Gender Roles Of Toys

The differences in the toys geared for boys in contrast to the toys geared towards girls are very different and have a strong influence in defining gender roles. Playing is one of the most effective and influential aspects to child development as they enhance both communicative, intellectual and social skills. Unfortunately, many times these toys are gender specific and set a foundation for gender roles and contribute to shaping children’s personality from a very young age. The toys are gender specific in terms of the colors, types, the images on the toys, how the toys are decorated along with what kinds of phrases or messages accompany the toy.

When I went into Toys“R”Us, there was an array of toys. Some were geared for infants while others were geared toward older kids. They were separated into different isles such as “Action Figures,” “Arts and Crafts,” “Games and Puzzles,” “Electronics,” “Outdoor Play” and many more. There was a clear distinction in what was for girls and what was for boys. Either different isles would separate girls and boys toys or one side of an isle would target boys and the other side would target girls. Sometimes I saw one item in blue, and adjacent to it, the same toy in pink. I did come across a “gender neutral” section, which had games, puzzles and play sets such as Monopoly and Clue. The gender-neutral section seemed to use a lot of red, green and black with no distinct male or female characteristics.

When taking a closer inspection at the girl’s toys, similarly to the last assignment, almost all of these toys expressed the similar themes as the infant’s clothing did at Target. They were focused on beauty, sexuality, delicateness, and domesticated roles while exhibited an overall sense of what our cu...

... middle of paper ...

... we would have played in a different way. I am really happy that I grew up in an environment that did not limit my imagination or influence me to conform to specific gender roles. I was able to develop as my own self without the negative influence of the media and toys. I feel that kids should not be told what, where or how to play.. However, most toys today are gendered and cause many girls and boys to fall victim to he pressures of fulfilling certain gender roles such as appearance and occupation. These roles are reinforced through toys and develop a certain message to kids on what their gender demands. When children cannot live up to these high expectations they often become victims of bullies. The differences in toys based on gender are extreme and significantly contribute to how children interact and play with each other, and ultimately develop into adulthood.