Analysis Of Linda Diproperzio 's Article, She Quoted An Associate Professor Of Women

In “Why Boys Don’t Play With Dolls,” Pollitt writes about the differences between growing up as a boy growing up as a girl. She brings up the stereotypes that society naturally creates between genders in early ages, which leads to the lifestyle and path that boys and girls are raised in. Parents and feminist alike play a big part in establishing these sex roles. They raise their kids wanting them to be successful at what they are expected to be good at based on their gender and the trend that has been set before them.

Before attempting to conceive children, parents have preferences for if they want a girl or boy. They anticipate for their child’s gender and immediately begin making decisions for them. In the book, The Gender Trap: Parents and the Pitfalls of Boys and Girls, Emily Kane interviews parents to examine their choice of purchasing a “Daddy’s Princess” onesie for their newborn daughter or a “Little Toughie” onesie for their son. Although it may be difficult for parents to control their behaviors according to social constructs of gender, this can be the first step in the process that can potentially end up regulating kids in the long run and most of the time it’s hard to avoid the gender trap. Boys and girls are naturally different and it’s not a

They said that children start to learn the gender ropes from an early age; they can tell what sex a fire hat, dolls, and makeup belong to. They are also able to identify their own sex as early as their second birthday, and they are able to have a mental box that labels ‘Me’ versus ‘Not Me.’ Children know what behaviours belong to their sex without any formal instruction. By the same token, another parent reported something surprising when she found her daughter, who she gave a red fire truck instead of a doll, cuddling the truck in a blanket. She rocked the truck, and said, “Don’t worry, little truckie, everything will be all right.” This is clearly not the way that a child should play with a toy truck, but this little girl was displaying the

The feminist movement has been trying to change the idea of traditional sex roles and stereotypes in society for decades, but maybe the issue relies on society instead of biological differences. While these biological differences and research show that there are small differences in cognitive brain activity between the sexes, they also propose a theory that this “is the way it’s supposed to be” (Pollitt 2549). Although these differences exist it does not mean that sexes should have permanently assigned roles in society. Katha Pollitt, a feminist author and high profile activist wrote the essay “Why Don’t Boys Play With Dolls,” published in 1995 in The New York Times Magazine. In the essay, she argues that “biological determinism may reassure some adults about their present, but it is feminism, the ideology of flexible and converging sex roles, that fits our children’s future” (2549). Pollitt raises important ethical problems in her essay, gender roles and stereotyping. Throughout her essay she provides several claims to her argument and builds credibility with her audience by using rhetorical strategies. However, the argument also exhibits some minor flaws, which could in return limit its persuasiveness. This analysis will identify Pollitt’s three main claims and the evidence she uses to support them. I argue that overall Pollitt provides an effective argument by building her credibility and expanding her audience with the use of rhetorical strategies, such as ethos, pathos,

Every Christmas morning as a child, I would be disappointed because I would always get toys that I didn’t like. My mom scolded at me for being ungrateful as I would complain that Barbie dolls wasn’t what I wanted for Christmas. My mom replied, “Barbie dolls are what girls are supposed to have. Girls don’t play with Transformers or Power Rangers. You aren’t a boy!” As a child, I didn’t understand what she meant. Acting like a boy wasn’t my intention, as I simply expressed that I would rather have action figures instead. I was simply blinded by the fact that there was a social construct happening, and realized the social constructivism of gender roles. As the troublemaker child that I was, I disagreed with her. Instead I had these questions like,

Despite many of our beliefs, parents also influence their children on what is and what is not appropriate for their gender. Children learn a lot of day to day duties and behaviors from what they pick up from their parents. Normally parents tend to treat their children of different genders differently from the time they are born. They always expect different behaviors and reactions. For example, if a little girl falls and cries, she is immediately consoled and nurtured. At the same time if this same incident were to happen to a little boy he would be told to “suck it up crybaby” or “crying is for girls”. Instead of enforcing societies expectations on the child parents should help them aspire to become the unique person they are destined to be.

For years, both male and females have been treated differently. Parents claim, son or daughter, they treat all of their children the same. From the research I have gathered and also from personal experience, this claim deceives parents. In the sense of a parent, determined by the child’s sex, parents treat their children differently. With this treatment comes numerous situations where double standards occur.These standards can begin to take place as early a toddler. When it comes to parental gender double standards, I believe the phrase “well, she is a girl” and “boys will be boys” is too commonly used by parents. Although parents set a standard for all of their children, daughters tend to be set at a higher standard than sons. These standards

When discussing inequalities, it is easy to overlook gender inequality because race inequality is prevalent and easily recognizable. Like racial inequality; gender inequality is also a real issue in America. Gender stereotypes are perpetuated throughout our lifetime beginning when we are children. Early on, children learn what is means to be a boy or girl from societal standards. Children begin to suffer from the boys versus girl’s mentality which is evident in the social behavior of children. Children’s stereotypical thinking about gender is manifested through their acceptance of gender roles. In the blog, Beyond Pink and Blue: Raising children with science instead of stereotypes, Christia Spears Brown, Ph.D. discuss issues of gender labeling and its impact on children’s developmental. Her objective is to bring awareness to parents to reduce gender segregation and stereotypes in order to raise well-rounded children.

