english 1c paper

Through the process of gender socialization children learn how to act according to their sex with different gender roles. Gender roles can be defined as certain behaviors and attitudes specifically classified as something a male or female distinctly does. If a girl suddenly burps in front of a friend, she might get a response like “ugh, that’s so manly!” This is a prime example of how gender roles have been fused into our society and daily life. Women are generally expected to be housewives that look pretty, cook, clean, and nurture their kids. On the other hand, men are understood to make the money for the family. Girls play with dolls while boys play with action figures. These gender codes are typical for the average American family, and are taught to children through several implicit tactics. In our society there are many hidden signs that secretly teach children how to behave within their distinct gender role. Specifically, gender socialization is most commonly learned through children’s toys which are colored, marketed, commercialized, and distributed by parents in ways that promote gendered behavior. When playing with toys kids learn the stereotypical gender roles categorized for each sex. In our society, it has always been a given that colors like pink and purple are girly and blue and green are boyish. Through the use of colors, toys can be identified as either girl toys or boy toys. Doll houses, Barbie, and other toys specified for girls are commonly decorated with different shades of pink and purple to emphasize the femininity of the toy. In contrast, hot wheels and action figures like power rangers or superman are dressed in shades of blue and green to address their masculinity. Even when babies first come out of their mother’s wombs, baby boys receive blue clothes while baby girls receive pink garments. Genders roles influence children at a very young age and expand with age.
Parents play an important role in developing their children’s