The documentary “The Pinks and the Blues” and the podcast “Can a Child be Raised Free of Gender Stereotypes” discuss the unconscious gender stereotypes and assumptions that our culture places upon children. Children are enculturated with ideas about who they should be, how they should think and behave, and this enculturation has distinct effects upon the child psychology and way of living in the world. The viewer is left with the question: Is it possible to raise a child without gender stereotypes? “The Pinks and the Blues” states that gendered treatment of children begins within 24 hours of the child’s birth. Descriptors for male infants and female infants were different, with boys being labeled as big, strong, and alert while girls were labeled as being delicate, petite, and inattentive.
Burak defines gender socialization as “the process of interaction through which we learn the gender norms of our culture and acquire a sense of ourselves as feminine, masculine, or even androgynous” (Burack, 1). According to Burack, people of different genders behave differently not due to biological factors, but due to socialization that teaches individuals to behave in a particular way in order to belong to a certain gender. For example, women may tend to be nurturing, not because they are biologically programed to be caretakers, but as a result of society teaching them through toys and media to act as mothers. In this way, gender becomes a performance based on expectations rather than natural behaviors or biology, a phenomenon called “doing
Pollitt in her article entitled, "Why Boys Don't Play with Dolls" describes a very powerful social movement in history that has flourished in many organizations. This was the Feminist Movement that spawned reform in politics, the workplace, but has failed in the most significant institution in American civilization, the family. Since the family is where kids are primarily socialized into the individuals that they will become if the family fails to adhere to gender neutrality than the whole Feminist essence has failed. It can be assumed the movement did trigger a change in conducts, where women were afforded equal rights under the laws, but a change in attitude has not been seen in the family. Even when parents realize that it is wrong to assume
The requirements our growing children face daily is absolutely absurd, and the scary part of it is that we don’t even realize we are doing it. We don’t realize the signals being sent to our children, because they have become such a regular part of society. Based off of the article by Lise Eliot, “Special Issue His Brain, Her Brain: The truth about boys and girls” even though there are biological differences between genders, the biggest factor heavily relies on the culture and upbringing in which the child is raised. Studies have proven that boys have larger brains and heads than girls do. However, girl’s brains finish growing earlier than boy’s brains.
She backs this up with a study by Vanessa Lobue and Judy DeLoache in which children age seven months to five years were asked to choose between a pink or blue object and it wasn’t until around two and a half that girls preference for pink became obvious. Robb then includes many quotes from Megan Fulcher, associate professor of psychology at Washington and Lee University. She uses Fulcher’s idea that gender-specific toys marketing leads to hindered learn, such as in motor skills. This article fits into my research paper because it shows that stores should rid of gender-specific marketing because it harms children and it shows that business were able to do it in the
Narrowed eyes of a small child stare into lifeless glass orbs embedded into the face of a doll, waiting for them to blink. Later, the same child spies from a hidden location, trying to catch sight of a teddy bear’s movement, no matter how miniscule. This experience is relatable to every American child who had access to a television since 1995– but why? The answer is simple: the Toy Story tetralogy. If a movie can inspire kids to set up elaborate plans to catch their toys coming to life, it begs the question: what else could they influence them to do?
In 2011, Peggy Orenstein published Cinderella Ate My Daughter to examine how princess culture impacted girlhood. “What Makes Girls Girls?” is a chapter in this book that delves into the implications of sexual difference and whether or not it is rooted in biology. By studying various research projects conducted by professionals, Orenstein discovers that, ultimately, a child’s environment plays a key role in behavior. To pose the question of whether the concept of gender is inherent, Orenstein references several examples that have sparked a considerable amount of discussion about how a child’s gender expression is molded by upbringing.
The topic of gender ambiguity at birth is discussed in regards to the parents making executive decisions concerning their child’s sexuality. If the parents make the wrong choice then development will be very confusing for the child; who will feel confusion growing up because they feel part of a gender that they do not physically identify with. Both he idealistic and practical ways that this decision can be made, and the later developmental results of that decision are overviewed. The resources available to families in Birmingham, Alabama are reviewed and a plan for combatting these setbacks is outlined.
Yes, toy companies must consider the social impact of their toys to guide and control the future generation that would currently be children. In the article "How Do Children's Toys Affect Gender Roles?" by Amy Pearson, she says "these toys show children what it means to be a man or woman through pretend play. " This presents the idea that children learn about what their gender should be like as an adult. Companies understand this and try to guide them along that path of a good future. Pearson says that "toys such as trucks show boys how to do the heavy lifting."
These studies suggest that children observe gender stereotypes at an early age unintentionally. Since children’s brains are constantly soaking in new information about the world around them, they have to do so in a way that they are seemingly most comfortable. Studies show that children are most comfortable learning from people who are actively in their lives and attractive movie and TV
Children and young adults are identifying with gender roles at a young age due to mass media. Children develop within a society that is gender-specific when it comes to social and behavioral norms. These come from the family’s structure, how they play with others and by themselves, and school. Girls were expected to be more passive while boys were to be more aggressive and expressive with masculine behaviors. “Before the age of three, children can differentiate toys typically used by boys or girls and begin to play with children of their own gender in activities identified with that gender.
By closing the door on kids playing with a variety of toys, we deny them the opportunity to develop a wide variety of skills (“Toys”). During the Imprint Period (0-7 years), gender stereotypes in toys affects kids development. From ages zero to seven, kids soak up everything around them “like a sponge” (“Teenager”). During the Imprint period, the "neural network for how to do things in life is being laid down," and kids develop life skills.
And they start to prepare its arrival depending on which sex the baby is. The article questions the audience, “Does knowing all this makes a difference on how the parents treat the child?” Scientists are concerned about when and how do the children start to act according to their gender. The late 1960’s to 1970’s had been a turning point for the gender identification. For example, during this time period, women got the right to go out and work.
Every culture has different guidelines about what is suitable for males and females and family members may socialize babies in gendered ways without consciously following that path. For example, in a modern society, the colour pink is associated with girls and the colour blue with boys. Even as tiny babies, boys and girls are dressed differently according to what is considered ‘appropriate’ to the respective sexes. Even parents who strive to achieve a less ‘gendered’ parenting style unconsciously reinforce gender roles. A family structure acts as the most important agent of gender socialization for children and adolescents as it serves as the centre of a child’s life.
The Best Educational Toys For Toddlers: Toy Ideas & Importance of Play in Child Development Selecting the best educational toys for toddlers among a vast range of toys is a tricky task for many parents nowadays. Often, the right toys for kids are not always the grand and intricate. The best toddler learning toys are the ones that stimulate your child 's thinking capacities, creativity, and skills. Playing with toys is more than just entertainment for children and infants. It is how they start learning various things about themselves and the ways of the world.
