PINK SHOULD NOT DEFINE WHO I AM

From: Sahra

In the picture on the left, you see my friend’s little sister Krysty dressed for school in her Jordan’s and sweatpants with her hair in a ponytail. Her older sister usually dresses her in more “girly” attire, but Krysty dressed herself that morning. If you notice her backpack and lunch box, you can see it is girly because of the lace and pink color that has society conditioned to believe pink is mainly for girls. She chose the blue water bottle from the kitchen that morning and the color blue in today’s society is associated with masculinity but Krysty just likes the color blue. Krysty is more confident in the picture to the left because she is wearing what she wants and on the right picture, she has a more slouched posture because her activities seem more influenced. Krysty’s older sisters and father try to persuade her to try to dress more “like a girl”, but she prefers to wear more relaxed clothing instead of fitted restricting clothing females wear. In today’s society, females tend to wear tighter clothing that show off their bodies and males typically wear more loose relaxed clothing and many females nowadays prefer the comfort over showing off their curves. In “The Two Cultures” of Childhood it is stated that gender schemas influence children’s behavior and attitudes. In the picture to the right, Krysty is in her pink girly pajamas that her father (to her right) has dressed her in. She has her hair out and it is not in a ponytail. Her dad has the channel switched to Disney Channel instead of Cartoon Network and Krysty is being talked into trying to enjoy the show. The colorful bear to the right of the picture was given to Krysty and as you can see, it is nowhere near her. Nowadays, parents want their daughters to participate in female activities and vice vice versa when it comes to guys and their activities. Parents try to influence their children by conditioning them into wearing certain clothes, watching certain shows or playing with certain toys. I made the picture to the right look like it is pushing the picture to the left out of the way because it portrays her family trying to push her “boyish” ways out of her life.

Two Cultures of Childhood

From: Jacqueline  

In this photo we see a young girl age 17. Sitting on a bench in an almost empty garden. She's reaching out towards a stone fountain with a figure of a dragon on it. The Dragon symbolizes the two cultures of childhood. The boy side, and the girl side. The dragon being fantasy and adventure, which even now is seen as different for little girls. The girl sitting there reaching for the dragon is no longer a little girl, her reaching out can be seen to represent her grasping for her lost childhood, for what she wanted but could not have. The girl almost has a smile on her face, somewhat mischievous like she knows what she's doing is against the rules, or societal script. In the two cultures of childhood it discusses how children who do not follow these rules are ostracized, therefor children, even from very young ages are conditioned to fit into the mold of their gender. Girls just like the girl in the photo stray away from things that do not fit this standard of what a girl should like. Although she is reaching for the dragon or the "boy" ideas, she is otherwise very conforming to the ideal of a "girl" her hair is straightened, she has a full face of makeup on and is also wearing very traditionally feminine clothing. The culture tells girls and boys that they have to strictly conform to either one or the other in terms of the gender binary's is showing that a girl doesn’t have to only adhere to the very strict rules of society but that she can make her own rules 

Disney + Patriarchy = Princesses

From: Angela

Disney, as we all know and love, may seem like a magical and happy atmosphere for children to immerse themselves in. However, it can be a very dangerous place, especially for little girls. I wanted to convey the silent catalyst of Disney that is the Patriarchy in my photo. I place a picture of myself when I was three years old in a play wedding dress on top of a “Disney Princess My Perfect Wedding” storybook. I use Cinderella to symbolize society looking down on young girls as they condition them to follow in their footsteps; here society is preaching to young girls that it is expected of all women to eventually get married. What is interesting, is Cinderella’s’ non-existent reflection in the mirror which can ultimately show that the patriarchy in Disney is silent and non-existent like because it is glossed over by “magic and happiness”. My three-year-old self looks directly into the camera and smiles widely obliviously, as I just “play” along. I specifically chose this book because Cinderella is one of many of the princesses that explicitly shows patriarchy in all forms. To make things sweet and simple, she gets saved by the prince and marries him in the end. This shows a second message young girls receive: you are not “strong” enough to fix your own life so, get a man to do it for you. In the article “Patriarchy, The System”, Allan Johnson explains that the Patriarchal culture is about, “standards of feminine beauty and images of feminine vulnerability” (Johnson 27). Disney is outright guilty of participating in this sexist system. For one, they create a princess with a slim waist and beautiful facial features giving the ideology that all girls need to represent this standard. To tie it all up they then show the princess’s vulnerability as the prince saves her from her situation. Johnson also conveys, “above all, patriarchal culture is about the core value of control and domination” (Johnson27). Disney, powerful and widely known, controls girl culture and what the overall intention of being a girl should be in the eyes of the patriarchy. Instead of encouraging our girls it discourages them in all forms.

