Analysis: Why Boys Don T Play With Dolls

Further, certain toys seem to suggest that boys are valued higher in society than girls (Starr, 1999). The information appears to show that there may be more stereotyping with regard to toys offered to boys. It seems that most parents choose more masculine and gender-neutral toys for the boys such as, soldier action figures, wrestling kits, and karate fighters (Starr, 1999). These types of toys encourage competitive and aggressive behaviors, however; they are also more constructive, conductive to handling, and more reality based (Starr, 1999).

The feminist movement has been trying to change the idea of traditional sex roles and stereotypes in society for decades, but maybe the issue relies on society instead of biological differences. While these biological differences and research show that there are small differences in cognitive brain activity between the sexes, they also propose a theory that this “is the way it’s supposed to be” (Pollitt 2549). Although these differences exist it does not mean that sexes should have permanently assigned roles in society. Katha Pollitt, a feminist author and high profile activist wrote the essay “Why Don’t Boys Play With Dolls,” published in 1995 in The New York Times Magazine. In the essay, she argues that “biological determinism may reassure some adults about their present, but it is feminism, the ideology of flexible and converging sex roles, that fits our children’s future” (2549). Pollitt raises important ethical problems in her essay, gender roles and stereotyping. Throughout her essay she provides several claims to her argument and builds credibility with her audience by using rhetorical strategies. However, the argument also exhibits some minor flaws, which could in return limit its persuasiveness. This analysis will identify Pollitt’s three main claims and the evidence she uses to support them. I argue that overall Pollitt provides an effective argument by building her credibility and expanding her audience with the use of rhetorical strategies, such as ethos, pathos,

In “Why Boys Don’t Play With Dolls,” Pollitt writes about the differences between growing up as a boy growing up as a girl. She brings up the stereotypes that society naturally creates between genders in early ages, which leads to the lifestyle and path that boys and girls are raised in. Parents and feminist alike play a big part in establishing these sex roles. They raise their kids wanting them to be successful at what they are expected to be good at based on their gender and the trend that has been set before them.

This not only discourages gender roles stereotyping but provides variety. The positive impact is that it gives the children equal opportunity to play with all of the toys and make their own choices as to which they

Toys play an important role in childhood development as children learn roles and skills from playing. As a result, the toys children are subjected to have an affect on which roles, interests, and skills are learned and practiced. Through Lego’s product Duplo, I will demonstrate the influence particular gendered toys have on children and their performance of traditional gender roles. Gender, which is a learned performance, is something society has been taught from a very early age and toy advertising has played a significant role in reinforcing the performance. One tradition that is reinforced and naturalized by society is the ideology of a male dominated society, representing strong characteristics of heterosexuality and masculinity; also known as hegemonic masculinity. Therefore, using Ideological Criticism, I will analyze how through the branding and design of Lego’s Duplo toys, children have been constructed to do gender differently, ultimately perpetuating and reinforcing hegemonic masculinity.

Abundant individuals don’t know the difference between sex and gender roles. Sex is the biological characteristics in a person. Gender roles are the expectations of how a person should dress and act based on their sex. The majority of individuals accommodate to those roles early on, because of the influences their parents have on them. Such ideas of gender roles are exhibited at length in the two short essays, “Why boys don 't play with dolls” by Katha Pollitt and “The Gender Blur: Where Does Biology End and Society take over?” by Deborah Blum, in which gender roles are shown to be sociological rather than biological. Pollitt is an award-winning poet also well known as a liberal essayist and critic. Pollitt 's essay ventures to persuade her readers that not only will sexual roles always exist in society, but also, they have always been and will always continue to be hidden in controversy over the source of their origin that is nature or nurture. Pollitt also highlights some of the causes with gender stereotypes, especially in children. Pollitt says that the the blame for gender stereotypes and differences is based on the environment and how the child is raised. Blum 's essay discusses the differences between nature and nurture when it comes to raising her children. She also talks about how certain biological factors shape the pieces of an individual 's personality that nurturing doesn 't do. Pollitt 's essay is persuasive primarily because she utilizes strategies such as

