Within the article “The Two Cultures of Childhood,” author Laurie A. Rudman states that “In addition to sex segregation, another cross-cultural consistency in childhood behavior is the gendering of toys and activities” (60). Toys available to children showcase either stereotypical female characteristics of stereotypical male characteristics. Toys marketed to young girls are often soft and smooth while toys marketed to young boys are hard and sharp (Rudman 60). These toys are bought for children based on their gender, before they are able to decide for themselves which toys they enjoy and prefer, so they begin to participate in these stereotypes very young, usually around toddlerhood (Rudman 60). Children’s books also feature gender stereotypes, with boys’ books featuring more rough-and-tumble play and adventuring while girls’ books feature calmer, more domestic storylines (Rudman 61). While children are not strictly forced to play with or read toys and books pertaining to their respective genders, if a younger child shows a preference to opposite gender playthings, he or she is usually encouraged by parents to stick to same-gender playthings. If they continue opposite gender toys as they grow older, children run the risk of seeming different or strange within peer groups. In this way, masculinity and femininity are behaviors taught to children through toys and books.
The photograph I constructed depicts a toddler-age boy (John Paul, age 2) playing on the floor with a mixture of girls’ and boys’ toys: Peppa Pig figurines, a Peppa Pig dollhouse set, dinosaurs, and a school bus. Peppa Pig is a female character and a dollhouse is a traditional girls’ toy, while the dinosaurs and vehicle are traditionally boys’ toys. The boy is playing with both types equally, which shows that at age 2 he has not yet learned what is acceptable or unacceptable to play with in peer groups. In the photo, the boy is looking directly into the camera with a small smile on his face, showing no trace of shame or fear from playing with feminine toys; rather, his open expression invites viewers to come and see his toy setup. Again, he has not learned these gender stereotypes yet. The camera angle is neutral to show that he is being neither shamed nor praised by society for this act, because he is simply unknowledgeable of the social norms. However, the background of the photo depicts what is in store for the boy as he grows up: the bookshelf holds several books, for various ages, all with a central male character who adventures, survives, builds, escapes, causes trouble, or saves the day in the story. These male books show the masculine qualities the boy will be taught as he gets older, and they are in shadow because they wait to influence him until he is older and can understand. Meanwhile, the toys are illuminated and in the foreground because they are influencing him at present. Another symbol of the foreboding masculine influence is the child’s outfit, which is all blue, the traditional masculine color. In summary, this photo portrays an innocent toddlerhood, filled with toys stereotypically male and female, with imminent masculinity waiting to be taught to the child, because he is a boy, through gendered toys and books.
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.
1 comment:
The photograph shows a boy amusing himself with different kinds of toys. He looks to be unconcerned yet by social norms as to what kind of toys is “appropriate” for him to play with. I would like to think that the parents of the boy surrounded him with different kinds of toys to let him experience the joy of playing and at the same time letting him know that it is okay to play dollhouse, cars, or any toys of his choosing. As children will grow older, they will figure out whether they are a boy or girl and from there they will identity habits and activities that would associate them to being male or female. And that’s inevitable. In their growing up years, toys will become one of many external factors that contribute to their understanding of gender and gender roles and gendering of toy is visible in every aisle, where toys are placed by sections accordingly.
However, research done by the National association for the Education of Young Children shows that gendered toys support different areas of development: girl's toys are associated with physical attractiveness, nurturing, domesticity, and verbal skills while boy's toys are associated with violence, competition, excitements, danger, spatial and math skills. This differentiating toy design teaches separate and different physical and cognitive skills. If children are forced into predetermined boxes, they will never realize they have other options, and this might limit their own interests and scope of knowledge in the future.
In the case of this boy, I hope that his parents will continue to encourage him to play all the toys that he wants to play and that as he grows older, he will not fall prey to the pressures of the society’s gender norms.
Works Cited:
National Association for the Education of Young Children. “What the Research Say: Gender –typed Toys”. Web. 29 Nov 2018
Post a Comment