Work Cited:

Johnson, Allan. “Patriarchy, The System.” Saraswati, Shaw, and Rellihan. Introduction to  Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies: Interdisciplinary and Intersectional    Approaches. Oxford UP, 2018.

PhotoBlog assignment

From: Tasha

This image is of my little brother kneeling behind some pillows with a Nerf gun. A Nerf gun is a boy's toy. It is encouraged for children to play with the toys of their designated gender. Like most boy's toys it encourages rough active play. The gun shoots darts and allows for aggressive projectile firing play. It enables kids to role play as a soldier. This sort of role play prepares children for a future occupation. Playing an active role and being heroic are common themes for boy’s toys.  This toy prepares him for the role of the protector. 

In the foreground, you will notice there is a pillow fort. He rises above this and rests his gun on top of it. He is not curled up hiding behind it, but instead he leans over top it. This is a powerful stance. Both the pillows in front of him and his shirt are white. The color white represents innocence. This sort of childish play is a pure and innocent activity.

The composition of the photo makes him feel powerful. The framing and angling lead to this. He takes up a lot of the frame. This make him appear large and powerful. The shot is angled so that you are looking down the barrel of the orange gun. The orange is a stark contrast to the white pillow it is perched on. The camera angle and color emphasizes the gun in the picture. This also leads to movement in the picture. When you look at the photo, you first look at my brother, then your eye is led across to the right following the gun to the focal point on the right side of the picture. In the background, you will notice the lines of the bed. These lines parallel the movement of the picture. This going along the grain relates to the theme of the picture. He is playing with boy’s toys, which is going with the grain of gender norms. Going along with gender norms is encouraged by society, and for this reason he was depicted powerfully in this picture.

Social Norms within Girl Culture

From -N.

In this photo, we see a adolescent  girl at the age of 13 getting ready to go to school in the morning. When I took this photo I wanted to reflect on the process young girl go through just to look the part in society. From a young age girls are taught to look presentable wherever they go which includes, hair, makeup, routine cleanliness, scent and overall appearance. The angle of the photo signifies society or  the way others are always observing her to make sure he looks "perfect". In my photo she is applying lip gloss in the process of getting ready and to enhance her looks. The black and white effect on the photo represents the harsh reality that society has, there is no hiding from womanly primping. The color makes all the elements stand out, and symbolizes how beauty standards are not something new to women. Black and white in a photo usually portrays old ,worn, emotional or  has a dark meaning. The perfume and toothpaste placed on the counter acts as another element of expectation ,because if one was to skip out on these duties they would probably be judged by others. If a female decides to skip out on her routine then it is seen as nasty, but if a male does it then it is seen as an admirable “manly smell” .Most women even carry around smaller versions of   parts of their routine around with them to re-apply at any time. If you go into any woman's purse or bag you will most likely find a mirror, perfume, and a lip product of some sort,which is the norm for women. They are held to a standard to always be pretty at all times.

Thirteen is the prime age of both womanhood and  teenage beginnings ,many girls are just now learning how to navigate society. In Laura Greenfield's photo essay, “Girl Culture” another  young girl the same age solidifies that it is not an easy task to grow into a woman by saying, “I’m only thirteen. It's kind of scary. It's a hard feeling to not know where you fit in at all”.  


Works Cited
Greenfield, Laura. “ GIRL CULTURE”. Photograph. ZoneZero, 2001.http://v1.zonezero.com/exposiciones/fotografos/girlcult/greenfield05.html .

