Boys should definitely be allowed to play with dolls. During childhood, male children witness both of their parents caring for babies, cooking and cleaning. Playing and caring for a doll prepares the boy for his evident fatherhood duties. For a boy to only play with masculine toys such as trucks and guns, the boy is not developing his sense of caring, nurturing, or empathy. Denying any child the right to play with the toy of their choice in fear of who they may become is taking away the right for the child to find his or her identity. Playing is essential to the development of children, and limiting their toy choices is detrimental to that development. Not allowing a certain type of toy would affect the child more negatively than allowing him to play with dolls. Also, society tells a boy that playing with feminine toys is wrong, causing an early condescendence towards females. It will not affect the child negatively, therefore in order to become nurturing, respectful adults with a sense of empathy and self, boys should be allowed to play with dolls.
In this era, males and females both uphold household duties. Children watch and learn from their environment. A boy watching his father care for an infant is going to want to imitate his father. Playing with a doll is simply following what he has seen his father do. Taking away the doll is taking away that child’s future as a nurturing father (Gioia, 2010). Many men feel that their male child playing with a doll is not teaching him to be tough and will negatively impact their future, when in fact the boy will learn how to care and use their imagination by playing with dolls (Epand). Females are often praised when they are gentle and nurturing, while boys are not- causing boys to r...
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Troxell, J. (2008). Real boys play with dolls. Mothering, (151), 1-3. Retrieved from http://mothering.com/parenting/real-boys-play-with-dolls?page=0,0
Vecchioni, H. (n.d.). The value of playing with baby dolls. Catalogs, Retrieved from http://www.catalogs.com/info/children/the-value-of-playing-with-baby-dolls.html
Witt, S. D. (n.d.). Parental influence on children’s socialization to gender roles. Retrieved from http://cla.calpoly.edu/~bmori/syll/311syll/Witt.html
oodhouse, R. (2008). The value of playing with dolls for girls and boys . Helium, Retrieved from http://www.helium.com/items/793069-the-value-of-playing-with-dolls-for-girls-and-boys
Zhumkhawala, S. (1997). Dolls, trucks, and identity. Children's Advocate, Retrieved from http://www.4children.org/issues/1997/november_december/dolls_trucks_and_identity/
I noticed the girls’ toys engaged fine motor skills more than the boys’ toys did. The girls have several different types and sizes of dolls to choose from – however, this also makes dolls or items used with dolls (Barbie clothes, doll clothes, doll houses, Barbie cars, and doll furniture). Over half of all the products in the girls’ section. This shows the stereotypical attitude that all girls like to nurture and will someday be expected to be mothers and the primary care giver for their children. Other toys I noticed that were very stereotypical were the child size vacuum, broom, and kitchen set.
Martin, C. L., Wood, C. H., & Little, J. K. (1990). The development of gender stereotype components. Child Development, 61(6), 1891-1904. doi:10.2307/1130845
From the day they are born, parents play a huge role in socializing gender by giving their children toys to play with based on their gender. Boys are expected to like and play with toys such as trucks, cars, trains, and gross things like bugs and mud. Girls are expected to like anything pink, dolls, kitchen sets, and playing tea party with their dolls and stuffed animals. It is acceptable for girls to occasionally play with toys meant for boys but not vise versa. As they grow into their teenage years they are taught to like more things based on one’s gender. Kevin Macdonald writes, “boys like guns, boxing, wrestling and karate, team sports, and fixing things. Girls prefer dolls, sewing, cooking, dancing, and looking after younger children.” In their teenage years girls are not really suppose to like boy things and if they do they are seen as a tomboy. Through time though it has become more acceptable for girls to like a few guy things such as sports. As they become adults their expectations on what they like stays pretty much the same as teenage years. Men like things such as sports, cars, outdoor activities like hunting and fishing, and work. Women are expected to like things such as fashion (makeup, nails, clothes, shoes, etc.), cooking or baking, and doing
Even though our country supports equality in gender, differences still exist. This issue of gender and sexuality of our society has had one of the biggest impacts in my life since I was raised with five brothers. Since birth, I was immediately perceived by my parents as my gender role of girl and daughter. My brothers were given action figures, cars, and guns to play with. I was given the traditional girl toys Barbies, baby dolls and kitchen sets. Of course, I enjoyed my traditional girl toys but it might have been nice to have a choice and be able to have the same toys as my brothers to play with. I eventually concluded that I should be satisfied with whatever toys were given to me by my parents.
