Why Boys Don T Play With Dolls

Not Just Child's Play

Gender bias is a greatly debated topic in today's society. Though people often focus on the roles of men and women in the working world, these biases begin in the home. From childhood, parents, even if unintentionally, instill certain gender roles in their children. As demonstrated in the articles "Why Boys Don't Play With Dolls" by Pollitt, "Little Boy Pink" by Moore, and "The Gender Blur" by Blum, parental figures control every aspect of their children's lives from clothes to toys to entertainment. Simple decisions like the choice of clothing colors or toy sets actually set the standard of who these children will become in the future. The influence of American parents, which itself is affected by societal guidelines,
The entire marketing industry has created completely separate roles for little boys and little girls. Stores like Toys ‘R' Us exemplify this in their setup. There are two sections: the Boy's World and the Girl's World. As expected, boys always stay out of the girls' section because it is considered unacceptable, even at that young of an age, for boys to be too "girly." Despite this, girls still tend to play in the boys section. Since women began their crusade to abolish the "woman's role" in society, the American public has become more accepting of expanded women's roles. This precipitates into the early life of women because it is acceptable for girls to play in the boys' section and take part in what were once strictly boyish activities. In her article, "Little Boy in Pink," Moore describes her shock when people mistake her son, who is wearing a blue tutu, for a little girl. She is unaware of the bias that exists between genders even at this age, but after her encounters she begins to wonder whether or not it is worth it to try not to conform. The media controls much or every aspect of everyday life. It is no wonder that it impacts parents and their expectations of their children as