Expanding The Bubble

From: Haley

Gender stereotyping is inevitable due to society setting gender norms. From early childhood, society divides males and females in two separate categorizes based off their gender. Due to the dividing of males vs females, society bases how they should act and what they do off the norms of their gender. For instance in early childhood, society claims boys should play with masculine toys such as dinosaurs and cars, whereas girls should play with dolls and toys that focus on housework activates to prepare them to be a “perfect housewife”. Katha Pollitt’s article “Hers: The Smurfette Principle”, brings attention to how society differentiates males from females in various forms such as TV shows, social media, and commercial ads. Pollitt states that “…the female is usually a little sister type, a bunny in a pink dress and hair ribbons who tags along with the adventurous bears and badgers”. This quote is distinguishing how men and women are treated differently in society. The female characters are often the weaker, powerless type which impacts how young girls think they should act. However, male characters are deemed as the strong, intelligent type. By contrasting how the characters should act, it influences society into thinking that’s the way males and females should act. In my photo it shows how boys and girls should expand outside of these gender norms. By having them wear difference costumes that does not typically go with their gender, it is going against the gender stereotypes that society has put into place for boys and girls in early childhood. This limits boys and girls from exploring outside of what society already has in place and their norms. From the influencing of TV shows and social media of how girls and boys act, it leads to the difference in girls and boys toys. Girl towards are often sweet and lovable whereas boy towards are more vicious and tough. Since boys are stronger in TV shows, their toys need to be stronger and show power. Since girl characters are quieter and less powerful, their toys need to be sweeter and less dangerous per say. In the article “The Two Cultures of Childhood” the author states that “…boys are rougher and girls are sweeter, boy toys are hard and sharp, whereas girls toys are soft and smooth”. Society influences the toys boys and girls play with due to the description that society makes for them. Masculine toys are meant for boys and feminine toys are meant for girls. Although society has set gender norms for boys and girls in early childhood, my photo shows how boys and girls should expand outside of the bubble society has created for boys and girls. Instead of having one stick to the ideal outfit of the gender, they are exploring outside of what society has put them into.

For my photo, multiple creative techniques are presented. The creative techniques I used are symbolism, line, color, and similarities and differences. Symbolism is shown by the girl on the left wearing what society defines as a “boys costume”. By having her wear a masculine based costume, it shows the power and strength she has opposed to what society thinks females have. The boy is wearing a girl play dress showing a “girly girl” side. Even though a boy may want to wear a feminine costume, society shames one because it shows a weakness and goes against what a male should be defined as.  Society claims that girls and women are weaker and daintier, whereas boys and men are declared to be strong and powerful. Since the girl is wearing a “boys costume” and the boy is wearing a “girls costume” opposed to a feminine or masculine costume to fit the genders, it is deemed to go against the gender norms and embrace how girls and boys should be treated equality rather than having them be subjective to two separate categories based off the gender.

Line is being demonstrated in this photo because the lines of stairs is horizontal, and the kids are sitting vertical. By the kids contrasting with the way the lines go it shows how they are not following what society defines as gender norms. By having them be vertical when the stairs are going horizontal is shows how they are not following what society already has in place. If the kids were sitting the same

way the stairs, it would seem as if they were in their own lane per say, doing what society has already set.

The similarity in this photo is that both children are going against society’s norms. Society claims how boys are supposed to wear outfits that make them look tougher and seem to have more power, whereas girls wear outfits that make them seem sweet, and dainty. Yet, this photo shows the boy and girl going against what society claims and boy and girl should wear. The differences in this photo is the costumes the girl and boy are wearing. Normally a boy would dress in a masculine costume like the captain America costume. However, in this photo the girl is wearing the masculine costume, and the boy is wearing the girly princess dress.

The color differences of the boys and girls outfit goes against society norms. The girl is wearing a boy’s costume that has darker, cooler colors rather than bright and warmer colors. The variety of the darker colors hint to a more masculine side. By having her wear the boys costume with the dark colors, it goes against the gender stereotypes society created for boys and girls. The stereotypes that society creates is that girls wear bright and warmer colors such as pink to show a girly side to them whereas boys wear darker, cooler toned colors such as blue to show a more masculine side. However, in this photo instead of the boy wearing colors that fit his gender stereotype, he is wearing a girly costume with lots of bright colors. By having the boy and girl where outfits that are opposites of what they would typically where it shows how they are going against how society defines girls and boys.

Pollitt, Katha. “Hers; The Smurfette Principle.” The New York Times, 7 Apr. 1991.

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.