In the article "Sweeping Away Gender-Specific Toys and Labels" writer Hiroko Tabuchi explains how many companies and manufacturers are now changing their products for all genders. This is a big step in our society because normally some toys and costumes can be seen as targeted towards one gender. For example, the Barbie dolls are a children's toy that could be seen as a toy only for girls and if our society can change on how it sees these types of toys, then in the future it will be more common for boys to be playing with these toys. Companies like Target and Toys R Us have taken some initiatives in removing gender labels for toys intended for children. Even though they removed the gender labels, toys that could be seen intended…
Children know what is gender appropriate for boys and girls, but they use their own interests and preferences to decide what is appropriate for them as individuals.…
How has your research on toys and gender influenced your views on the relative influences of environment and heredity on gender and identity development in children?…
Summary: Movements and campaigns that promotes gender neutral toys did not start as early as the gender equality movement started. So, adults are keen to their traditional thinking to evaluate toys in a gender way.…
Some examples would be Teen mutant Ninja Turtles action figures with playset, Pokémon cards and stuffed animals, Marvel Avengers action figures and Jurassic world Tyrannosaurus rex figure that are typically designed for boys. For girls it would include Bratz dolls, Frozen Elsa sing-a-long, Princess Character dolls, my little pony and Barbie movies with doll dream house with accessories. In general the toys most associated with boys were related to fighting or aggression and the toys most associated with girls were related to appearance. In the data I included, the toys that seem to be neutral gender are games like candy land, connect four, twister, rubric’s cube and hungry hippo which helps develop cognitive and social skills. The toys rated as most likely to be educational and to develop children’s skills were typically categorized as neutral. This data didn’t surprise me when just by looking at the toy aisles you can tell their gender segregated. The toy aisles meant for girls are covered in pink and vice versa for boys with blue. Also movies meant for boys tends to be more action type while girl movies for children tend to be based on…
It is said that girls generally gravitate towards the toys labeled as girls’ toys and young boys always choose trucks over dolls. This way of organization makes it easy to find the right plaything for each child. When given the choice between a doll and a truck, female infants are most likely to choose the doll, and male infants choose the opposite (Cherney et al., 2003). Girls seem to be attracted to pastel colors and role play toys such as dolls. Boys automatically want to play with guns and toy soldiers, things that are aggressive in nature. The separation of toys has never had an effect on children or their future. They have been marketed in this way for years without trouble, so why change these…
Gender plays an important role in the way children are raised in today’s society. The common stereotype that feminine toys are for girls and masculine toys are for boys is prevalent, even with all of the political advancements our society has made to try to free the world from these stigmas. It starts as early as when a child is in the mother’s womb. Most women will celebrate the arrival of their bundle of joy with a baby shower. Pink colors will be used for baby girls and blues for baby boys. In toy stores you will find aisles filled with toys separated by gender: baby dolls for girls and action heroes for boys. During ages three to five children enter their peak playing ages where their minds are most vulnerable to absorb everything and anything at once. Due to a failing economy, many more families are depending on early childcare programs to care for their children while they are forced to have both parents enter the workforce. During this sensitive, and impressionable time in a…
Young boys and girls are influenced by their respectable toys in a manner of ways. While girl’s toys promote an unrealistic version of…
It would create a much better environment for the kids and make them independent and free as they are able o choose their toys based in their interest. There is no such thing as blue or pink. We should be ashamed in ourselves to allow our kids to grow in this toxic environment. Another factor that contributes to these stereotypes is that boy’s toys are usually involved with construction, science and action, while; girl’s toys are involved with beauty and cooking, which can have a great impact in their future jobs. As you may notice there is much more man in engineering than women this normally occurs because young boys are always stimulated to play with building and construction as it is a ‘boy’ toy, while girl is not stimulated and often oppressed if they are interested in this kind of toys. As a result, this can generate a huge inequality between man and women causing. Therefore, man is known to be superior to women. Unfortunately, sexism influenced the little ones since a young age as we segregate toys by gender not genre. In addition, the main reason for this stupidity and old thinking is due to the huge profit the storeowners make as the parents are forced to buy the same toys to their children’s one in each color as pink is a ‘’girl’s’’ toys and blue are a…
