A Childs Play: Gender Specific

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Rachel Rosenfeld Intro to Sociology Professor Miller Children should have the opportunity to play with a large variety of toys of all types. Although, there are different characteristics between boys and girls and it is important for their parents to treat them as individuals, they should provide equal options and choices for them. From the day babies are brought home and cradled in their pink or blue blankets, implications have been made of how they are suppose to behave, either feminine or masculine . However, why does color preference draw generalizations about identity? Young children are interested in playing with many of the same things and not just gender specific toys. However society, the marketed media and parents inadvertently gear children towards playing with traditional male and female products. The article “Sweden Makes my Gender-Free Toy Christmas wish Come True” by Sarah Ditum exposes a toy gun made for both boys and girls. The Nerf Gunn is the step in the right direction toward breaking down the gender divide. Girls will be encouraged to step out of their gender roles and play with a toy usually marketed to boys . There is nothing wrong with pushing children away from toys traditionally associated with their gender. Gender specific toys like vehicles for boys and dolls for girls should have nothing to do with one’s identity and sexuality. In early childhood, the toys girls and boys play with do not make a significant difference and is not going to send their child into a state of gender confusion. Presenting a wide range of toys for both male and female to engage in and play with illustrates to society that all options are open to both sexes. The message is clear when manufacturers of toys use color preference to distinguish boy and girl toys. When walking down the aisles of a toy store, children will automatically view pink as a girls’ color

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