Genderic Stereotypes

The expectations and the concept about our life

Since different toys offer different opportunities of learning, some researchers worry that this kind of imprinting causes developmental difference between boys and girls (Wang). Playing with boy-typical toys require more activity compared to girl-typical toys, whereas lower physical proximity evoked. In contrast, playing with girl-typical toys require more verbal interaction and physical proximity that may enhance social and verbal skills. Not only the difference of development, there is another concern that is related to the children’s self-confidence. “Rigidly gendered toys tells kids who they should be, how they should behave, and what they should be interested in.,” says Susan Lynn, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School

The issue of gender, its roles and norms, is a prevailing theme in intellectual works of writing such as Aaron Devor’s “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender,” Hanna Rosin’s “A Boy’s Life,” and Tanwi Nandini Islam’s Bright Lines. Aaron Devor’s essay “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender” thoroughly explains with unbiased and compelling evidence how gender roles are the product of socialization. According to him, they are the result of lessons taught and instilled in the minds of children so early in life. The story of Brandon Simms, a lively eight year old boy, challenges the argument presented in Devor’s account.

Gender is a biological characteristic as well as a social construct based on the characteristics of males and females. The way an individual sees themselves is termed gender identity. However, the expectations that society places on certain genders can be labeled as gender roles or gender-typing. It is a popular belief that children begin knowing if they are a boy or girl before the age of two years old. From early on everyone in a child’s life helps him or her shape their idea of what being a girl or boy is about.

Girls and boys develop different sides of the brain growing up which is a phenomenon. Girls learn to communicate and read, which is the right side of the brain. Boys learn visual tasks and problem-solving skills first, which is the left side of the brain(Relationship Institute 2015). We both eventually develop both sides of the brain but growing up girls and boys develop different sides of the brain at different times. Also, growing up men and women are treated differently.

Such as the words “Boy” and “Girls”, those functioned as a gendered identifier to classify children in different identity by associating most closely with how others interact with them and begin the process of the child into being as a boy or girl. Under the gender socialization, family agents are conventionally pass down the a number of gender stereotypes, which are the ideology of how boys and girls act and think, as an illustration, for boys, man-centered phrases like “Boys don’t cry” will be used; or for girls, woman-centered phrases like “Girls do cooking” will be used to conforming them into behaving traditional masculine and femininity. In other situations, the languages used on female generally contain more sense of contempt than male. By way of illustration, majority of woman-centered phrases brings a taste of stigmatizing, such as “Don’t run like a girl” and “Girls are nosy”, they all seems attempting to belittle woman which man is more superior. When it came to moral issue, the general public usual unwittingly criticizes the opposite sex of male in a severer level than man.

Young children are strongly influenced by school, peers and family/primary carers; these institutions are the first points of contact for children in understanding and learning gender. Society influences and contributes towards a sense of self, identity and therefore gender. Although some individuals have agency and the ability to make their own choices to some extent, these choices are often restrained by social structures

From birth, children are socialized into the stereotypical roles that are linked to their specific biological sex. Studies have shown that the awareness of gender roles have already been perceived by the age of 2 or 3 and deeply embedded by the age of 4 or 5 years. It has also been found that children distinguish these differences in toys and will only play with the “gender appropriate toy” whether there is a cross-gender toy selection due to the positive or negative feedback given by the parents. These perceived notions continue into adulthood where there is a lot more men found in professions such as law enforcement, politics, and military whereas females are mainly found in social work, hospitals, and childcare. This adherence to gender specific roles is evident of the fulfillment of society expectations but not a true reflection of personal preference.

In most societies, gender roles divided by male and female behavior. Certain types of conduct classified as male or female. Gender stereotypes, school help reproduce the concept contains. For example, girls should be caring, nurturing, quiet, helpful, and considerate of others. Academic achievement of girls is their hard work and success of boys is considered gifted.

There are multiple theories which state how people develop their identity in different ways. According to the social-learning theory, children will develop their gender identity by observing and imitating the people around them, which then leads to them either being rewarded or punished for imitating that behaviour. On the other hand, gender-schema theorists

We proposed that toys associated with girls would exhibit feminine characteristics, while toys associated with boys would exhibit masculine characteristics. Some of the feminine and masculine characteristics that we predicted were color (dark colors for boys / bright colors for girls) and appearance (strength for boys / innocence for girls) Additionally, we thought that the toys would have an interest association corresponding to gender; “girl toys” would favor household tasks, including chores, babysitting, dressing, and decorations, while “boy toys” would prefer sports, fighting, and abstract design, perhaps LEGO. As it pertains to race, we predicted a disproportionately low number of African American dolls compared to the US population, because of the potentiality for said dolls to be interpreted as racist and due to white dominance in American society. We also believed that toys would showcase wealth and luxury, as such ideals are aspirations of families across

For example, in the past pink and blue were advertised to distinguish girls and boys. They were just regular colors before but now when we see pink we think of girls and with blue we think of boys. It’s been so etched into our minds that it creates these gender roles. Cartoons may seem harmless but the lessons they teach stays with the children allowing them to grow up and passing on these lessons. So our society should make sure that the lessons we teach them are

Barbie: The Plastic Insecurity In Marge Piercy’s Barbie Doll, the author tries to bring awareness to an issue because of the overwhelming social pressures and insecurities, one girl has that causes her to commit suicide. The classic Barbie doll came out in 1959 and this poem was published in 1971 giving only 12 years for the Barbie doll to be out on the market and have an impact on little girls. In Piercy’s poem, as the girlchild is growing up, she is given all the toys girls today get, toy dolls, GE stoves, irons, and lipsticks (Piercy). All the things she will need to be “successful” as a woman.

Dress Code Con Dress codes are a small part of an entirely bigger issue, rape culture. This means “a society or environment whose prevailing social attitudes have the effect of normalizing or trivializing sexual assault and abuse.” (google 1) When you tell a girl her outfit is a distraction , you're telling her that a “distraction free” learning environment is more important than her education. Dress codes are distracting and unnecessary. “This philosophy of blaming women’s attire for men’s behavior toward them is unethical.”