Gender Still Does Matter Analysis

Many people tend to confuse between sex and gender thinking that they’re the same thing. Sex is the two main categories of male and female into which humans and most other living things are biologically divided in. Gender however, is the state of being male or female and typically used with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones. Children in the same family have different experiences in their interactions with their mothers and fathers. Such differences may teach children indirect lessons about gender roles and reinforced gender typed patterns of behavior that they then carry outside of the family. Society has stamped an image of the roles of each gender and where they fit in society. There are two recognized

Irena Smetackova mentions in her article “Preschool Play Activities: Gender Still Does Matter” the impact of playing activities and toys on a child’s gender identity and how can children develop stereotypes even in a young age. In addition, Jake Simons’s article “ Toy companies want your kids to have a gender” talks about how toy companies manufacture toys to promote cissexuality, which means that sex and gender always align (male man, female woman). Jayme Poisson’s in her article “ Parents keep Child’s Gender a secret” talks about parents who gave their children the choice to choose their gender and never reveal their children’s sex. Additionally, Nicole Cocuy insists in her article “ Boys Play With Legos While Girls Play with Dolls” that dolls brainwash young children and enhance stereotypes. Toys heavily influence children’s gender identity and defining gender roles. There is no definite answer on whether it’s harmful or beneficial, but obviously the negatives outweigh the

The article talks about how can children’s gender identities get affected and what tools are used to affect them. She starts by pointing on a child’s playing time and toys. Toys contribute to gender socialization; children form and present their notion of gender structure of the society and their position in it. The gender polarization of playing activities brings long-term consequences for children performance, achievements and interests in different areas. Preschool children understand toys as gendered. Gender polarization of toys leads, although not directly, yet still quite strongly, to the focus on certain specific play activities, which, when repeated over a longer period of time help to train specific abilities. These abilities are developed on the level of knowledge and skills, but also on a deeper level of mentality and natural ability. A child that engages often in a certain type of activity not only acquires objective skills, but also subjective feeling of accomplishment, which strengthens the child's motivation and interest in the given area. At the same time, adults support children in these activities also, especially if the activity in which the child engages is in agreement with the community’s gender concept. (Smetackova, Preschool Play Activities: Gender Still Does