UNMASKING MASCULINITY

From: Baylee

The term masculinity is a gender identity that is presumably associated with males. For “normal” males, being masculine is seen as the objective. However, for “normal” females being masculine is an undesirable trait. When I say “normal”, I am speaking on behalf of what society deems standard. C.J Pascoe says that masculinity is not a homogenous characteristic that any boy posses simply because they are male, but rather understood as practices that youth (boys and girls) may encounter due to societal influence. Mentioned in the excerpt, boys typically confirm their masculinity during adolescence. During our youth, we (boys and girls) were taught that a well- ordered society relies on male display of an “instrumental” role and female display of an “expressive” role (Pascoe 45). Any sense of stray from either role would result in “role competition” and “weaken society” (Pascoe 45). So instead, we teach our children to stay between the lines and to understand the roles as black and white (like the photo). Queer theorist Judith Butler, mentions how gendered beings are created through a process (49). When people reference or subtly encourage a gender norm, the norm becomes more powerful. The norm I would like to reference is the words we associate masculinity with. Although the girl squatting 225 lbs in the picture is presenting impressive physical strength, it is more so a metaphor for all strength, dominance, ability, power associated with being masculine, or better yet being a masculine male. I chose this activity specifically for the picture because being physically strong and masculinity are collective to one another. In fact, I am sure it is one of the first aspects people correspond with being masculine, so I wanted to share that ability with the female body. As you look at this picture, I am sure you noticed her reflection is blurred. The mirror is a representation of societal standards rejecting what is considered not “normal” and reflecting what is. The girl lifting weights, straying from normality and displaying what is considered a masculine trait is rejected, while the men who express masculinity by going to a gym, gaining muscle mass, and expressing their heterosexuality is reflected. A society reflects what is teaches, what it encourages, and what it values. Instead of conforming young boys to be emotionless, tough, and detached or conforming young girls to be delicate, submissive, and idealized, society must reflect characteristics of acceptance, respect, and equality. As Pascoe states, “while challenging an unequal gender order at the level of interactions does not necessarily address larger structural inequalities, it is an important component of social change” (50). Unmasking masculinity is an important component of social change.

Works Cited

Pascoe, C. J. "MAKING MASCULINITY: Adolescence, Identity, and High School (2011)."  

2007. Introduction to Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. Ed. L. Ayu Saraswati,             

Barbara L. Shaw, and Heather Rellihan. N.p.: Oxford UP, 2018. 43-51. Print.

Learning while Playing

 From Tina:

In this photo you can observe my two-year-old nephew in just another day of play time. The colors of his toys are mostly red and black but there is not a single toy that has even a touch of pink on it because that is not what society sets as “normal” for boys. He is only two, but his mind is like a sponge and is already learning in what kind of activities he needs to be interested on based on his toys. All his toys are sharp and rough because that is what society expects from boys as stated in the reading The “Two Cultures” of Childhood, “Consisted with the general theme that boys are rougher and girls sweeter, boys’ toys (and masculine objects more generally) are hard and sharp, whereas girls’ toys (and other feminine objects) are soft and smooth” (Rudman and Glick 60). Following with this statement you can observe the appearance of the real tools all the real tools have dark colors and are sharp basically representing masculinity. He is trying to change a wheel of his toy quad but if you observe carefully he is using his dad wrench to change the wheel because although he has an exact same toy wrench he decides to use the real one, because that’s what his dad uses when he is fixing his car or things at home. He is already associating his toys with male jobs such as mechanic because how many female mechanics exist. Even Marshall his favorite plush pup is representing a firefighter, a job that requires a lot of strength and valor just the qualities that a man is supposed to have also both of his cars are representing again a firefighter and a police officer, both professions consist in protecting and rescuing people. This types of toys and form of playing is teaching children that they always must be the tough ones and always protect everyone else. As Rudman and Glick illustrate that “These different forms of role-playing reinforce traditionally gendered adult roles and the enactment of stereotypically masculine traits among boys (physical toughness, leadership, assertiveness . . .)” (61). While children are playing they are learning how they are supposed to behave based on their gender. I took the photo from that angle because is a way of representing that society is always watching his choices and decide whether those choices are appropriate or inappropriate for a boy, I did not clean the deck to take the photo on purpose because it represents that boys are tough and is perfectly fine for them to get dirty, but is a total different story when it comes to girls because they are too delicate to get dirty. The sticker of his toy quad is a symbol of superiority because it says king instead of prince encouraging boys to aspire to be more powerful. The photo was taken early in the morning because as soon as he wakes up the first thing he does is start playing, thus is symbolizes that for kids play time is so precious because that is how they learn.  

