The MUHA Model for Contemporary Children’s Literature
Title and/or Affiliation
Sowmya Srinivasan, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning
Presenter Bio
Sowmya Srinivasan serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, with diverse research interests that are continually evolving to explore the intersections of culture, identity, gender and power in literature. Srinivasan is deeply committed to fostering a love for literature and language in students by creating an inclusive and stimulating classroom environment that encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and active engagement. Srinivasan is also a poet.
Session
Panel: South Asian Literature for Young Readers
Location
Zoom
Start Date
30-6-2024 11:00 AM
End Date
30-6-2024 12:15 PM
Abstract
This presentation aims to take some sample Indian picture books for children that can be read and analysed by the MUHA Model. The twenty-first-century child faces the highest threat of addiction to electronic gadgets, and the works created and read by the MUHA model would prove to be an antidote for the resulting psychological and personality changes. The model proposes incorporating multimodal storytelling that actively involves all five senses to decode the message built into the story. It integrates multiple modes like audio, video, words, textures, onomatopoeic words, gestures, and many more to create meaning within the context. The historical leanings will help strengthen one’s cultural roots and provide a deeper comprehension of the existing knowledge scheme. The historical would include social, political, cultural and religious events or moments of the past that have their visible or subtle presence and relevance to contemporary times, which when weaved into literature for children would promote inclusivity and acceptance among them. The "affective" and the equally significant component to be considered while creating stories based on this model would address the emotional quotient of the child reader and help in processing the information with the right attitude, mood, and belief. The MUHA is exclusively for Gen Z and Gen Alpha who are reared and shaped by technology. The model emphasizes real-time material experiences with one’s own body through conscious sense perceptions. This combined with the historical element created that ‘affect’, which is most often associated with poetry.
The MUHA Model for Contemporary Children’s Literature
Zoom
This presentation aims to take some sample Indian picture books for children that can be read and analysed by the MUHA Model. The twenty-first-century child faces the highest threat of addiction to electronic gadgets, and the works created and read by the MUHA model would prove to be an antidote for the resulting psychological and personality changes. The model proposes incorporating multimodal storytelling that actively involves all five senses to decode the message built into the story. It integrates multiple modes like audio, video, words, textures, onomatopoeic words, gestures, and many more to create meaning within the context. The historical leanings will help strengthen one’s cultural roots and provide a deeper comprehension of the existing knowledge scheme. The historical would include social, political, cultural and religious events or moments of the past that have their visible or subtle presence and relevance to contemporary times, which when weaved into literature for children would promote inclusivity and acceptance among them. The "affective" and the equally significant component to be considered while creating stories based on this model would address the emotional quotient of the child reader and help in processing the information with the right attitude, mood, and belief. The MUHA is exclusively for Gen Z and Gen Alpha who are reared and shaped by technology. The model emphasizes real-time material experiences with one’s own body through conscious sense perceptions. This combined with the historical element created that ‘affect’, which is most often associated with poetry.