Gender Stereotyping One thing we know all kids love to check out in the stores is the toy isles’. They can spend what seems like an eternity checking out, observing and picking out all types of toys. Girls usually flock to the Barbie dolls, princess castles, and baby dolls, while boys go straight for things such as action figures, toy guns, and trucks. But then again, would you view it absurd if a boy were to pick up a Barbie doll or a girl would rather play with a truck instead? Thinking as such is the effect gender stereotyping roles have on an individual and the outlook on children’s toys. This can be prompted by, display of toys based on gender, toys aisle location, and company stores. First and foremost, gender marketing strategies and gender system’s play a major role in how toys are presented. Toys are usually advertised based on gender. While observing toys in commercials and the stores, male and female toys are displayed based on gender roles. Toys targeting males may come off as violent and aggressive by displaying bulky built action figures or realistic guns. This is the opposite with female toys which give off more of a calming, cleaning and nurturing feeling with their dolls and household toys such as houses, cooking and cleaning toys. Additionally, common gender classifications which consist of masculine and …show more content…
The way they label the toy isles, color scheme, and advertising impact the gender labels seen from big company stores. Recently stores across the nation are taking a stand on gender labeling and focusing more on reducing the stereotyping. In a recent article I’ve read, stores such as Toys R Us and Target have decided to take a step back on the over excessive use of their, “gender-specific children’s marketing strategies” (Robb). This shows that the issue of gender stereotyping is recognized and change is being
Toy stores are perfect places for a sociologist to use their sociological imagination. Gendering and racism is thought to be something that is socially constructed as opposed to biologically constructed. Gendering starts during infancy, and around 2 years old children start to internalize these gender differences. I argue that children’s toys help socialize children into gender specific roles. Toy stores, like Target and Toys R Us help us understand what types of toys help to gender children. I will explain how the toys in the toy aisles differ and compare. Not all toys are either male or female, some toys are gender neutral.
Inside Toyland, written by Christine L. Williams, is a look into toy stores and the race, class, and gender issues. Williams worked about six weeks at two toy stores, Diamond Toys and Toy Warehouse, long enough to be able to detect patterns in store operations and the interactions between the workers and the costumers. She wanted to attempt to describe and analyze the rules that govern giant toy stores. Her main goal was to understand how shopping was socially organized and how it might be transformed to enhance the lives of workers. During the twentieth century, toy stores became bigger and helped suburbanization and deregulation. Specialty toy stores existed but sold mainly to adults, not to children. Men used to be the workers at toy stores until it changed and became feminized, racially mixed, part time, and temporary. As box stores came and conquered the land, toy stores started catering to children and offering larger selections at low prices. The box stores became powerful in the flip-flop of the power going from manufacturers to the retailers. Now, the retail giants determine what they will sell and at what price they will sell it.
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. Even at this young age we teach girls it is part of their role to cook and clean.
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
The socialization of children is greatly affected by the toys they are exposed to while growing up. Looking through magazines and walking down the aisles of toy stores it is clear that toy companies are supportive of cultural gender roles biases. Toys designed for girls are commonly found in pink boxes; typically these toys involve housework or taking care of children, for example, dolls and easy bake ovens. On the other hand, “boy” toys are found in blue and black boxes, and a lot of them involve construction and cars.
In the article The gender Marketing of toys: An Analysis of Color and Type of Toy on the Disney Store Website, Auster and Mansbach conducted research to examine the gender marketing of toys on the internet. They looked at what characteristics of “boys and girls” toys share, such as color of toy, type of toy, and witch toys were labeled for girls and boys. The pre - research of this study suggested that children are making gender distinctions of themselves and their group based on the types of toys that are bought for them. Bright and darker colors are meant as a distinction for “boy” toys, while pastel colors are meant for “girl” toys. The previous research also suggested that toys for boys and girls express traditional gender roles and that gender neutral toys are more likely to
Based on my observation, Walmart is one of the toy retailers labeled and categorized toys by gender. They placed “Girls” and “Boys” signs over their toy aisles. Initially, I studied the toys under
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.
As a child, a toy is more than just something to play with, it becomes a friend and a companion. Toys play a crucial role in children's lives because this is what begins to shape their ideals. But where is the desire for these toys coming from? From the day they are born children are being marketed to and sold on these toys. Every interaction the child has is sending them messages, whether implicit or explicit, to want this toy or item. They may see another child with a truck, or a Barbie and want that one. They may be watching television by themselves, or even with mom and dad, and see something being played with by happy smiling children and have the desire for that same experience. Even when it comes to parents talking about what clothes the child should be wearing because they are not old enough to choose for themselves, children are being taught, and sold on everything. It is from this age that children are learning about the toys that are appropriate for their gender not only from friends and parents, but through the media and big corporations as well. Companies such as Nickelodeon, Mattel, Toys R' Us, Tonka, Tyco and many more are instilling these old ideals into children's heads and selling them on generic gender biased toys and clothing. Out of all those companies however, by far the worst company continuing stereotypical gender perceptions is Disney. For the past twenty five years, Disney has been perpetuating these gender roles and ideals through every movie, film, and cartoon they have produced. Through the remainder of this paper, I will walk you through the up and coming issue of "Princess Culture", the psychology of selling through colors, typical types of toys and gender-neutral toys.