Works Cited

Rudman, Laurie A., and Peter Glick. The Social Psychology of Gender: How Power and Intimacy Shape Gender Relations, The Guilford Press, 2015, pp. 59–63.

5-year-old model

From: Alyssa

The title of my photo is 5-year-old supermodel. The title just came to me after selecting what I thought was the best photo out of all the ones I took of the two young girls playing in makeup. I wanted to convey the subtopic of two cultures of childhood. The main points from this topic that stood out to me were the gender differences that I ignored when thinking about children and how they are raised. In the “Two Cultures of Childhood” essay one point that stood out to me was “children learn gender schemas from their social environments…” (Rudman and Glick Pg.59). One of the gender differences that I wanted to focus on was girls learn at a young age the importance of appearance and looks whereas that isn’t very important for boys. A huge aspect of where they learn this is from the classic Barbie. Stated from the “Two Cultures of Childhood” essay, “Barbie and her legion of imitators represent feminine ideals and encourage such activities as pretend shopping, grooming, and accessorizing” (Rudman and Glick Pg.61) And what better way to captivate that key point than with makeup. The things I was focused on for this picture was the symbolism and framing of the picture. Makeup represents beauty. Many people in our society believe you can only be beautiful if one you wear makeup; but not too much makeup going for a natural look, and look if your body looks a certain way. So I wanted the makeup to symbolize just that, societies view on beauty. I set the picture up in a way where my “model” was taking up majority of the frame so that the focus would be on her. In the actual photo I wanted her to be doing her own makeup because at a young age I was talked to about the importance of appearance and was “gifted” a makeup set. I probably wasn’t any older than 7 but the idea of giving a young girl a makeup set and basically telling her the way to be pretty is by makeup is ridiculous to me. In the photo you can see the little girl applying the makeup to her face but she isn’t looking at the mirror she is looking up to her mom sort of looking for approval. To me that captives that she has barely any idea of what she’s doing and in order for her to feel good about it, then she must look up to someone older and she what their reaction is. She’s also making this sort of kissy face and I asked where she learned that and she said YouTube. In today’s society a huge aspect of where they learn is though technology.  I don’t want my children to grow up in a world were boy’s certain things and learn a certain way of life where as girls learn the opposite. Everything should be neutral. 

References

Rudman, Laurie A., and Peter Glick. The Social Psychology of Gender: How Power and Intimacy Shape Gender Relations. The Guilford Press, 2015, pp. 59–63. 

The Flower That Blooms

From: Jorge

This is a picture of my young sister. In this photo I am representing a young girl who is curious about the more “masculine” film, where a woman protagonist is portrayed as a strong, athletic person capable of “masculine” positions, instead of the “feminine” film, where the protagonist is soft, passive person. Growing up with only brothers for siblings, Cia has always had masculine role models in the household. Rough-housing, contact sports, and aggressive humor have always been the basis of her brothers’ ideas of fun. Between the ages of 3-6, Cia rarely wanted to wear bright colors and faux make-up. For Halloween, she chose gender-neutral characters such as animals and seasonal mascots. However, once she started elementary school, by hanging out with girls who have older sisters and more feminine role models, she began to question whether she “needed” to be more girly-like or not. This extended to our mother having thoughts that Cia would grow up to be lesbian because of how “masculine” her personality and attire was. With different influences coming from inside and outside the home, Cia faced a conflict between the “two cultures” of childhood.

