Toy Preferences

From: Autumn

In the article “The Two Cultures of Childhood,” the author discusses the early signs of differential preferences between boys and girls, starting with the toy’s children choose to play with. Through multiple studies that have been conducted, it has been shown that toys that target boys are much more action based, rough, and enforce skills that society believes boys should be good at (building, fighting, leading, etc.) (Bem, 1981; Martin, 1999). On the other hand, toys that target girls are generally colorful, fantasy like, and focus on skills such as caregiving, cleaning, cooking, etc.

Some may argue that the toy a child chooses to play with is solely the choice of the child. Though this may be true in some cases, how do young children learn that boys should be playing with trucks and girls with baby dolls? These practices may be harmless but could quite possibly give young boys and girls an idea of the way society believes these genders “should” act. For example, in my photo, the left side is filled with toys, figures, and animals that the common young male would be fascinated with. Generally, young boys idolize superheroes’ due to their heroic acts, leadership skills, super powers, etc. This common correlation between boys and superheroes’, rather than girls and superheroes’, could be a cause as to why men are symbolized as the “protectors” or the “head” of the family. Also, in my photo, I used a symbolism technique to help viewers identify which side correlates to which gender, due to blue being the accepted color for boys and pink for girls.

Another potentially hurtful element that is seen through toy companies and franchises are the undeniable, multiple biases that the companies portray through toys. In my photograph, I used a line technique so that viewers could compare the toys, and other items, that are given to young males and young females. As you can see, the right side is much more colorful, fantasy like, and calm compared to the left side. These biases ultimately tell children, depending on their gender, what toys society allows them to play with and which ones they should steer away from. This causes many limitations for both genders and supports the idea that each gender is better than the other at certain skills or activities.

Lastly, toy preferences could lead to much more serious decisions later down a child’s life. For example, if a young boy has been exposed to numerous toys regarding building or construction, he may feel more comfortable to enter a field of that nature. Whereas young girls are taught to play with baby dolls or play doctor, so they may aim for a career in healthcare.

Work 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.