One day I was visiting with my cousins for an afternoon, a boy who at the time was about 6 or 7 and a girl around 9. They were playing together with some toys, as most kids do. But then something occured that perplexed me. The young boy went over and grabbed a doll to play with and almost instantly the girl told him that those where girl toys and he couldn’t play with them. I sat there for a second thinking the same as my cousin, “He doesn’t understand that those aren’t boy toys.” But, then I started wondering what made it unacceptable for him to play with a doll? Everyone was so fast to push him back to his macho GI Joe’s with their bulging muscles and unrealistically large guns, but why? At an early age was he already learning that he had

A boy can start out loving to play with something usually meant for girls, such as a barbie. This is entirely possible but then why don’t we see this happening in society? It’s because with time, the children are exposed to negative provocation on how barbies are meant for girls. This type of exposure eventually stop him from liking barbies, and shifting to playing with something more “boyish”. One of the best examples of this happening is seen in the short story, “Boys vs Girls”, by Alice Munro.

     Few toys were aimed equally at both genders. Even board games, while intended for both sexes, usually seemed aimed more towards one gender or another. Both sections had a lot of gender- stereotypical toys. General ideas on girls’ and boys’ behaviors and interests were very prevalent in the toys intended for each gender. After really looking at the toys in both sections it is easy to understand why stereotypical ideas about both genders are so strong since these ideas are introduced at such a young

Our roles as men and women start at the hospital when we are born. Boys get blue blankets while girls get pink blankets. The toys we play with growing up are targeted at either males or females. Toys that are made

In today’s society, there is a belief that only girls can play with Barbie Dolls while boys can only play with Action Figures. Parents believe if they allowed their sons or daughters to play with feminine or boyish toys that are not meant for them their child would grow up either gay or lesbian. It’s not fair for parents to restrike their children from playing with toys because one toy is meant for girls while the other is meant for boys. Children have the right to play with whatever toy they want. Society and Parents should stop reflexing their opinions and beliefs on children toys. There is nothing wrong with girls playing with Action Figures and there is nothing wrong with boys playing with Barbie Dolls.

Katha Pollitt in her article entitled, "Why Boys Don't Play with Dolls" illustrates a very powerful social movement in history that has made an impact in society. This was the Feminist Movement that made changes from starting from work, politics, friendship, and etc, but it has failed in the most important institution in American society, the family. It all begins from the family where children are initially socialized into the people that they will become in the future, if the family fails to educated children on gender and their differences then it becomes an issue as the days go. It can be said the it helps to educate, because it did cause a change in behaviors, where women were afforded equal rights under the law, the right to chose in

Toys play a major role in socializing young kinds into “appropriate” gender roles. The first obvious characteristic that separates toys for boys and toys for girls,

Girls liked playing with toy dolls that they could make say and do what ever they wanted, and they could live in a fantasy world with their friends. Boys liked playing with their toy trucks and tools because it was fun to run things over and play with toys in the dirt, or with the tools, they act like they could actually be like older boys or their fathers and build stuff. Neither one of the toys that the boys played with seemed that it would scar them for life. With Barbie they more and more have made her a more positive role model by having her say encouraging things. So when it comes down to it, how a young boy plays with his toys is the same as how a young girl plays with her Barbie’s because they both just want to have fun with a toy, and they can make it do whatever they wanted. Young children could have control over something which both genders liked to do.

I really think it’s unnecessary I mean I don’t really think it matters what toy a boy a girl plays with they are all toys and both boy and girl will be exposed to both kinds of toy. If a girl wants to play with trucks she can if a boy wants to play with a Barbie doll that fine as well. I don’t think by making certain toys specifically for girls and boy changes anything. Doesn’t mean if a boy plays with a doll he will be more feminine. I do dislike it because I feel the toy industry in the way they market toy is just trying to shape a child and stereotyping what a child should play with which makes no sense to me because a toy is a toy. Toys are meant to be played with not to stereotype a child on what toys they should play with.