Research shows that “boys’ toys are hard and sharp, whereas girl’ toys are soft and smooth (Rudman, Glick 60). Starting in her elementary school, Cia began playing with Barbie toys, engaging in “girl” activities like Hopscotch and jump rope. However, back at home she played football, Pokémon Trading Card Game, and wrestling. According to gender schema theory (Bem, 1981), “children learn gender schemas from their social environments”. This caused Cia to develop distinctions between her brothers and her friends.

Now, Cia is 10 years old. She is beginning her adolescence period. “Over time, the more boys play with boys and girls with girls, the more gender typed their play activities become. Being told to hang around her friends from school rather than her brothers, she has become more “feminine” but still hints at being a “tomboy”. This is the personality I am conveying through the photo. Cia is dressed in bright pink colored clothes, her room is screaming in pink, yet her backpack is navy blue, her lunchbox is teal, and her water bottle is grey with signs of wear. She is the focal point and the VHSs are her choices. It’s Friday, and after a long day at school and playing outside in the park with her girlfriends, she is ready to relax and end the day with a Disney film. She has two of her favorite stories, Cinderella and Mulan. One inspired by her association with the “feminine” culture, the other inspired by her association the “masculine” culture. Which will she choose? Maybe she feels the story of Cinderella has been said and done before. She’s reading the plot summary, possibly looking for a word resembling her brothers’ personalities…

Works Cited:

Rudman, Laurie A., and Peter Glick. _The Social Psychology of Gender: How Power and Intimacy Shape Gender Relations_, The Guilford Press, 2015, pp. 59–63.

The Horrors of Gender Norms

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From: Tyler

Gender norms are a set of rules that a majority of society follows. We are taught these rules from a young age from doing things such as being given a certain type of toy to play with, wearing a certain type of clothing and even the Halloween costumes we pick out as children based on the interests that have been pushed on us.

This picture shows two children’s Halloween costumes and the “gender norms” each costume implements.  On the right you see a boy dressed up in a superhero costume with the advertisement for “muscle chest” with the boy posing like a bodybuilder would. The superhero is also green, a color considered to be masculine. I positioned the costume packaging for the superhero or “male” costume higher than the costume packaging showing the little girl dressed as a fairy to represent how gender norms teach us that men are typically stronger, more powerful and above women in the social hierarchy. The costume packaging showing the little girl dressed as a fairy reinforces the gender norm that females are supposed to present themselves as feminine. The costume the little girl is wearing is pink and light blue, a color combination that is typically associated with females. Her pose is also a big factor in my point, while the boy wearing the “male” costume’s pose is that of a masculine body builder flexing his muscles the girls pose has a very inviting and innocent look to it.

As stated in Rudman & Glick’s “Two Cultures of Childhood”, gender schemas become part of a child’s identity, influencing children’s preferences, attitudes, and behaviors as they strive to act in socially appropriate “masculine” or “feminine” ways (Rudman & Glick 59-60). The picture shown perfectly demonstrates Rudman & Glick’s point. Young boys would be prone to picking a costume that reflects that of masculinity and power while a young girl would be prone to picking a costume that reflects that of femininity, wanting to look pretty and innocent.

Works Cited

Rudman, Laurie A., and Peter Glick. _The Social Psychology of Gender: How Power and Intimacy Shape Gender Relations_, The Guilford Press, 2015, pp. 59–63. 

