Forces Within Society That Reinforce Gender Stereotypes Among Youth

There are many forces influencing a child’s gender and the ways in which they express that gender, despite the misconception that children are typically attracted to certain objects or activities based on their sex. It is important for children to be able to express themselves in whichever way they may choose and not be limited by society’s pressures to conform to the norm. How children are raised greatly influences who they will become as adults. If society is looking to diminish sexism and expand the opportunities available for both men and women, then children should also be exposed to this expanding notion for equality.

1. Toys: "Princesses vs Superheroes"

youtube.com / Via youtube.com

“Kids generally just tend to want to play. So if you give them toys, kids will play with them. If you give them a cardboard box, they’ll play with it,” claims Murdoch University psychologist and mother, Bree Abbott. If children are so willing to play with any toy that they deem fun and exciting, why is it, then, that toys have become so gender specific?

While strolling down any modern day store, you may not think much of the fact that the toy aisles are distinctly separated as those intended for boys and those intended for girls. One is significantly blue, and the other overwhelmingly pink. Lined up on the shelves of the girls’ aisle you may find Barbie dolls dressed in miniskirts and crop tops, Disney princesses, and Easy-Bake Ovens. When you journey down the boys’ aisle, however, there is a drastic difference. Here you’ll find Marvel superheroes fighting off evil villains, footballs, and Hot Wheels. These two separate aisles are sending a direct message to children: girls play with princesses and boys play with superheroes. It is this dividing line between male and female toys that is encouraging gender stereotypes among our youth.

A young girl from Newburgh, New York named Riley, angered by the limited options in the gendered toy aisles, simply explains, “Some girls like superheroes; some girls like princesses. Some boys like superheroes; some boys like princesses.” However, these likes and dislikes may not always be expressed, as children feel pressure to play only with toys that are “made for their gender.” Martin, Eisenbud, and Rose explain in their study called “Children’s Gender Based Reasoning About Toys,” that gender stereotypes act as a tool for children to determine “how each sex should look, act, and think, according to cultural beliefs.” They elaborate on the idea that children first decipher which toys are “for boys” and which toys are “for girls,” drawing on preexisting knowledge and observations of other children. This way of thinking becomes ingrained in their minds and is eventually done automatically, subliminally encouraging children to play with toys specific to their gender.

Although there doesn't appear to be much harm in girls playing with princesses and boys playing with superheroes, according to Cherney, Kelly-Vance, Glover, Ruane, and Ryalls, researchers at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, studies show that toys labeled “for girls” tend to stimulate a “higher level of play complexity” in both genders. This becomes an issue when children are having different learning experiences that may influence their lives in the future, benefiting some, while hindering others. “Furthermore, the fact that only female stereotyped toys elicited high complexity of play behaviours demonstrates that toys and the gender stereotype that is attached to them is an important issue in play assessment that needs to be addressed.”

youtube.com / Via youtube.com

Channel Seven Perth. “Today Tonight - Gender Toys.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 29 July 2014. Web. 27 July 2015.

CNN. “Girl's rant targets gender roles, toys.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 26 Dec. 2011. Web. 27 July 2015.

Martin, Carol Lynn, Eisenbud, Lisa, and Rose, Hilary. “Children’s Gender-Based Reasoning About Toys.” Child Development 66.5 (1995): 1453-1472. Print.

Cherney, Isabelle D., Kelly-Vance, Lisa, Glover, Katrina Gill, Ruane, Amy, and Ryalls, Bridgette Oliver. “The Effects of Stereotyped Toys and Gender on Play Assessment on Children Aged 18-47 Months.” Educational Psychology 23.1 (2003): 95-106. Print.

2. School: “Maybe Girls Just Don’t Like Physics”

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There is no doubt that school has a significant impact on children of all ages, building their knowledge and opening their minds to new ideas and information. However, schools are teaching more than just English and math to their students; they are also teaching gender. In, "Becoming a Gendered Body: Practices of Preschools," Karin Martin proposes that schools implement "hidden curriculums." Parents and children may not be acutely aware of these curricululms, and often the teachers themselves enforce them unconsciously.