Alexander of Texas A & M University used our “cousins” the vervet monkeys. They conducted a study testing if the selection of gender based toys were chosen by culture influence or was it innate biology. The vervet monkeys were used because they are less likely to be swayed by the effects of human culture, giving us a better factual data to this nature or nurture study. They were given a selection of gender specific (boy/girl) and gender-neutral toys to play with. Male monkeys chose gender specific toys for boys and the female monkeys chose gender specific toys for girls. Both sexes spent equal time with the gender-neutral toys. Therefore, data showed these choices were instilled biologically(nature). These traits are genetically based and quite possibly and/or inherited through…
Gender bias through a child’s toy can have a large effect on their behavior. Children model the behavior of adults around them, something from TV, or even a toy. A young boy has the imagination to see his action figure in…
My paper titled toys and gender, is based on the toys of today and how they relate to gender socialization. I decided to go to the local Wal-Mart in Cookeville, Tn. I chose this store because it is a worldwide known large retail store. I concluded that it would be a good store to analyze because it is thought of as a family store where many families go to shop. Therefore, I knew that there would be a wide variety of toys to analyze and collect data. I went to Wal-Mart December the 3rd. I analyzed the toy sections of Wal-Mart and how the toys are associated with gender, color sound, types of play they encourage, types of interactions they cause, and what they prepare children for. With the exception of preschool toys that were sometimes offered in gender-neutral packaging, kids’ toys were largely segregated into different aisles according to gender. And within those aisles, the markings of gender were clear. The “girls’” section resembled the aftermath of an explosion of Pepto-Bismol. In the “boys’” section, there seemed to be a profusion of aggressive, hyper-muscled, weapon-wielding action figures. And in both realms, the majority of toys seemed to be explicitly tied to movies and television…
Although changing one’s sex is a biological process and often unchangeable, changing one’s gender is a fluid social process. It is hard to distinguish so-called natural and social qualities of one’s gender or sex since culture strongly impacts what society believes to be natural (TAW Social construction of gender 26). The social construction of gender is important to note when thinking about domesticity, because girls are taught from young age to believe they are naturally better suited for family work rather than market work. For instance, toys for toddlers mimic gender norms as toys directed for girls involve care-centered play, such as pretend vacuums, kitchen sets, and baby dolls. On the other hand, toys for young boys involve science experiments and building blocks, toys that help to develop cognitive skills (39). The differences in toys relate to the different skills boys and girls learn at a young age; girls tend to learn nurturing skills while boys tend learn motor skills. As a result, the difference in toy design, as well as the fact that there are toys made for one gender over the other, are examples of how domesticity pervades US society. Girls grow up to believe that they are more suited towards…
Gender stereotypes are exaggerated generalizations that are based purely on gender. The area of study for this investigation is sociocultural influences. This is a contemporary issue as it is becoming an excessive thing in modern society due to companies increasingly gender marketing their products towards children. The toy sections at shopping centers are divided into two categories: girl’s and boy’s toys. Aisles are filled with either pink, frilly princesses or blue, aggressive action figures. Toy marketing has changed dramatically in the past 50 years. As a matter of fact, it was not until the 1990s that toys were exceedingly targeting specific genders…
Gender identity has become a prominent topic in today’s society as people are becoming more aware of personal identity. Gender awareness is fundamental for self-assessment and predominant in our perception of others. Social pressures also influence gender as they create stereotypes that people are expected to follow. These societal definitions of male and female greatly impact childhood development as they create restrictions and regulatory mechanisms that guide conduct relating to one’s gender and sex throughout the course of life (Bussey and Bandura 1). Societal perceptions of gender play a fundamental role in childhood development; gender conceptions and roles are the product of a network of social influences operating on the basis of a…