Fighting Gender Norms

From: Ana 

Jiu-Jitsu, A combative sport for defeating an armed and un-armored opponent in which one uses no weapons, only their body, and strength. The photograph shows a female Jiu-jitsu fighter, named Karen. I chose my friend Karen as a model figure for the “two cultures” of childhood because she represents out of norm gender expectations. In the reading, it states “segregation both allows and encourages girls and boys to develop separate social worlds or "cultures" characterized by different activities, interaction styles, and social rules” (Rudman, Glick 59). In the photo, Karen is shown looking down at her blue belt, showing off a belt she has trained to earn for months. Training has ultimately shown Karen’s peers she is a strong and independent woman. Karen takes up the height of the frame to show that she has ultimately trained to achieve a blue belt that was difficult to earn and the words on the wall stating “fearless” signifies she is breaking through society's expectations of her gender. Unfortunately, societal influences will always find a way to cause her to feel trapped, which is shown by the width of the frame and the metal fence in the background. Karen wants to gain more power, but gender expectations restrict her. Society can question a woman who trains in jiu-jitsu as unappealing because of her body changes. It might be unattractive if a female athlete is different from a CoverGirl on a magazine. A female jiu-jitsu fighter might have her fingers calloused rather than perfect manicured nails, messy hair and odor replaced by sweat rather than a heavenly fragrance smell. In the reading it goes on to say, “Gender Schemas associate maleness and femaleness with myriad different attributes, behaviors, and objects definition "masculine" as rougher, tougher and more active and feminine as nicer, softer and more passive” (Rudman, Glick 60) and later associating strength and power with men and warmth and nurturance with women. The black mat signifies cultural aspects, as Karen looks down upon (society) on what the female role is meant to be, delicate rather than muscular. Karen demonstrates she too can do what boys do by tightening her belt as much as she can, securing her spot she gained to attain. Karen’s uniform is a symbol of commitment to persevere. When life gets difficult, she is setting the foundation for her success rather than listening to what others have to say, on how a female should behave and dress and what she should and should not participate in; Every time she steps onto the mat she proves she is not too small or too weak. Whether she is too “muscular” or fit, she values her body for what it can do.

Work Cited

Rudman, Laurie A., and Peter Glick. _The Social Psychology of Gender: How Power and Intimacy Shape Gender Relations_, The Guilford Press, 2015, pp. 59–63.

Assassin's Creed

From: Lisa

I took this photo to represent the topic “Two Cultures of Childhood.” It would be nice to believe that gender stereotypes don’t exist or go away as children grow into adults. In this photo we see that gender stereotypes are in full gear. B, a 4 year old boy and Robert, a 21 year old male are doing what boys do best; playing video games. “Over time the more boys play with boys and girls with girls the more gender typed their play activities become.” (Rudman and Glick [page 59]) I chose to have the boys ignoring the photographer, a female, to support the statement from Rudman and Glick. The boys are focused on their video game instead of acknowledging being photographed. I decided to capture this photo with a polaroid camera after trying to use my phone when B said “taking pictures is for girls.” I decided to use Bryce’s advice and take the photo using an artsier camera; something a girl would have.  “At 3 to 4 years of age, girls become less likely to engage in physical aggression, whereas boys become more likely to do so.” (Rudman and Glick [page 63]). Not seen in this photo is the video game the boys are playing, the game is called Assassin’s Creed. The title speaks for itself on boys and physical aggression and how it is still seen as acceptable to promote violence in these children. I took off all the decorative colorful pillows off the couch to really capture the “boys only” essence of gender socialization because bright colors are for girls. In the background of this photo you don’t see any color on the walls or any decorations because that wouldn’t be seen as masculine.  I chose to capture both boys in this photo to show how gender socialization affects children as they grow into adults. Even though these boys are so far apart in age, boys still play with boys and not girls. At the young age of 4 most boys know that being affectionate is looked down upon; which is why I decided to capture these boys sitting close together yet making sure not to be close enough to be physically touching each other. I believe this photo accurately captures one of the “Two Cultures of Childhood” and how it continues into adulthood.

Innocence vs Beauty

From Ailsa

I wanted to try and portray the “glass slipper effect”, but I also took inspiration from “The Two Cultures of Childhood”. I wanted to also portray how beauty is like become a need for women in society. The image on the left depicts the need for women to focus more on their beauty. There is also a lot off representation of what people see as what is normal to associate with girls. As you can see in this image there is mostly pink items in this picture from the box the shoe is sitting on to the blush and the pink makeup brush. As we all know pick is a color we associate more with girls. But you may ask, why is the shoe black and white? The black and white shows that women of equal color struggle with the pressures of beauty.  Pink feather boa signifies what little girls would play dress up. According to Rudman and Glick, “…imitators represent feminine ideals and encourage such activities as pretend shopping, grooming, and accessorizing.”