In Martin's studies, she observed interactions between children, teachers, and their surroundings in different preschools. What she found was that teachers were inadvertently reinforcing gender roles and stereotypes in the classroom. One significant reoccurrence in Martin's observations was the different ways in which teachers addressed boys and girls when they were being disruptive to the class. Boys running and yelling loudly around the classroom were told to stop the behavior. If they continued to act out, they were often ignored and not reprimanded again by the teacher. Girls, on the other hand, were told to stop the behavior and also redirected to quieter, more restrictive tasks, such as table activities. By allowing boys to get away with unacceptable behavior and forcing girls to focus on a different task, teachers are influencing the way children participate in stereotypical gender roles.

This "hidden curriculum" can also be observed in higher levels of education, in particular, high school. Here, many classes are deemed "for girls" (English and psychology) and others "for boys" (economics or physics). The statistics discussed in the article "Reinforcing Gender Stereotypes: How Our Schools Narrow Children's Choices," reinforce this idea. A number of schools were studied to show what percentage of them contradicted this set stereotype. "Out of 2,465 coeducational state schools studied, only a mere 462 (that's less than 20%) fit this category of actually countering the stereotyping. On the other hand, around half the schools have worse statistics than average, indicating they are reinforcing stereotypical choices…" It is noted that even some teachers are to blame for this troubling occurrence, as one head teacher proposed "maybe girls just don't like physics."

The gender roles and stereotypes that are being reinforced in children's schools can play a major role in the decisions they make in the future, influencing the way that they act and how they perceive themselves within society. It is important to let children decide what they wish to pursue, as these "hidden curriculums" may be restricting future female physicists or male psychologists from reaching their full potential.

"Reinforcing Gender Stereotypes: How Our Schools Narrow Children's Choices"

http://www.theguardian.com/science/occams-corner/2013/dec/09/gender-stereotypes-schools-children-choices

Martin, Karin. "Becoming a Gendered Body: Practices of Preschools." American Sociological Review 63.4 (1998): 494-511. Print.

Donald, Athene. "Reinforcing Gender Stereotypes: How Our Schools Narrow Children's Choices." The Guardian. n.p. 9 Dec. 2013. Web. 28 July 2015.

3. Sports: “Girls Can Tackle Football, Too”

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Participating in sports has always been a great way for children to get involved, meet new people, and stay in shape. They are incorporated into and encouraged by schools, shown to not only benefit students physically, but also academically. It is seen, though, that there are also stereotypes lingering in the world of sports as well. Sports are often portrayed as masculine, and the ones that seem to get the most coverage by the media are those particularly played by men. This impression often discourages girls from partaking in sports or only participating in those deemed by society as feminine (dance, cheerleading, gymnastics).

In the study, titled “Social Antecedents and Consequences of Gender-Sport Stereotypes During Adolescence,” Julie Boiche and fellow researchers introduced the term "Expectations of Success," and defined it as “the chances of success estimated by the individual in a given situation.” They explain that children willingly participate in sports based on their perceived ability to succeed in that activity, and are more likely to feel competent when stereotypes of that sport are in favor of their gender. Girls who feel and are told that soccer is a masculine sport are less likely to try out for the team and if they do, more likely to drop out. Girls are then unable to reap the benefits of participating in sports, such as creating an idea of positive body image, which is especially important for girls going through puberty.

It is also noted that parents have quite an influence on their children’s perception of gender and sports. Mothers who believed that sports were part of “mans’ world” were more likely to view their daughters as incompetent and their sons as competent in these physical sports. However, some parents are trying to eliminate the stereotypes and encourage their daughters to partake in whichever activity they may choose, even football. When 12 year old, Sam Gordon showed interest in playing football, her father helped establish the Utah Girls Tackle Football League (UGTFL), the first in the US. The team and its supporters believe that girls and boys should have equal opportunities to participate in the sports that interest them the most, empowering girls to view sports as more than just a “man’s world.”

