Gender Stereotyping in Children’s Toys Today, toy stores divide the many toys, games, and movies into two primary categories: boy and girl. Toys teach children at such a young age what their roles are in society and that they cannot stray from these roles. Through their gender-biased toys, boys learn to be tough, “warrior like” leaders and girls learn to be nurturers. Girls’ toys stress physical beauty and appearance while boys’ toys focus on respect for their physical abilities (Campenni 122). Gender socialization through toys, teaches and reinforces stereotypical gender roles.
Discuss the significance of Gender in children’s daily lives with reference to processes of gender socialisation. It is generally accepted in society today that early gender socialisation is the most relevant issue in early childhood, affecting both boys and girls. Early gender socialisation lays the foundations for stereotypes in gender roles. Gender role stereotypes are present and produce negative effects, especially for women. Gender roles are the behaviours that society teach us as appropriate for boys and girls.
Social learning theory (SLT) suggests that behaviour is learnt through observation and imitation of “models”. SLT explains gender role by saying children learn their gender role primarily through vicarious reinforcement. Children are positively reinforced for behaving in gender-appropriate ways (i.e. a girl playing with a doll) and are punished for behaving in gender-inappropriate ways (i.e. a boy playing with a doll).
Can parts of gender stereotype be biological? Can we link this to how children develop the ability to communicate and how they use it at a young age? There are many researchers discussing whether language acquisition between men and women are indeed different and many believe that its caused by gender bias among our society. The general concept is that we are not born with gender, but that gender is something we perform or learn to do. However, there is evidence to show that even at a young age, boys and girls that learn how to communicate, will learn at different speeds and will struggle with different aspects of learning how to communicate.
In this article Prager questions how Barbie had an effect on her life as a child growing up and how she viewed Barbie as well. Also questioning how young girls today are feeling the pressure to measure them to the iconic Barbie doll. The intended pathos for this piece has a wide range including young girls and middle aged women. Prager’s claim in this article is to educate and provide some relief for girls that have experienced the effects that the media and dolls like Barbie have had on them. The rhetorical stance that Prager conveys is that Barbie is one of the many reason that young adolescent girls today have body image issues.
Generally it is widely accepted across the board that early gender socialisation is one of the most important issues in early childhood, as it is affecting both boys and girls. The foundations for stereotypes in gender roles are laid through early gender socialization (Yelland 1998). It must be noted that, early gender socialisation starts at birth and the process is one of learning cultural roles in accordance with one's sex. Many studies have shown that parents treat daughter’s and son’s differently (Jacklin, DiPietro, & Maccoby; Woolett, White, & Lyon; and Parke & O'Leary, in Hargreaves & Colley, 1986; Snow, Jacklin, & Maccoby, 1983; Power, 1981). One study indicates that parents have differential expectations of sons and daughters as early as 24 hours after birth (Rubin, Provenzano, & Luria, 1974).
While boys are encouraged to be adventurous and granted freedom that is perhaps undeserved, their female counterparts will be given toy ovens and princess dolls to play with. Well meaning adults will often correct or shame a child who exhibits behaviors that are not suitable for the gender roles Ornelas 2 they are being raised to fill. Though parents and relatives mean no harm by introducing children to the societal constructs of behavior befitting their gender, these practices directly harm the child.
So why are females so bombarded with pressure to live up to what society says a woman should be like? For a very long time in American history, women were told that they should be feminine. They were told that there place in life was to be at home and raise a family and to look pretty for their husbands. Little girls were given Barbie dolls and games called Mystery Date and Miss Popularity (Peril). All of these things helped conform little girls into thinking that their role in life was to be something pretty for a man to look at.
Parents also give their children gender-specific toys. Common toys for boys are action figures, toy cars, and balls. Girls are frequently given dolls, tea sets, and stuffed animals. Even how children are treated is based on the child’s sex. Mothers are often stern with their daughters and easy on their sons.
Raising the achievements of boys has become a government priority, and there are many suggestions offered regarding the reasons why boys are now lagging behind girls in educational performance’. There are distinct branches of feminism ranging from the traditional liberal feminists with their concerns over legal restrictions; Marxist feminists concerned with class inequality; radical feminists who cite male violence and ‘sexploitatation’ of females; black feminism that alludes to a duality of oppression: racism and patriarchy[1]. Finally, post –modernist feminism challenges the view that gender is certain and promotes the ideology that femininity is a chosen social construct rather than simplistic biological sexuality. This