From: Edmund
This photograph is a portrayal of how gender roles are
taught and their long-term implications.
Using slanted line, framing, color, and symbolism, gender roles are
shown to be taught through parenting and toys, as well as having negative effects
if female roles are to be learned.
The
slanted line, with the boy’s toys at the lower end, portrays such toys as
heavier and more valuable. This relates
to gender roles’ long term implications, because boys are being pushed to be
interested in more masculine, powerful, and profitable careers through the toys
they play with. The framing of the photograph serves a similar purpose to that
of the slanted line. With the boy’s toys
taking up more space than those of the girl, they are represented to be more
important, which is reflected in the real world. The girl’s toys are more vibrant and stand
out more due to their color, which demonstrates their attractiveness to the
parent, even though there are less of them.
This represents that parents push girl toys, even though playing with
them may likely yield less desirable options later in life. With the boy’s toys
leading to an open door, it is shown that boy toys lead to a successful and
bright future, as the door represents such ideas. The girl’s toys, however are pictured to lead
to someone dressed in dark colors, who symbolizes an unhappy future.
The
toys children play with cause them to fit into gender stereotypes, which are
“applied to adults, including associating strength and power with men and
warmth and nurturance with women” (Rudman, 60).
As shown with creative elements in this photograph, boys are encouraged
to play with certain toys which teach them to be ‘men’ and coincidentally help
them to become powerful as adults, whereas girls are encouraged to play with
toys which do the opposite.
Work
Cited
Rudman, Laurie A., Peter Glick, and Susan T. Fiske. The Social Psychology of Gender: How Power
and Intimacy Shape Gender Relations.
New York: The Guilford Press, 2015. Print.
1 comment:
from: lucy
When I first saw this picture, my thoughts were that the younger girl in the photo was more interested in the “male” toys. Then I see the mother or older figure basically looking down upon her child because because she was using the male toys. The slanted framing creates the look of the older figure pointing to the girly toys saying that she needs to only play with those and that the male toys were unacceptable for a girl. Then it came upon my attention that the young girl was wearing a light pink sweatshirt which usually in this society is generalized as a girl color. All the toys the older figure has next to her are portrayed in a shade of pink as well. The annoyed and confused look upon the young girls face while pointing at the male toys shows how she is more interested in those rather than the girl toys. The pink sweatshirt makes it seem as though she still is girly but just enjoys “male” activities. This kind of thing is less acceptable in today’s society. I don't see the males toys being more valuable in this sense and in this picture but I mostly see that the picture represents the older figure relaying how it is unacceptable to be or play with masculine stuff. So many girls and boys enjoy being more feminine or more masculine, but with the stereotypes and all the gender norms which society has today has made it hard for young kids to express their true feelings and desires.
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