-Roman cultures or to cultures in the process of Romanization. LNDb does not assume the cultural identity of any character unless it is explicitly stated.
Why is this important? Find out more here and here.
Gender is defined in the same way as Crisp et al. (2016): "Although it reinforces binary constructions of language, when coding for gender identity, we relied on normative understandings of gendered nouns (e.g., girl, woman) and pronouns (e.g., she, he) to categorize leading characters in books as cisfemale/ciswoman, cismale/cisman, transwoman, transman, ungendered, other, or (in cases in which gender identities were entirely absent) N/A" (p. 36).
Why is this important? Find out more here and here.
Why is this important? Find out more here and here.
Why is this important? Find out more here.
Why is this important? Find out more here and here.
Why is this important? Find out more here.
Parallel cultures
Crisp et al. (2016) define parallel cultures as “cultural groups that have a history of marginalization in the United States,” such as “African Americans, American Indians, Asian/Pacific Americans, Latino/a Americans, Middle Eastern Americans, and mixed- race Americans” (p. 33).Applying this principle to a Roman context, stories about “parallel cultures” refers to stories about non-Roman cultures or to cultures in the process of Romanization. LNDb does not assume the cultural identity of any character unless it is explicitly stated.
Why is this important? Find out more here and here.
Gender identity
LNDb considers the gender and gender identity of each of the leading characters (i.e. the character(s) on whom the story is focused or through whose perspective the story is told).Gender is defined in the same way as Crisp et al. (2016): "Although it reinforces binary constructions of language, when coding for gender identity, we relied on normative understandings of gendered nouns (e.g., girl, woman) and pronouns (e.g., she, he) to categorize leading characters in books as cisfemale/ciswoman, cismale/cisman, transwoman, transman, ungendered, other, or (in cases in which gender identities were entirely absent) N/A" (p. 36).
Why is this important? Find out more here and here.
Sexual identity
LNDb examines the romantic/sexual attractions and relationships in the stories. If a story only includes male–female attraction or relationships, it is coded as featuring a heterosexual identity. If it includes male–male or female– female attraction or relationships, it is classified as featuring a gay or lesbian identity respectively. Stories where a character is attracted to multiple sexes are classified as bisexual, and any relationship or attraction that does not apply to the above categories is classified as “other,” specifying the nature of the relationship or attraction.Why is this important? Find out more here and here.
Religion
LNDb classifies a story with this criterion if it specifically identifies the religious tradition of the story or its characters. For example, a story is coded as including Roman religion if its characters perform Roman religious rituals such as sacrifices or augury. The description of religion can apply to not only main characters but secondary characters, as well; for example, if the main character learns about a certain religion through meeting a secondary character who practices that religion, the story is coded with that religion.Why is this important? Find out more here.
SES/class
LNDb classifies stories in this category if the characters’ SES or class is a clear factor in the story, with no assumptions made based on the characters' lifestyle. Also included in this category are depictions of enslaved people, which is also an area in which many Latin instructional materials are, to say the least, problematic.Why is this important? Find out more here and here.
Disabilities, developmental differences, and chronic illnesses
LNDb classifies stories with this criterion if characters have disabilities (e.g. visual impairment, using a wheelchair or braces), developmental differences (e.g. Down syndrome, autism), or chronic illnesses (e.g. asthma, diabetes).Why is this important? Find out more here.