Mothers will overestimate a young boy’s ability to crawl and will underestimate the ability, even though it is the exact same ability, of a young girl. Girls are presented with mommy-to-be toys, such as baby dolls or a Lego set where she can build a house, and boys are given spaceships and other toys that relate to STEM education principles, which involve science, technology, engineering, and math concepts. The notion of the pink aisle, “experts agree[,]…does have a negative impact on girls’ interest in…STEM” resulting in math anxiety and the belief that they are inferior to boys in those subject matters (time.com). The actions adults take toward children, from choosing to pick up the child or leave them be when they cry to whether they give the child a Barbie or Captain America, genders the child. By the time a child reaches kindergarten, they know if they are a boy or a girl and they know that boys like blue and girls like pink. They also know that another child who goes against gender ‘stereotypes’ is unnatural and should be greeted with cruelty. For example, my youngest sister, Clara, has a sensory processing disorder, meaning that an abundance of sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and touches are completely overwhelming to the point of breakdowns and tantrums. For this reason, she wears mostly athletic wear; ruffles and even the tag on the back of a shirt is too ‘itchy’ and results in mass amounts of tears. The

“It’s a girl!” or “It’s a boy!” is typically the first thing parents hear after the birth of a child. This simple statement of fact sets the groundwork for every interaction they will have with their daughter or son, and for every experience that child will have throughout her or his life. Gender identity—the private experience of being female or male—forms a core part of one’s sense of self (Welker). The nature of this private experience is enormously influenced by what we are taught it means to be a girl or a boy, and these lessons are typically fraught with instances of gender bias—what Beverly Stitt, author of Building Gender Fairness in Schools, defines as “a set of beliefs

Our nation has improved rapidly in the aspect of a mutual goal for gender equality. Ever since World War 1, women have had many more responsibilities and rights to heed to. Although this is a significant feat, America lacks to disregard the source of the very dilemma. At exceedingly young ages, new generations are being taught by their parents and peers, strict gender roles and expectations through the most seemingly innocent source: their toys. Cnn.com relate on the subject, “When children see and hear gender labeling from their parents, peers, siblings, grandparents, and even the toy aisles themselves, these messages will sway a child’s interest away from some toys and towards

Children learn as early as age two what it means to be a “boy” or a “girl” (Aina & Cameron). This is described as gender identity, a person’s sense of self as male or female. Gender stereotyping emerges hand in hand with the development of gender identity in Early Childhood (Halim). Gender roles are society’s expectations of the proper behavior, attitudes and activities of males and females. When babies are born they are either put in pink or blue, as they grow up they still maintain the same “gender” colors. As young children start to socialize, they are playing with either “girl” toys or “boy” toys. When they get older they

The distorted facade of gender stereotyping begins the day the doctor says, “it’s a girl” or “it’s a boy.” Family members carry the thirty pink or blue balloons into the hospital room, and your parents dress you in some of your first outfits stating “Daddy’s Little Princess” or “Mommy’s Man,” — but the gender stigma of what it means to be a girl or boy doesn’t stop there. At age five your closet is filled with ill-proportioned barbies and easy bake cooking ovens or handsome superhero action figures and imitations of daddy’s drill set. Each Halloween, you parade around in your tiny, sexualized Wonder Woman and Tinkerbell costumes or boast off your muscles made for saving any damsel in your Super Man and Star Wars costumes. By the time you’ve entered school age you’re plagued with hiding your “sensual” shoulders and kneecaps under the school’s dress code or pressured to join sports as athleticism is far more important than academics. The gender rift continues on and adulthood just furthers the separation with it’s pink tax, men’s fitness magazines, beer commercials, and many other ridiculous gender preconceptions. And while we are not born with the stereotypical notions of male and female, how is it that we are still able to acquire these beliefs even from such a young age and think of them to be true?

The contemporary American society is fast paced and changing every second. Advancements in technology are growing day by day, and the exposure of groundbreaking medical discoveries are causing an uprising in the age-old battle of the sexes. Parents are now capable of choosing the sex of their child, and studies show that having a girl is more favorable. The stray away from traditional gender codes, which are socially constructed roles, behaviors, and attributes given to either gender, have caused a change in thinking amongst parents. These codes place females as being more vulnerable, emotional, and generally performing domestic work, while males are identified with dominance and authority along with being a provider. While there are advantages and disadvantages to both genders, modern society proves that the benefits of being a female outweigh those of a male. Women today are thriving in the educational system, the work force, and biologically by having desirable characteristics that are giving them the edge up above men. They are breaking the gender codes and proving themselves in society as to why being a female is the key to success.

As children are raised, they learn about their society and their place in it, which includes suitable behaviors which correspond with their gender identities. The socialization approach to gender differences among children views gender identification and behavior as being based on children’s learning that they will be rewarded for behaviors which are considered appropriate for their sex, but not for those behaviors appropriate to the other sex. (Cherlin 2009) In this essay, I will argue my partner and I’s view of the importance of a less structured approach to teaching children to “do gender”, while also explaining the way in which gender roles will be negotiated in my future family.