A central focus in today’s society in regard to children’s picture books is gender stereotyping. The gender bias has an impact on how children perceive what is socially acceptable (Hamilton, Anderson, Broaddus, & Young, 2006). At about age 3, children begin to realize that there is a difference between themselves and the opposite sex. By age 5, they have created stereotypes associated with gender (Turner-Bowker, 1996). At this age, children also begin to separate themselves and form their self-identity (Gooden & Gooden, 2001). These stereotypes affect the way young children view appropriate roles and behavior. According to Beal, “gender is
Francis’s study analyzes three to five-year-old preschool students as well as their parents about their views about toys and viewing materials based on gender. The study showed that parental beliefs shaped their child 's opinions of gender roles based on the toys they played with. The parent 's idea of what is female and what is male is transferred onto the toys their child plays with which in terms developed their child 's stereotype of what is male and female based on their toy selection and color. In the article “How do today 's children play and with which toys?”, by Klemenovic reference that a child 's view on gender stereotypes is developed by their parents who train them on how to use the toys. Klemenovic (2014) states "Adults start training in the first months of a child 's life because knowledge of objects is the outcome of other people 's behavior towards us" (Klemenovic, 2014, p. 184). Young children’s development of gender stereotypes is largely influenced by his or her parent’s actions and view on what they consider male or female. A parent’s color preference and toy selection can influence a child’s gender bias or association to a specific
Gender socialization is the process of adapting and becoming a part of a specific gender through preconceived gender expectations and roles for that gender. From birth, gender norms are projected upon each sex; in the way pink is painted in baby girl rooms and blue for baby boys. One learns early on; they must abide a specific gender role to objectively tell the world which gender group they “belong” to. For this assignment, I decided to examine ToysRUs.com, a major “toy and juvenile-products retailer” to study and understand how they use gender roles to lure and brainwash consumers.
No one is immune from the affect of the agents of socialization that exist in malls. Anyone and everyone who is part of a society is a product of socialization. Within every advertisement, clothing store, toy store, arcade, music store, etc, there is a gender preferred subliminal message being sent. The way toys are divided into male sections and female sections and the way advertisements portray all men and women in a certain way contribute to societies “norm” of gender roles. The mass media is one of the most influential agents of socialization and malls are surrounded by it. The messages given through the media act as the teachers of gender roles, values, ideologies, and beliefs, and individuals who pick up on these messages eventually take on, whats thought to be, the normative roles of society. Both boys and girls rely on society’s expectations in regard to both masculinity and femininity in order to interpret interaction and to develop expectations for themselves and those around them. It is because of these agents of socialization, that gender roles are created. Advertisements portray both men and women in characteristically stereotypical fashions that support the various institutions and socialization agents. The women depicted in these advertisements fit the stereotypical roles related to sexuality by focusing on beauty, body image, and physical attractiveness. They are skinny and tan, with teeth as white as paper and hair looking healthy and fresh. Girls in society look up to th...
The gender stereotypes we are experiencing today are outdated and need change. Right now, gender marketing is higher than it has ever been. A comparison can be shown as Robb states “In the 1970s…few children’s’ toys were targeted specifically at boys or girls at all; nearly 70% of toys had no gender-specific labels at all” (Robb). Since the 70’s gender marketing has climbed its way up to its peak. There is a sort of disconnect between marketing and new gender advancements that have been occurring recently. The gender standards that are currently being used are outdated and do not hold true as more women are excelling in the sciences, while more men choose to become stay at home fathers. The “Let Toys be Toys” campaign website claims that “themes of glamour and beauty in toys and playthings directed at even the youngest girls tips over into a worrying emphasis on outward appearance. Stereotyped attitudes about boys are equally harmful as the constant assumption reinforced in toy advertising and packaging that boys are inevitably rough, dirty, rowdy…which feeds low expectations of boys that undermine their performance at school”(“Let Toys be Toys”). These outcomes are not acceptable, and gender-neutral toys may aid in combat against these old age ideals, and could possibly help make the
As a child, our toys were not exactly as gender neutral as earlier times, but also were not as gender stereotypic as the toys in today’s time. The fact that everyone eventually comes into contact with buying toys whether you have kids or you have a friend or family member who have kids which makes this an important topic. Eventually, everyone has to buy a child a present. Would it bother you that all toys are either pink or blue and there is no in between? Or does sticking to what your child is already familiar with and knows the more ideal option when it comes to gender stereotyping with children’s toys? Authors James Delingpole and Eleanor Muffitt both do a good job at arguing both sides to this issue. Although both authors provide valid points throughout each article, about gender stereotyping with toys, James Delingpole clearly was more effective in persuading the audience because he used all three elements; ethos, logos, and pathos to support his idea.