Toy Stereotypes

From: Sammi

For this assignment, I chose the topic “The Two Cultures of Childhood” and in more specific, toy and activity preferences. This picture represents the portrayal and expectations of gender norms and schemas we have learned in this reading. I used space and patterns as my creative elements. As stated in the readings introduction, “gender schemas associate maleness and femaleness with myriad different attributes, behaviors, and objects, defining “masculine” as rougher, tougher, and more active” (Rudman et al., 60). The dinosaur toy my four-year-old nephew is playing with is an accurate portrayal of these attributes. The sharp teeth and terrifying face of the dinosaur possesses a rough and aggressive demeanor, which in society is considered a normal toy for his gender. The reading states, “these are toys in which the play theme is both active and tough; aggression is a strong theme of boys’ play” (Rudman et al., 61). In the background, there are toys everywhere. The open space in this picture is limited and cluttered, I set it up this way to show the active play style of boys. I cropped the original picture to make the height of the dinosaur noticeable. This was done to display the size of the toy in comparison to my nephew and to represent the toys masculinity. With the use of patterns, the toys on the ground are also a part of this gendered theme and expectation; we have a jeep and a comic book themed lunch box in sight surrounded by other toys. My nephew is also wearing a Spider Man shirt. "The Two Cultures of Childhood" discusses that superheroes represent the toughest male fantasy figures (Rudman et al., 61). This pattern is confirming the readings description of stereotypes and gender norms of boys play. Overall, this picture of my nephew accurately displays “The Two Cultures of Childhood” and gender norms for young boys. My nephew is playing with a rough and tough dinosaur with the expectation from society that he will be a rough and tough man. I hope my nephews toy choice is based on enjoyment, not expectation. His adorable and cheerful smile at this monstrous dinosaur gives me hope that he will decide whichever path or role he chooses in life.

Works Cited

Rudman, Laurie A., et al. “The Two Cultures of Childhood.” The Social Psychology of Gender: How Power and Intimacy Shape Gender Relations. The Guilford Press, 2015, 59-63.