The photo on the right basically portrays me as a woman struggling to put on her shoe. In the tale “Cinderella” she basically waits for her prince charming to find her by putting it on her foot, while others who have tried it on were trying to shove it into their foot. As little girls we all played dress up and make believe we were princesses waiting for her prince to come. The struggle of putting on the heel shows how women have become obsessed with beauty and wanting to look more presentable and confident. When a women wears heels, some people might say that she must have a lot of confidence to wear those shoes. Women who wear these types of shoes only end up with blisters and painful feet. So as the phrase goes “beauty is pain”, women must be willing to fit into society by sacrificing comfort for beauty.

Photo Essay

From: Caitlin          

           In the photo, the beloved toy rabbit sits under a sheet in the light. Soft pink fur and long floppy ears, this toy was the idea choice for a woman’s young daughter to play with. The rabbit’s ears laid back behind its head like the daughter’s long hair, easily letting her practice brushing it. The pink fur the perfect color for the daughter to match with her dress-up outfits. Soft and cuddly, the rabbit was the daughters favorite toy to cuddle up to at night.

These design features purposefully marketed to the girl by a company that would continue to mold her idea of what it meant to be a girl. In The “Two Cultures” of Childhood, Laurie Rudman and Peter Glick discuss how gender based toys developed children’s social rules. They state that boys and girls “extract general qualities that distinguish masculine and feminine” (page 2). The photo draws on this idea by focusing on what a typical girl toy looks like. The toy reflects many characteristics young girls share, long hair and soft features. Due to the toy’s rounded and soft characteristics young girls can easily associate it with a baby or smaller child, leading to the idea that the rabbit should be played with gently and carefully.

The focus of the photo, however, was to connect these young, impressionable girls to the unrealistic standers that they will eventually be held to. The rabbit in the photo is representative to a girl’s childhood, innocent and unaffected by any standards. The overall photo is illustrating the pressure to follow standards to be feminine. One example of this is the long ears on the rabbit, girls are often told to keep their long hair or want to grow it out to look more like their favorite TV character. Another example being the rabbit’s covered face. This is to portray the feeling these girls have when comparing their natural looks to popular movie and pop stars, wanting to look more like their idols and ashamed of their own looks. Finally, the light shining down leaves the rabbit’s body on open display. Young girls, especially those starting to become young women, may often feel like a spotlight is pointed at them. Focusing on each little mark and flaw, these girls are made to feel as if there is no hiding from themselves.

Guns & Dolls

From: Amanda

Children are taught at a young age about different social worlds depending on whether they are a girl or boy. Over time, the more boys play with boys and girls with girls, the more gender typed their play activities become. (Rudman and Glick pg.59) Not only do you see this segregation when boys play with boys and girls play with girls, but also with the toys they play with.  Some toys are “for girls” and some toys are “for boys.” American children spend much of their time playing with gender-neutral toys (e.g., crayons) as well as gender-specific toys (e.g., tucks vs. dolls), but children rarely play with toys associated with the other sex (Rudman and Glick pg. 60) Children often do not want to be seen playing with toys associated with the other gender. While they may want to play with toys of the other gender they feel embarrassed. In the picture “Guns & Dolls” there is a 7-year-old boy named Johnson with his father Andy. Andy and Johnson are in a store picking out toys.  Johnson walks into the toy isle that seems to be a “girls toys” section. It seems like a “girls toy” section because of all of the pink. Johnson picks up a Barbie of the shelf and his father immediately tells him to put the Barbie back because it’s a “girls toy”.  Johnson continues to ask for the Barbie when Andy grabs a Nerf gun from the next isle over to convince Johnson to take the Nerf gun instead of the Barbie. Andy wants his son to play with the “boy toy” not the “girl toy”. Johnson feels embarrassed for wanting to play with the Barbie. There is a fear created by society that if a boy plays with “girls toys” it put his masculinity into question.  That’s why when a boy is playing with an action figure he is very quick to point out that it is an action figure and not a doll. Kids should be able to play with whatever toy without fear of their sexuality being questioned, without fear of being judged, and without fear of being made fun of.