Pink Brain Blue Brain Analysis

The article I chose to read was the “Why Boys Don’t Play with Dolls” by Katha Pollitt. In the article the author explains research that suggests boys and girls prefer certain toys. For instance, studies have shown that a boy will most likely pick a toy car or play sports compared to playing dress up or with a doll. Also, that girls will play dress up instead of playing with a toy car. IN the reading, Pollitt gives an example on the theory of why that is, she states “Increasingly, we are told that the source of these robust preferences must lie outside society -- in prenatal hormonal influences, brain chemistry, genes -- and that feminism has reached its natural limits” (par. 1).

In the world of toy marketing, choices are made with direction put in place for both genders (girl and boy). For example, as I walked down each toy aisle, I felt the gender conformity among the parents as they were with their children. With multiple aisles and two dominant colors (pink and purple) designated for girls, the message (in my perspective) marketed on the toy package yelled: “Your ambition is to be stylish, while a nurturing mother who partakes in domestic works!” In addition to the toy packages being in pink, the words (on the toy) were predominately frivolous and amusing. On the contrary, the boys’ aisle contained wide varieties of colors, although the color blue caught my eye the most. The boys’ toys entailed sports, building sets, as well as action figures. Conversely, the message in my perspective, marketed on the toy package screamed: “You have the power to do whatever you want; however, it is imperative that you build yourself physically, as well as train yourself in order to properly excel.” This type of act, referred to as the social role theory—“a gender difference that mainly results from the contrasting roles of females and males” (p.165),—gives a great cause of difference in gender regarding power, nurture, and

Sociologist Dalton Conley wrote his book, You May Ask Yourself, addressing how “gender is a social construction” that is so normal for society to think how a man or woman should act towards the public. Society often categorizes roles that females and males are suppose to play in, but not only are they categorized they are also being taught what their gender role is suppose to do. The beginning of gender socialization can start with a child who is not born yet by simply having the parents purchase items that are all pink if its expected to be a girl, but if its expected to be a boy then everything they purchase will be blue. Conley states that gender roles are “sets of behavioral norms assumed to accompany ones’ status as male or female” (Conley [2008] 2013:134). So even when a child is growing into their infant years, toys are made specifically for their gender. By examining how social construction places gender in categories it becomes apparent that males and females get differentiated a lot which emphasizes inequality between them.

Craig’s worries about his son’s actions being more feminine as a result of playing with feminine toys is not uncommon. Many parents may become worried if they start seeing their child being more interested in playing with toys designed for the opposite gender. A hypothesis can be drawn up by stating that if boys with typically female toys, then there would be an increase of femininity traits of passiveness.

Children’s perceptions of how girls and boys have to act can be manipulated by their surroundings. Target and other toy stores teach boys that they have to like fast cars, jobs requiring manual labor, and sports. There was certainly a type of “manliness” portrayed at boys from the toys. Its almost as if they were influencing them to be aggressive and unkind. The toys are teaching girls that they need to enjoy playing house and that the ideal female role is to be a homemaker who takes care of the kids. Many people may think that it is ok for boys and girls to like different things, which it is. But, it is important to recognize that preferences don’t emerge out of each child’s unique personality but that they are shaped by nonstop pressures of different socializing influences. children are given roles of subservience or dominance before they can understand the words. Target is an example of how society is manufacturing products that ultimately encourage inequalities and gender

The author, Marni Jackson fully delivered all her claims while she clearly discussed the misconception surrounding gender specific toys and parental pedagogy. She conveys her claims in a well organised strategy with coherence and logical proof. Her informal and jovial tone makes her article refreshing and appealing to her audience. Nevertheless, her lack of citations and reference alongside her use of advanced vocabulary weakened the effectiveness of this article. Jackson should have chosen words that are more basic and conversant to even a lay man. She should also have backed up her claims by referring to more legit sources or at least cited the sources of her statistics rather than rely on just her credibility. However, Jackson successfully appealed to her audience with a unified and entertaining article, which is why I would use it for my own

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,

The argument of nature versus nurture is seen throughout parenting books and psychology journals. Can a parent truly change a child or is their future preprogrammed from conception? Parents and psychologists alike grapple with the relationship between nature and nurture. Orenstein (2011), a mother of a young girl, argues that gender is a socially constructed concept. Although she acknowledges general heritable and biological aspects of gender, she believes the environment a child matures in affects their expression of gender. Specifically, she believes young girls are socially reinforced to grow up loving dolls, the color pink, and the idea of princesses. Orenstein discusses how biases regarding gender are reinforced by environment, specifically