For the children of these families, particular behavior within the household was expected, encouraged, and valued. In her chapter The Politics of Dollhood in Nineteenth-Century America, Miriam Forman-Brunell examines the role of doll play in respect to the development of girl culture during the early to mid-nineteenth century. Anthony Rotundo provides a similar assessment of boy culture during this same time period in Boy Culture. Both authors assess primary and secondary literary sources to examine the play habits and practices of boys and girls. Compared, these two accounts provide support to the belief that the gender play exhibited by these children separated boys and girls into two distinct spheres, of domesticity and service, versus public employment and
In Katha Pollitt’s essay “Why Boys Don’t Play with Dolls,” she explains the differences between the genders and she argues how feminist movements are hardly appreciated. Pollitt further demonstrates that women’s have the same power as any men have, but society doesn’t let women get higher than men. Pollitt explains that, “It’s twenty-eight years since the founding of NOW, and boys still like trucks and girls still like dolls” (544). From here, we can infer that the author is comparing the activities of boys and girls, and their choices of toys. Since, I am able to read and see the World, I saw that all the time that boys are more rivalry. There have always been presumptions in society that boys are very outgoing and bold, on the other hand, whereas girls are a little laid back sometimes. Girls play quietly and with non-hunting objects. However, boys always make noises. In addition, Pollitt keeps using the word “feminism” throughout her essay, and talks about how women and men should have equal rights. For example girls can do the same things as boys can do or vice versa. I can relate to this story as I grew up with two brothers who always played with cars, trucks, and other toys like dragons, but I was expected to stay away from their things and go play with my, so called, girly stuff.
Gender Socialization plays a big part in a child’s life in shaping their femininty and masculinity. Every child is brought with to have played with at least one toy to have called their own. Now, the purpose of the research that has been conducted is to take a further look into how toys that is sold through stores and played by children. This will then give hindsight as to how what is considered the gender norm has a part in gender role stereotyping and the affect these toys have on children view of gender characteristics.
I will not impose “gender specific” toys on them or tell them that it is not acceptable for a boy to play with a baby doll or tell my future daughter that it is not allowed for her to pretend sword fight. My children will be able to decide what they like and what they do not like and I will not allow anyone to decide that for them. This assignment has definitely opened my eyes to the market that is out there stereotyping children without much notice. Taking time to actually look into what is being done with toys and society with children has broadened my understanding and awareness of the impending problem that children are being faced with. I hope that one day we will see an end to gender stereotyping so that my future children will not be forced to feel out of place if they do not identify with a specific feeling or emotion that a boy should have or a girl should have. It sickens me and breaks my heart that things so minuscule such as toys can have such a negative effect on lives, especially on such a young children. This ideology of gender segregation should not be supported or further produced because it is harmful to the children that are directly or indirectly being affected by
Muffitt, Eleanor. "Now's the Time to End the Boys' and Girls' Toys Gender Divide." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 31 July 2008. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.
Witt, S. D. (n.d.). The Influence of Peers on Children’s Socialization to Gender Roles. Retrieved from University of Akron: http://gozips.uakron.edu/~susan8/artpeers.htm
As a child develops, their surroundings have a major influence on the rest of their lives; if boys are taught to “man up” or never to do something “like a girl”, they will become men in constant fear of not being masculine enough. Through elementary and middle school ages, boys are taught that a tough, violent, strong, in-control man is the ideal in society and they beat themselves up until they reach that ideal. They have to fit into the “man box” (Men and Masculinity) and if they do not fulfill the expectations, they could experience physical and verbal bullying from others. Not only are friends and family influencing the definition of masculine, but marketing and toys stretch the difference between a “boy’s toy” and a “girl’s toy”. Even as early as 2 years old, children learn to play and prefer their gender’s toys over the other gender’s (Putnam). When children grow up hearing gender stereotypes from everyone around them, especially those they love and trust like their parents, they begin to submit themselves and experience a loss of individuality trying to become society’s ideal. If everyone is becoming the same ideal, no one has a sense of self or uniqueness anymore and the culture suffers from
The toy industry makes it seem acceptable that only certain toys are suitable for one or the other gender by marketing them as such. For a parent to differ, it would mean stepping out of the box, possibly alienating their child from others with a choice that might seem odd. Rather than making their child feel or appear awkward, parents continue to support the gender biases found in toys, thereby promoting gender socialization. It is important however, that parents, as role models and consumers, must be diligent in their choices and make decisions that will help either negate or balance out gender biases in
Part of a child’s upbringing involves what I call “social programming” which adheres to Piaget’s stages of development chart. This social programming happens when the parents pass on their behaviors to their children during the intuitive phase. For example, something as simple as religion can be a product of social programming. By taking a child to a specific church consistently, he or she will come to identify themselves as a part of that particular religion. Within that religion, they will learn what their parents have learned and that is how they are to behave in accordance with their gender.
Over the decades, a significant mark of the evolution of gender is the increasing social phenomenon in how society conceptualizes gender. Gender is a system of social practices for characterizing people as two different categories, femininity and masculinity and arranging social relations of inequality on the basis of that difference (Ridgeway & Correll 2004). Gender-neutral parenting (GNP) refers to raising children outside of the traditional stereotypes of girls and boys. It involves allowing children to explore their innate personalities and abilities rather than confining them into rigid gender roles that society has shaped. It can be argued that it is through socialization children discover how to operate in gendered structures, learn
...en. Whereas male children are given toys like G.I. Joes, fake weapons, sports toys, and Ninja Turtles. This has many effects on our society's children. Children are more likely to assume that they are supposed to take on these roles in everyday life because that is what they are shown.