Initially when you first look at this ad you think, wow, there’s a little girl dressed in ‘boy’ clothing and playing with ‘boy’ toys. Legos were originally created as a gender neutral toy for children of any gender and a wide variety of ages to play with. Hence the ‘universal building sets’ captured in the image. Today, it seems that there has been a new view in our culture that has associated this toy as one meant for boys. Legos are found in the ‘boy’ aisle at stores. Lego has even created a new line of Legos only meant for girls; this set comes in pastel colors with girl lego-people and kitchen sets, etc. This can be seen as either totally normal in today’s society, or it can be very controversial because it just continues to add to the argument that there are way too many things being associated as only meant for one gender or the other. Why do we need these gender barriers?
So what’s going on with our children today…?
From the time they are born, children are instantly labeled. This new born human being is now defined by the name it is given, the color its nursery is painted, or the gifts it receives. It is now one of two genders, either a boy or a girl. Most of this gender labeling is done by parents initially. It is not until the child gets a little bit older that it starts to experience cultural gender related stigma from others. This stigma tells the child to act a certain way, to like certain things, and play with certain toys depending on if the child is a boy or a girl.
The time in which this picture was taken was 1981 when there was almost no emphasis on gender in the toy aisle. You would think that with the increasingly more gender supportive world this trend would continue. However gender differentiation in toys has been increasing heavily in the past two generations because separating production into different demographics sells more toys. One of the most prominent examples of this early gender polarization can be viewed at almost any Toys R. Us in America. The aisles in this store are almost always separated based on gender. The aisles lined with blue are themed for things such as action, adventure, science, and aggression. In contrast, the aisles lined with pink suggest the more domestic side of the world and are full of dolls, princesses, kitchen toys, and beauty. So what does this gender difference in toys do to the young kids who play with them? In many ways it shows them from a young age that boys and girls should behave and act in certain ways and children most times don’t question that. In the world of these kids there is a right way and a wrong way to be a girl or a boy.
 |
| Here we see an example of two very different toy cars. It is obvious from this picture that one is for a boy and one for a girl. The one for the girl is pink and purple and looks very feminine while the one for the boy is red and has flame decals and is very masculine looking. This is exactly the kind of gender stereotyping that is found in many toy stores across America. |
When children get to grade school, they experience the likes and dislikes of their peers for the first time. Because of these strict gender roles that operate on them through the toys they play with they already have a pretty decent view of what culturally defines boys and girls. This can become problematic when a child doesn’t abide by these so called gender “rules.” This child (especially if it is a boy acting somewhat girly) can be subject to extreme ridicule from their peers because this behavior is not normal at least in their point of view. That child will get the image that their behavior is not acceptable. This is what keeps our gender roles at their current position. Our beliefs are formed from a very young age by what we see, what we experience, and what we play with.
Children are to learn about themselves through playing. Playtime is where kids strengthen their learning and their imagination. They gain insight about their character and who they truly are inside. It’s unethical for society to have created these ‘rules’ over the years that kids need to play with toys only associated with their gender. This restricts what a child can learn. This should be concerning to parents all around. Their children should be able to practice any type of body practice they want, without being told if it’s correct for someone of their sex to do so. One of the comments on the linked article was from a mother who said that her daughter gets made fun of at school for playing with superhero toys. Why is it fair for a child to be made fun of for playing with superheros? Why did our culture decide that toys had to have a gender labeled to them? These toys have become inscriptive devices in the past decades. They never used to really have a specified gender quality to them. Parents didn’t question if their daughter played with superheros or if their son played with dolls. This was completely normal. Parents didn’t worry if this would alter their child’s sexuality later in life.
Toys should not have a gender labeled to them. Children need toys to play with to help them in establishing who they are. Children shouldn’t be forced to play with a particular toy because that’s what someone of their gender should be playing with. This construct can create conflict for the child and for the parent. A parent doesn’t want their child to be unhappy, or made fun of. It seems that in today’s world, children get made fun of if they don’t play with their gender-associated toy. This is just sad that children cannot be who they want to be. The thought of gender specific toys being a necessity has been inscribed into a lot of parents’ brains and needs to be banished. Kids have every right to the discovery of themselves, which is done greatly through play, and if we take away their capability to play with what they please, then they most definitely will not be able to discover themselves truly, which will harm them in the end. So let the little boy wear a dress if he wants to. Let the little girl walk around in a SpiderMan suit. Let the children find themselves without the social constructs of it being wrong.
I think it is very interesting how objects have now become indicative of one's gender. I agree that this concept is very limiting and restrictive for kids. From the moment a child is born, their room is decorated with objects and images that signify the "acceptable" thing for them to take interest in. As a toddler, my room was pink and my brother's room was blue. My room was filled with doll houses while my brother's contained a truck set. Both rooms had balloon decorations on the walls, but mine were soft, pastel colors and my brother's were more bold colors, like red and green. These objects and decorations serve as a constant reminder to children for what they are supposed to be interested in. This could create emotional unrest in the child if they don't take a liking to the objects. They may wonder why they don't fit into the mold of a typical girl or boy. As the years go on, the gender barriers and pressures to fit into one of the gender categories intensifies. This is even shown in the "real men wear pink" tshirts men wore a few years ago. Though this shirt is clearly advocating for less restrictive barriers for gender, it is interesting that a tshirt so blatant had to be made in order for males wearing pink to be socially acceptable. How did colors become sexed? I like how you demonstrate that the real problem plaguing society's perspective on gender is the social construction behind it. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post. I find it very interesting when you said when a child is born they are instantly 'labeled.' This is very true. I nannied for twins for a few summers, one was a boy, and one was a girl. I remember buying birthday gifts for them, and I instantaneously went to the doll aisle to buy the little girl a present, and went to the truck or car aisle to buy a present for the boy. Although the two children slept in the same room, their 'sides' were almost polar opposite from one another. The girl's side was full of dolls, with a pastel pink bedspread, with polka-dots on the wall, and lots of stuffed animals on the bed wearing dresses and such, and the boys bedspread was blue with trucks stitched on, he had pictures of trucks and cars on the wall, and teddy bears in his bed. It is interesting to think of this relationship. Although we are all humans we have been separated into two completely different groups based off of one character trait. Although boys may like to sew, or paint their nails, they are shamed upon when they do so at a young age. They grow up knowing that it is wrong to do certain activities because those are for 'girls.' Your blog post hit it right on the head when saying that toys should not have a gender label on them. Kids should be able to play with whatever makes them happy, and whatever that may be should be acceptable. It is wrong to declare something 'male' or 'female' especially when considering children's toys.
ReplyDeleteI find your post and other's post on this blog about gender roles and how they are assigned from birth very interesting. What I would like to know is if there is some type of science behind male and female interests. I mean is there a genetic/biological reason for the differences in interests between males and females? Like why do girls like to play with dolls and boys like to play with trucks? Or is it all cultural? The fact is, there are biological differences between males and females, so I can't help but think that these differences play into the things we are interested in. Although their might be science to back up the differences in interests, it is purely culture that assigns the gender role to the interests. By this I mean that culture decides what is "girly" and what is "manly." So like I said I am curious to know how science and culture both play into what defines our gender roles. From what I have read from this post and others, it seems like people are defining gender roles as limiting. This has proven to be true throughout history and many people have fought to expunge these roles or make the roles equal, but would the disappearance of the idea of gender really be good for society? We don't know a society that doesn't acknowledge gender and I am not sure if setting aside these roles and the aspects that separate genders would necessarily be good. Just some food for thought.
ReplyDelete