From: Samantha
Gender roles are something that is more complex than just girls liking pink and boys liking blue. To understand gender roles we must look back at centuries of what society has taught people is right and the “rules” that are laid out for specific genders to follow. In my picture you can see the clear distinctions between what we view as normal for a young girl and what we see as normal for a young boy. When I told my cousins who live with me to change into an outfit they would choose to wear, their favorite toys and to pose for a picture we see how gender roles in our society play an impact in what they chose. Cassidy (the little girl) had a hard time choosing between her favorite clothes but a similarity was that they all were pink or purple. Her toys she chose were a Barbie, a my little pony and little animals. All of these are things that she has taught are appropriate and are okay to play with. Loyal (the little boy) is wearing sweats which shows how our society has adapted men to be ready to go out and do stuff where the girl should be dressed nicely and be home. For his toys he chose a hoverboard, a remote helicopter and a rubix cube. To me this toy selection shows how boys are taught to be active and to focus on real world things rather than girls who play imaginary, where everything is perfect. In The “Two Cultures” Of Childhood article from Module 5 it states, “Consistent with the general theme that boys are rougher and girls are sweeter, boys’ toys are hard and sharp, whereas girls’ toys are soft and smooth.” I see this in my picture where many of Loyals toys are rougher and more “manly” than Cassidys who are more cute than functional. The pose Loyal chose was very assertive whereas Cassidy chose a very “feminine” pose that is very soft. In the text The “Two Cultures” Of Childhood it highlights, “In general, then, boys tend toward greater assertiveness, overt competition, and physically rough play in their interactions with same- sex peers, whereas girls develop a more considerate and cooperative style.” In general we see these things not just taught by parents but by friends and schools. We need to think more about allowing children to form their personalities and discover who they want to be and not to predispose them to society's rules.
Citations
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.
4 comments:
From: Abby McFarland
Hi Sam! Your picture really spoke to me in that I was reminded of my own childhood and growing up with boys. As you mentioned in your essay, girls are taught to be passive and delightful, their purpose is to please and play nice. Boys however, are allowed to be rough and demanding. I love that you analyzed their body language in addition to their outfits and toys. I feel like the level of comfort they are showing speaks volumes.
Cassidy is sitting as if she is putting on a show for the camera, she is posed very delicately and her smile is inviting, she gives the sense of vulnerability and comfort, whether she feels it or not. Loyal on the other hand is posed in a more closed off way, he looks tough and strong. Both children are very cute and seem to be rightfully proud of their toys and outfits. While gender roles are enforced for children and are very clear to see, it appears as if some kids have learned to become their roles. When asked if they play with certain toys because they feel that they have to most kids will respond that they just enjoy the toy. This reasoning could be an argument against the existence of the roles but your picture and essay prove that they are inherent and a way of life for kids.
I also used the text "'Two Cultures' of Childhood" in my essay and discussed the differences in children's toys and how they are highly gender specific. The toys that were chosen by your cousins perfectly fit the mold created by gender norms. The girl's choices show that she leans more towards a world that is of her own creation, she feels safe in her bubble of imagination and happiness. The boy's toy shows that he is more drawn to thinking or physical activity. He seems to prefer the real world and doesn't have the need to play pretend.
The way that children play is a huge clue into how our world actually works. Women and men live in two different worlds with completely polar expectations. The culture that's created by the existence of gender roles is one that continues oppression and limits the opportunity to experiment and express ones self. Your picture perfectly depicted how children perceive and act out gender roles, great work!!
From: Abby McFarland
Hi Sam! Your picture really spoke to me in that I was reminded of my own childhood and growing up with boys. As you mentioned in your essay, girls are taught to be passive and delightful, their purpose is to please and play nice. Boys however, are allowed to be rough and demanding. I love that you analyzed their body language in addition to their outfits and toys. I feel like the level of comfort they are showing speaks volumes.
Cassidy is sitting as if she is putting on a show for the camera, she is posed very delicately and her smile is inviting, she gives the sense of vulnerability and comfort, whether she feels it or not. Loyal on the other hand is posed in a more closed off way, he looks tough and strong. Both children are very cute and seem to be rightfully proud of their toys and outfits. While gender roles are enforced for children and are very clear to see, it appears as if some kids have learned to become their roles. When asked if they play with certain toys because they feel that they have to most kids will respond that they just enjoy the toy. This reasoning could be an argument against the existence of the roles but your picture and essay prove that they are inherent and a way of life for kids.
