Childhood Toys

In our reading this week we had a section on toys and their influence on gender stereotypes. This section in the reading was not terribly long but it got me thinking about how the toys we buy for our kids may have a serious affect on their lives as time goes on. The text discusses how girls toys tend to be more geared toward building relationships, maintaining physical looks, and practicing homemaker skills. Boys, on the other hand, have toys that emphasize building, manipulating, and creating new things.

I find myself wondering if marketing these toys towards boys and girls has some effect on later struggles in the academic world. Earlier in the semester we read about how girls tend to struggle with subjects such as math, and boys struggle in language based subjects. What I by giving children certain toys we are fostering this struggle, even if just a little? I think it would be great if we encourage children to choose toys they want regardless of it is "for girls" or "for boys." Girls need to have the opportunity to practice creating new things and exercising imaginative manipulation of objects. Just as boys should have the opportunity to practice skills that come in handy in the home (ie. cooking sets, cleaning toys). By taking away the gendered categories of toys we can foster a more well-rounded knowledge base in children regardless of the stereotype of what boys do and what girls do. How amazing would it be if taking away gender biases in toys could increase the ability of children to learn and practice new things!?

Gender and Advertisement

This week in class we watched a video about how advertisements use gender and sex to sell products. This has been something that always bothered me simply because many products that are being sold with an underlying sexual tone have nothing to do with sex or anything related to it. In the video, the speaker addresses food ads as a culprit of this type of advertisement. Why do we have the need to sexualize food? At the same time that we are selling food as "sexy" we, as a culture, same women (and men for that matter) for being overweight or not eating properly. What a confusing message to send! The video was largely based on how women are treated in the advertising world, preferring sickly skinny models who fit into a very small mold of looks. I think this video did a good job at bringing these advertising flaws to the forefront, but I also wish it had more to say about how men are treated in advertising. I will grant that often times women are objectified more often than men, but that still does not make it ok when men are objectified. At one point in the video, the speaker brings up an ad where a man is all but naked, and we cannot see his face. The speaker says that this is not nearly as bad as the ads for women we see because at least this ad does not have any objectifying statements on it. While this is true, it was simply a picture, I think its important that we recognize when people are being objectified regardless of "how bad it is" or what their gender is. If we truly want to take a stand and make a change in our society, we should start with the same standards for everyone.

Gender Development and Cognition

This week in class we read about cognitive approaches to gender development. One major theory we read about discussed how gender development can occur as a process by which children take in information and fit it into preexisting schemas of gender understanding. This got me thinking about how much of an effect individual differences in understanding can impact our gender development. Can one child's views of gender roles be so different from another that they develop their sense of gender differently? I think this is a valid position in all forms of development. We already know that individual differences account for a large portion of how people learn to adapt, so its not too outlandish to think that gender development may be on the same plane as this.
Could individual differences account for differences in schematic categorization of gender typed behaviors? If so, I wonder if this explains why some children are more apt to play with any toy they want, rather than discarding specific toys because they are "for girls" or "for boys." If this is the case, I think that these differences could not only teach us something about development as a whole and its progression, but also about how disparities among individuals can be something we all can observe and learn from to be more tolerant of someone else's ideas.

Gender Non-Conformity

This week our professor posted a link to a blog of a mother with a gender non-conforming son and it really got me thinking. But, first things first, what does it mean to be gender non-conforming? In simple terms, you could  say a gender non-conformist is one who does not prescribe to the typical gender roles, activities, and appearances of their gender. For example, this boy whom I mentioned above has longer hair, enjoys wearing Juicy Couture boots, skirts, and watching shows on The Food Network or HGTV. Now a  gender-conforming boy might instead wearing jeans, tennis shoes, watch cartoons, and keep his hair short.

I honestly think its smart and cool that this boy's mom supports his decision to wear what he wants and express himself how he feels he should, regardless of whether its typical. Take out the aspect of gender for a minute and think about what he support communicates to her son. By supporting these self expressions, his mom is sending messages of acceptance, understanding, and love. All of these messages are so important to a child, especially as they come to an age where society and their peers will begin to pressure them and scrutinize them more heavily. I think one of these greatest things a parent can do is show unconditional love and respect to their children.

Now back to gender; some might worry that by allowing her son to act this way she is setting him up to be different from his peers, made fun of, or that this expression may have an impact on his gender identity. While I don't have any scientific background to back up my opinion on this, I will say that I think regardless of her support or not her child is already different. (And personally, I don't think there's  anything wrong with that. Through differences we can learn and grow more as an individual and society.) He already had these thoughts about his expression, and maybe identity, and by not forcing him to suppress them, his mom gave him the strength to show the world who he really is and maybe give him the strength to stand up for himself in other aspects of life. I definitely agree with this mom's way of handling and supporting her son.

Societal Gender Views vs Individual Gender Views: How do they blend?

Up to this point in my gender roles class we have read about biological aspects to gender differentiation and what society views as gender and the same for individuals. I have been intrigued by the statement in one of our textbooks that gender to the individual means sameness, but to society gender means difference. How cool of a concept! And how shocking that I had not heard, nor thought of the concept before...When I think back on my own development I can see this taking place in my life. I was born female and have always identified as female.

With this in mind, I can analyze my development and see how, as an individual I wanted very much to be like my female peers in regard to gender roles, but how society would emphasize this similarity in the context of being different from my male peers. I grew up with three brothers and so some aspects of my childhood were a little more "boy typical." By this I mean that if I wanted to play with my brothers I would often times have to play Legos, or play in the mud, or be tough. All activities one might associate with boy-ness. At the same time, I had plenty of opportunity to be completing opposite and engage in "girl typical" activities. Whether that be playing with my Barbies (and I was known to force my younger brothers to play too,) or go out shopping, or have my aunt paint my nails and do my makeup.

While at home I did not mind the "boy-ish" activities, at school I was more likely to dress girly and engage in activities that my female peers would engage in with me. Out with my peers I would try to be the same because I knew that being like other girls was somehow important, and by being the same as my peers I was also an example of how boys and girls "should/are" different. Now as an adult, I feel like being the same or being different from the opposite gender is not nearly as important as my self expression and happiness are. While I am still pretty girly about certain aspects of my life, I also have no problem thoroughly enjoying activities that might not be girly. I wonder how much of my current expression is influenced by my society.