Gendered assumptions and their impact on toy preferences

Discuss About The Insidious Influence Gender Socialization.

Toys play a crucial role in the society in defining the roles of gender. Children learn definite skill sets from the playing. The toys that the children possess determine to a great extent the role that they would play in the society. The television advertisements, flyers and catalogues were built on the basis of regressive gender stereotype.  This essay elucidates on the assumptions regarding gender that are imbibed in the toys and the differing sociological perspective on this issue.

The theme and the flyers of the toy store revealed a separate identity for the girls and the boys. I saw that the theme of the girl’s section was related to dolls and kitchen that serves as a symbol of their functional role within the society. The theme and toys of the boys was more innovative and it reflected the professional role that they would take up at the later stage of life.

I found out in the toy store that the modern method of marketing does not rely on explicit sexism but more on gender cues like that of colour and gender roles. Beautiful princess or the action hero was symptomatic of the notions regarding gender in the society. Dr. Mick Cunningham has stated that normative behaviours which the children observe can have an influence on the manner in which the children grow up (Mullins, pp 34)  Normative gender roles are reinforced on an individual with the help of stores, advertisements, catalogues and flyers  that sell a particular idea to the people.

Gender Role is indicative of the concept that society has regarding the men and women and it defines how they should behave in the social structure. These roles are on the basis of the standard that is set by the society. I have understood that within the Canadian culture, masculine role is associated with that of strength along with aggression. Feminine role on the other hand is related with that of passivity and subordination. It is expected that the girls will play with the miniature sized utensils and will in due course of time evolve to become “perfect home-makers” (Harris and Shaun, pp 90).  I found out that the toys that are relegated to the male gender are that of machines, cars and electronic equipment that suggests their future roles in the social structure. It is assumed that playing with these kinds of toys will help in preparing them for the future vocation. According to Goffman, the social roles are imbibed within people and when the right time comes people strat using them in front of the society (Gerstel and Dan, pp 78).

Regressive gender stereotypes in commercial marketing

Structural functionalism is an important perspective in relation to sociological research and it had a major influence on that of gender studies. The pre-industrial era saw the men taking on the responsibilities outside that of home and the women were responsible for doing the household chores. Talcott Parsons has said that structural functionalism represented a particular stage in the process of developing of that of social science (Kollmayer et al., pp 76).   Symbolic interactionism portrayed the human behaviour by the help of analysis of the critical roles of that of the symbols. The meanings that are created by the symbols are fluid and on the basis of the current assigned meaning. This sociological perspective states that when people do work on the basis of the gender role then it is said that they are “doing gender” (Spinner, Lindsey and Rachel, pp 90).  Herbert Blumer has said that human groups are the creation of people and the actions between the people play an important role in defining the society.

By the help of the analysis of the toy store and the catalogues I found out that there are some colours that are held to be feminine whereas there are other colours that symbolize the male gender. The colours that are used in packaging for the girls are that of pink that symbolizes the frail and docile nature of femininity (Colaner and Christine, pp 98).  The colours that are used in packaging for the boys are solid colours like that of dark blue that represents the dominant position of men in the society.

According to me, the layout of the stores points to the prevailing notions about gender in the current society. The girls section of the store has images of Barbie and that of cooking utensils that highlights their role in the prevailing culture. The boys section has images of car and machinery that shows the productive nature of the male (Farr et al. pp 123).   The themes of the stores are on the basis of the roles that has been ascribed to the gender and the functions that they are supposed to play in the society.

The society is rife with that of gender stereotypes and children learn to adopt to that of gender roles. Children move from that of childhood to that of adulthood and they become exposed to various factors that can influence their behaviour. These attitudes are learnt by the children first at their home and then the school experience along with that of television viewing help in forming the mindset of the children. Age is a factor in the gender assumption of toys because the mind of the child is not rational (Yavorsky, Claire and Sarah, pp 167).  When the child grows up he starts to understand things and this makes them understand things from a different light. The notions regarding gender however is deeply rooted in the mind of the individual and this continue to stay with an individual throughout life.

Sociological perspectives and gender studies

The toys like dolls and cars are bought by the children and also by the parents of the children. Girls often see other girls playing with miniature kitchen utensils and dolls that make them buy such commodities (Colaner and Christine, pp 121). Boys on the other hand buy car that is perceived to be associated with masculinity. Their parents also play an important role in forming the mindset of the children as they often force the children to buy the stereotypical toys.

The notions about gender roles are imbibed in an individual since their childhood and they continue to stay on in the mind of an individual throughout their entire life.ssss Society has become modern and many people have been able to come out of their conservative mind set (Spinner, Lindsey and Rachel, pp 99). It can however be said that some people continue to be dominated by the prevailing notions and fall prey to the ideas of gender stereotypes.

Conclusions:

The notions prevailing in the pre-industrial era gave birth to the concepts in relation to gender role in the society. The men going out for working and the women doing the household work gave birth to gender gap in the society. I have understood by introspecting the toy store that the flyers and catalogues of the toy stores represent the notions regarding the male and female gender that prevail within the wider society. Colours used in packaging for girls and boys are in tandem with the roles that they play in the society. The machine and the electrical equipments signify the professional world of the male gender. The doll on the other hand is representative of the role that girls are supposed to play in the future. It is held that playing with these kinds of toys can prepare them for their future life.

References:

Colaner, Colleen Warner, and Christine E. Rittenour. ““Feminism Begins at Home”: The Influence of Mother Gender Socialization on Daughter Career andMotherhood Aspirations as Channeled Through Daughter Feminist Identification.” Communication Quarterly 63.1 (2015): 81-98.

Farr, Rachel H., et al. “Children’s Gender-typed Behavior from Early to Middle Childhood in Adoptive Families with Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Parents.” Sex Roles (2017): 1-14.

Gerstel, Naomi, and Dan Clawson. “Class advantage and the gender divide: Flexibility on the job and at home.” American Journal of Sociology 120.2 (2014): 395-431.

Harris III, Frank, and Shaun R. Harper. “Matriculating Masculinity: Understanding Undergraduate Men’s Precollege Gender Socialization.” Journal of the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition 27.2 (2015): 49-65.

Kollmayer, Marlene, et al. “Parents’ Judgments about the Desirability of Toys for Their Children: Associations with Gender Role Attitudes, Gender-typing of Toys, and Demographics.” Sex Roles (2018): 1-13.

Mullins, Nicole M. “Insidious influence of gender socialization on females’ physical activity: rethink pink.” Physical Educator72.1 (2015): 20.

Spinner, Lauren, Lindsey Cameron, and Rachel Calogero. “Peer Toy Play as a Gateway to Children’s Gender Flexibility: The Effect of (Counter) Stereotypic Portrayals of Peers in Children’s Magazines.” Sex Roles (2017): 1-15.

Yavorsky, Jill E., Claire M. Kamp Dush, and Sarah J. Schoppe?Sullivan. “The production of inequality: The gender division of labor across the transition to parenthood.” Journal of Marriage and Family 77.3 (2015): 662-679.