The article I chose to read was the “Why Boys Don’t Play with Dolls” by Katha Pollitt. In the article the author explains research that suggests boys and girls prefer certain toys. For instance, studies have shown that a boy will most likely pick a toy car or play sports compared to playing dress up or with a doll. Also, that girls will play dress up instead of playing with a toy car. IN the reading, Pollitt gives an example on the theory of why that is, she states “Increasingly, we are told that the source of these robust preferences must lie outside society -- in prenatal hormonal influences, brain chemistry, genes -- and that feminism has reached its natural limits” (par. 1). In the quote, Pollitt is questioning how children’s preferences come about, whether it’s genetic or if society has an influence. …show more content…
In the example, the son is extremely athletic and loves sports, the mother completely supports the son, even if she has no interest in sports. She supports her son because both her son and husband are extreme sports fans. So, the mother would never discourage the child no matter how foolish she things sports are because she loves and will always support both her husband and son manliness. However, Pollitt brings up a valuable point which states “That if their sons wanted to spend the weekend writing up their diaries, or reading, or baking, they'd find it disturbing? Too antisocial? Too lonely? Too gay?” (par. 9). Pollitt informs us about the double standard that can occur in the family, such as if the son liked to
The authors use toys as an example for gender specifying children as male or females. They did a study to see what kind of toys that toddlers had at home. They found that girls had more toys for parties, wedding, cooking, and motherhood. And boys had toys that helped them with automotive skills and building skills. They express how parents do this to show children what they want them to do when they get older. Parents buy children toys to set their gender types early so kids know what gender type they have at an early age.
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
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
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
Craig’s worries about his son’s actions being more feminine as a result of playing with feminine toys is not uncommon. Many parents may become worried if they start seeing their child being more interested in playing with toys designed for the opposite gender. A hypothesis can be drawn up by stating that if boys with typically female toys, then there would be an increase of femininity traits of passiveness.
Children’s perceptions of how girls and boys have to act can be manipulated by their surroundings. Target and other toy stores teach boys that they have to like fast cars, jobs requiring manual labor, and sports. There was certainly a type of “manliness” portrayed at boys from the toys. Its almost as if they were influencing them to be aggressive and unkind. The toys are teaching girls that they need to enjoy playing house and that the ideal female role is to be a homemaker who takes care of the kids. Many people may think that it is ok for boys and girls to like different things, which it is. But, it is important to recognize that preferences don’t emerge out of each child’s unique personality but that they are shaped by nonstop pressures of different socializing influences. children are given roles of subservience or dominance before they can understand the words. Target is an example of how society is manufacturing products that ultimately encourage inequalities and gender
In "Why Boys Don't Play with Dolls" by Katha Pollit states that the NOW or The National Organizational for Women was founded twenty-eight years ago, yet the boy’s still likes trucks and the girl’s plays with dolls. Despite major advances toward the achievement of equality for women, stereotypes are still clearly and purposefully keep going through the messages adults send to children about gender roles. Society stressed that girls are not supposed to be big, strong and powerful, and that boys should not be weak, petite and play with such things as dolls or girly toys. Pollit analyzes why boys don’t play with dolls and how women trying to fit the “American ideal”. Most fathers do not want their boys to play with dolls because they feel that
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.
From early childhood, children are taught traits that are conceptualized as typically male and female normative patterns through toys. They don’t know it but sex dimorphism is actually happening while they are playing with their toys. Toys such as building sets, trucks, cars, sports equipment and war toys (guns and soldiers) are usually bought for and played with by young boys. What these boys don’t realize is
In the research done on “Sex Roles, Pink or Blue: Environmental Gender Stereotypes in the First Two Years of Life,” by Andree Pomerleau, Daniel Bolduc, Gerard Malcuit, and Louise Cossette at the University of Montreal stated that the physical environment of girls and boys will have an impact on the development of specific abilities and activities in children. In the research, three age groups were investigated and given types and colors of toys and have determined that boys prefer sports and large and small vehicles while girls had more dolls and fictional characters. The research proves that boys are more active and aggressive than girls. The research shows that as early as 18 months of age, children are already predisposed by sex stereotypes by their parents.
The author, Marni Jackson fully delivered all her claims while she clearly discussed the misconception surrounding gender specific toys and parental pedagogy. She conveys her claims in a well organised strategy with coherence and logical proof. Her informal and jovial tone makes her article refreshing and appealing to her audience. Nevertheless, her lack of citations and reference alongside her use of advanced vocabulary weakened the effectiveness of this article. Jackson should have chosen words that are more basic and conversant to even a lay man. She should also have backed up her claims by referring to more legit sources or at least cited the sources of her statistics rather than rely on just her credibility. However, Jackson successfully appealed to her audience with a unified and entertaining article, which is why I would use it for my own
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,
Toys also influenced children with gender roles. In our society, the typical expectations of men is to financial support the family, and for females it’s to cook, clean, and take care of the children. “Both wives and husbands tend to perceive this as a “fair” arrangement” (Zimmerman 30). To instill this idea in young minds, there are toys that influence these gender roles. Boys have toy tool sets, promoting hands on work. Girls on the other hand have cooking and cleaning toys such as the Easy Bake Oven or toy vacuums. Also “parents tend to encourage more gender-typed activities. One study found that household tasks differ along gender lines. American boys are more likely to mow the lawn, shovel snow, take our the garbage, and do the yard work, whereas girls tended to clean the house, wash dishes, cook, and baby-sit the younger children” (Newman 133). Girls also like to play “house” fostering wife and motherly qualities such as taking care of the family. These toys help with socialization making children believe and understand that these are the norms of our society. So in conclusion to toys, “Sex-specific toys foster different traits and skills in children and thereby serve to further segregate the two sexes into different patterns of social development. “Boys’ toys” encourage invention, exploration,
Why Boys Should Be Able to Play With Dolls In the story “Why Boys Don’t Play With Dolls” by Katha Pollitt, she explains how parents and society have different opinions on what toys each gender can play with. These days commercials show what boys and girls are “suppose” to play with, and if they play with the opposite genders toy then they will grow up to be gay. I do not agree with the saying “Boy’s that play with dolls grow up to be gay”, which I have heard too many times.
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.