I also used the text "'Two Cultures' of Childhood" in my essay and discussed the differences in children's toys and how they are highly gender specific. The toys that were chosen by your cousins perfectly fit the mold created by gender norms. The girl's choices show that she leans more towards a world that is of her own creation, she feels safe in her bubble of imagination and happiness. The boy's toy shows that he is more drawn to thinking or physical activity. He seems to prefer the real world and doesn't have the need to play pretend.
The way that children play is a huge clue into how our world actually works. Women and men live in two different worlds with completely polar expectations. The culture that's created by the existence of gender roles is one that continues oppression and limits the opportunity to experiment and express ones self. Your picture perfectly depicted how children perceive and act out gender roles, great work!!
From: Alexa
Hello Samantha!
I think that your photo really highlights the difference in how gender norms are developed in boys and girls at a young age. I enjoyed how you told them to choose their outfits, toys, and pose instead of staging it for them. This gives the audience and viewers of your photo a sort of authenticity to it which I love. Their choice of toys and clothing really speaks to how young we are taught the differences in gender which makes me so interested in your photo!
The first thing in your photo that caught my eye was how different the little boy and girl were sitting. Mentioning how the body language differs between the two in your essay really dives into how boys and girls are brought up. Girls are taught to sit polite, upright, and pretty, whereas boys are not really taught how to sit at a young age. Looking at your photo, we can see that Cassidy is sitting upright with a big smile on her face for the camera, while Loyal is sitting with his arms crossed with a tough look on his face. This proves that gender norms are taught and put on us at a young age. After analyzing how they were sitting, along with their body language, I looked back on their choices of toys and clothing. Cassidy chose her Barbies, ponies, and animals, which could all be related to the nurturing aspect that girls are supposed to grow up and have within them. She also chose to wear a beautiful, pink and purple dress, this relates to the norm that women are supposed to be dressed up to be considered feminine. On the other hand, we see Loyal with his helicopter, hoverboard, and rubik's cube. These could all be related to how boys like risk taking and playing rough, while also showing us the architecture aspect of his interests as well. His sweat suit really plays into male clothing as well because boys are not told how important it is to be seen as pretty in what they wear which can be shown by the comparison of these two.
I also used the reading, The “Two Cultures” of Childhood, while analyzing how teenagers are supposed to make decisions on what way they want to go in life, meaning if they want to go towards boy or girls toys or hobbies. With the toys that were chosen by the young girl in your photo, you can tell that she enjoys playing pretend and wanting to play with those characters to create their worlds, whereas the young boy enjoys the toys that are very real in our life. These toys play a great role of symbolism for the two and showcases the typical gender norms that are still prevalent in our society today.
Overall, I believe that your photo depicts how young children adapt gender norms early on very well. With the use of two young children, choosing their own outfits, toys, and poses, this shows us the real difference in what boys and girls are drawn to at a young age. Great work in showing this depiction! I enjoyed your photo and reading your essay!
comment from Kaleigh Hart
Hi sam!
I think this photo did a great job representing how gender roles impact a child. I love the fact that you let the children chose their own clothing and toys to be featured in the photo. I believe this made the photo that much more interesting and proves the point you are trying to make. The little girl chose the pretty, very feminine pink and purple dress whereas the little bit chose the all black, athletic looking outfit. The colors as well as the style of the clothing show the difference in the roles each child takes on in their ev eryday life. The young girl is sitting very pretty, with a huge smile on her face, she is surrounded by barbies and toy ponies. She takes on a nurturing role when she plays with these kind of toys because she is taught to "take care" of them by dressing them and giving them affection. The boy has the "tough" face on, and is surrounded by toys that are meant to stimulate their brain like a Rubik's cube.
As sam mentions, the Article "'Two Cultures' of Childhood" explains how girls are viewed as sweet and boys are viewed as tough. This is very evident in the way the two children are posed In this photo. Because boys are taught to be tough and not show emotion their entire childhood, often when a camera comes on they turn to the more "manly" pose and shut off all emotion. I see this in my everyday life with my guy friends and now can even see it in this photo with the young boy. Girls are taught to please the camera and be "pretty" for the spotlight which is evident in the young girls pose as well.
This photo does an excellent job of portraying how much of an impact gender roles have on children lives, and that it goes a lot deeper then girls liking pink and boys liking blue. Great Job on this assignment!
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