Gender Specific Toys Essay

In “Why Boys Don’t Play with Dolls” Pollitt gives a little bit of the background on why toys are still not gender neutral. She talks about how some mothers believe that girls have to play with dolls, and others believe that they can play with whatever they want. Pollitt

The toy section at Target had many clear differences in the toys for boys and the toys for girls. The types of toys that were out on the shelves were different, but also the way the toys were presented were different. Girls toys mainly consisted of stuffed animals, dress up clothes, babies and dolls including Bratz, Barbies and fairies. The primary colors of all these toys consisted of different shades of purple, pink, and white. There were bits of blue and yellow but it seemed that all the colors stood out and had a type of feminine aspect to them. Besides color, the girl’s toys were often soft and fuzzy or

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.

In the world of toy marketing, choices are made with direction put in place for both genders (girl and boy). For example, as I walked down each toy aisle, I felt the gender conformity among the parents as they were with their children. With multiple aisles and two dominant colors (pink and purple) designated for girls, the message (in my perspective) marketed on the toy package yelled: “Your ambition is to be stylish, while a nurturing mother who partakes in domestic works!” In addition to the toy packages being in pink, the words (on the toy) were predominately frivolous and amusing. On the contrary, the boys’ aisle contained wide varieties of colors, although the color blue caught my eye the most. The boys’ toys entailed sports, building sets, as well as action figures. Conversely, the message in my perspective, marketed on the toy package screamed: “You have the power to do whatever you want; however, it is imperative that you build yourself physically, as well as train yourself in order to properly excel.” This type of act, referred to as the social role theory—“a gender difference that mainly results from the contrasting roles of females and males” (p.165),—gives a great cause of difference in gender regarding power, nurture, and

When you enter any store that has a children’s toy aisle, you automatically figure out which side is for boys and which side is for girls. On the girls’ side, you generally see lots of pink and purple, and glitter too. Blues and greens, as well as many other dark colors, fill the boy’s side of the aisle. The division of this aisle and the colors associated with male or female toys is known as the idea of gender-stereotyped toys.

What did the toys received or played with during childhood do to reinforce or break those patterns of gender socialization? In my opinion if you are a boy, you played with trucks, action figures, toy weapons, or sports equipment. If you were a girl, you played dress-up, played with dolls, or pretend kitchen sets. As we grow, we learn how to behave from those around us. At a very early age, children are introduced to certain roles that are typically linked to their biological sex. The term gender role refers to society 's concept of how men and women are expected to act and how they should behave. These roles are based on norms, or standards, created by society. expects different attitudes and behaviors from boys and girls.

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,

Unconsciously, we have all been affected or can relate to the effects of gender role stereotyping. From the day we were born, we are labeled as either boy or girl. Although, society has changed its norm in gender roles, many of our traditions have not. In the gender stereotype, we commonly relate a boy with the color blue, and a girl with the color pink. Gender roles have been instilled in us from past generations, due to the way that society was. Gender labeling is still influenced today through children’s toys, where toys are designed differently according to each gender. Through media, society persuades into the ideology of how gender role should be considered acceptable or not.

Gender roles in toys are overwhelmingly obvious. The breakdown has not changed in so many years that we all comply with and follow without question. Taking a trip to the local Toys R Us store showed me just how obvious the line was drawn for the sexes, showing a specific division of the two. The stores layout clearly establishes the line between girl’s toys and boys toys. There are very few isles that will intermingle within the sexes. For this project I selected the following age groups; infant, preschool and school age with a focus on girls toys.

We as a people should care about gender specific toys because play is an important part of a child’s life. Toys give children a sense of belonging, and help them to decide how they will behave, how they will dress, and how they will play with other kids. Each toy has a way of helping children to learn, whether it is by growing their muscle memory, teaching them special skills, or helping them to solve difficult problems. The problem isn’t the toys themselves but it is the division of the toys, between the girls section and the boys, the colors, and the misconception that boys and girls should only play with certain types of toys, and they must be distinct for both sexes. The boys and girls sections are divided by the

When it comes to toys kids think that they have to play with their own genders toy.In the artical ¨What the research says:gender-typed toy¨ toys girls play with dolls,custom,jewelry,etc but most boys play with fighting toys,soldiers,action figures etc.The best thing for kids to play with is non gender toys like art,music,sports etc.If all kids played with these things then they would learn to be more active and physical with boys and girls.As your child grows they will learn that gender type toys were not necessary,instead kids can actually play sports or draw with different genders.The reason why kids love gender toys is because they are based upon movies and tv shows.When the kids see a new movie they will go to the store and buy the toy

I decided that for this assignment that I would go to Walmart and observe their toy department. I chose this retailer simply because it was convenient, and it supplied a wide variety of toys for me to observe. Before I went to the toy aisle, I found myself reminiscing about my trips to the toy aisle. When I was a young girl the toy aisle was a pink wonderland. From what I can recall, all the packaging for girl toys were pink and violet whereas boy toys were blue and green. The former girl aisle mainly consisted of Barbie’s, Polly Pocket toys, Littlest Pet Shop toys, baby dolls, stuffed animals, and kitchen playsets. I do not remember much about the boys’ aisle except that there were a lot of toy automobiles. I also do not remember any gender neutral specific toys; however, that could be due to my age. I was surprised to find that the toy section actually had gender neutral toys. They had outdoor toys like balls, hula-hoops, kites, and jump

For example, the KidKraft Vintage Kitchen represents an actual kitchen, this playset is made to help children become more familiar around the kitchen and the appliances such as pans, pots, ovens, and what other things that belong in the kitchen. However, these toys are not gender neutral, a certain gender is associated with certain toys. For example, the KidKraft is for girls, it teaches skills that gears them for future career such as a housewife. Another example, is the Baby Alive Dolls are marketed for girls three and up, these dolls poop, cry, crawl, they act like real babies; the purpose of this toy is to teach young girls, good mothering skills. Toys targeted for boys ages three and up are toys like the Step 2 Deluxe Workshop, this is marketed to teach boys have to be handy and be able to build things, and using tools such as a hammer, saw, and such.

Gender socialization often begins early once parents are shown the sex of their child; from then on, baby showers are planned according to gender “appropriate” colors, which are often pink for girls and blue for boys. Even differences in how children are spoke to can be picked up easily in Western cultures. Girls are called pretty and sweet, whereas boys are handsome and strong. Ultimately, the way children learn to identify with their gender culture is in part due to not only family and friends, media, schools, and religion, but also from the toys that may inexplicitly advertise gender expectations. Gender-typed toys may be bought for children as a way for parents to encourage and reinforce gender-appropriate behaviors. However, recent debates have engulfed toy manufacturers and major retailers, which has brought about changes in toy design and marketing in an effort to make reflect more realistic and gender neutral options.