Gender role is defined as the socially constructed and culturally specific behavior and appearance expectations imposed on women (femininity) and men (masculinity). Many girls are subjected to gender role stereotyping and different treatment Through socialization, individuals learn to behave in accordance with the expectations of others in the social order (Hult, 83.). Gender ideology is involved when one attaches a color such as pink and blue to sex and when one designates types of toys as male, female or neutral. Most play behavior is an outcome of gender role stereotyping that stems from cultural ideology. Early research provides that by first grade, boys recognize sports, whereas girls recognize grades

Normally everything in the girl’s section is pink, sparkly, and all things princess like where the boy’s department has trucks, superheroes, and Legos. These toys are promoting gender stereotypes early on in the lives of children. Girls are given toys such as Easy Bake Ovens and create your own jewelry sets while boys are given monster trucks and bug collector sets giving the children thoughts of what is acceptable for them to associated with based on their gender. These stereotypes are exceeding toys and even go into a number of children’s books. “Most themes represented in children 's books reflect the expectation that male characters will use their brains to effectively and creatively solve problems, while female characters are portrayed as more concerned with appearance” (Tsao). It has become harder and harder to shield children from the ideas that gender stereotyping presents. Children are not born with any ideas of what is seen as expectable or not. Over time they learn this ugliness of stereotyping from the people and culture amerced into. It is a sad truth but more times than not those closest to the children are the ones influencing their minds towards prejudice ideas and thoughts (Young). Parents hold their children’s minds in their hands. How they acknowledge and deal with gender stereotypes rub off on how the children will perceive the topic.

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

Throughout history males and females have had distinct physiological differences, however are these innate differences the determining factor for sex roles in society? Authors Katha Pollitt of Why Boys Don’t Play with Dolls and Paul Theroux of Being a Man both take the “nurture” perspective on this controversial argument. They both make points to prove that the environment and experiences determine behavior. The blame for gender stereotypes is instead placed on the way a child is brought up and a parent attempting to conform to society’s norms. Today parents foster these stereotypes through childhood toys and activities. Girls are supposed to play with Barbie while boys play with trucks. Feminism is discussed by both authors; however Pollitt and Theroux have slightly different views on the effects it has for diminishing the stereotypical sex roles. Theroux shifts the attention from women’s everyday grievances towards men’s grievances as well. Although Pollitt and Theroux have a similar perspective on socialization and development their solution to solve the problem is distinctive.

People are hardly given the opportunity to reach their full potential due to a predisposed destiny. Far before birth, society must label humans female or male and only female or male. Specific clothing, bottles, and toys are items used to enforce the baby’s gender. Boys are trained to transform into serious, independent, strong, sports-loving men. Boys are taught to mask emotions, especially sadness. Boys are repeatedly reminded that a man never cries. On the other hand, girls are taught to become dependent, weak, quiet, and affectionate women. Girls are bombarded with pink toys that do not challenge their imagination, but encourage housekeeping and spending habits. Reaching full potential becomes skewed as constant societal changes

Boys will be boys. Boys do not cry. Girls should not get dirty. Girls play with dolls. These are just a few of the common misconceptions of gender commonly heard in our society. Beginning at a very early age in life, young people are constantly bombarded by messages, some are subtle while others are intentional, but both show a reflection on society’s views of certain expectations dealing with gender. Members of society process these messages and form attitudes regarding what they deem to be appropriate and what is not for both males and females.

One of the most important parts of a person’s life is during their childhood. At this stage, a child is prone to absorb into the behaviors based on their exposures. Not only is this the time of their lives when they learn certain things, but they are also beginning to create their own perception of how things work. , produces the media to be a major deal of importance to a child’s life by establishing their morals. Kids then learn traditional gender norms through these advertisements they watch or hear in media. As they get older, the gender stereotypes they learned when they were younger becomes a part of their daily lives. This slowly creates gender roles they presume as normal. Companies constantly practice the usage of gender norms in their advertisements by incorporating it in their advertisement to help their products become more identifiable to their consumers. Although, it may seem like it, traditional gender norms are not necessarily bad nor are they good, but they are generalizations about roles of each gender. Children toy companies like Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Nerf are some of the leading contributors to reinforcing gender norms by advertising certain toys to specific genders, which in return creates gender stereotypes.