"Girls Can Tackle Football, Too"

http://time.com/3935253/girls-can-tackle-football-too/

Boiché, Julie, Plaza, Mélissa, Chalabaev, Aïna, Guillet-Descas, Emma, and Sarrazin, Philippe. “Social Antecedents and Consequences of Gender-Sport Stereotypes During Adolescence.” Psychology of Women Quarterly 38.2 (2014): 259-274. Print.

Gregory, Sean. “Girls Can Tackle Football, Too.” Time Magazine. n.p. 25 June 2015. Web. 27 July 2015.

4. Parents: "Biggest Supporters?"

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As early as infancy, parents are shaping the lives of their children based on their sex. Expecting parents are quick to paint their new baby's room in blue for a boy and pink for a girl. Clothing is picked out with either trucks or princesses on them, and also a name that usually corresponds with their sex too. These decisions are made before children are even able to assert their own desires when it comes to gender.

Gender stereotypes are held by parents throughout a child's adolescent life. In the journal article, "Gender Role Stereotypes, Expectancy Effects, and Parents' Socialization of Gender Differences," Janis E. Jacobs and colleagues express that parents often base their child's success in certain academic subjects on gender. For example, it is a common stereotype that males are more proficient in math than females. "Interestingly, the gender-differentiated perceptions of the parents in these studies exist even though their female and male children do equally well in math on both their school grades and their performance on standardized test." The problem is that parents believe that their girls will not be well accomplished in subjects such as math and sports and their boys will do poorly in English. Eventually, the children begin to believe in this stereotype as well, and cannot tackle the subject or activity in confidence.

"Gender Role Development"

http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/DLiT/2002/family/gender.htm

"Gender Role Development." Socialisation Within the Family. n.p. n.d. Web. 30 July 2015.

Eccles, Jacquelynne S., Jacobs, Janis E., and Harold, Rena D. "Gender Role Stereotypes, Expectancy Effects, and Parents' Socialization of Gender Differences." Journal of Social Issues 46.2 (1990): 183-201. Print.

5. Media: "Believing is Seeing"

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In today's highly technological society, the media plays an important role in shaping adolescent minds. With television, music, movies, and the internet easily accessible with just the click of a button, it is no surprise then that children and teens are absorbing information about gender roles and sexual stereotypes like the little sponges that they are. But what is it that the media is implying to children?

According to Sanne Bogers, and fellow researchers, "media has been identified as an important source of knowledge for the physical, social, and emotional aspects of dating, romance, and sex." In the journal article "'Shake It Baby, Shake It': Media Preferences, Sexual Attitudes and Gender Stereotypes Among Adolescents," an experiment was conducted to reveal which forms of media influence children's idea of gender stereotypes the most and what messages they are portraying to today's youth. For girls, television in particular elicited that physical appearance was highly important for females and that it was normal for men to be sexually obsessed. Boys were found to be influenced more by the internet, as they often searched for explicit material online. The internet's erotic content enforced the idea that women were sex objects, and again that men were voracious sex animals. This type of media exposure to teens at such a delicate time in their lives "may provide them with a rather unrealistic picture of sexual relationships and behaviors."

Allison Lantagne also asserts, in her article "Gender Roles in the Media," that stereotypes and gender roles are prevalent in the media, especially on television, "with 96.7 percent of American families owning a TV." She explored this notion by trying to find an advertisement with a boy cooking in an Easy-Bake Oven and a girl playing with action figures. What she found was, one didn't exist. Lantagne worries that these roles that we assign to each gender can turn oppressive if taken too far, inhibiting children from pursuing their passions because the media implies strict boundaries for gender. "If a young woman wants to become a doctor, and a young man a teacher, it is the rest of the world's responsibility not to bat an eye. If a doctor can cure the sick, what does gender matter?"

"Gender Roles in the Media"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allison-lantagne/gender-roles-media_b_5326199.html

Lantagne, Allison. "Gender Roles in Media." Huff Post Teen 15 May 2014. Web. 30 July 2015.

F. M. ter Bogt, Tom, C. M. E. Engels, Rutger, Bogers, Sanne, and Kloosterman, Monique. "'Shake It Baby, Shake It': Media Preferences, Sexual Attitudes and Gender Stereotypes Among Adolescents." Sex Roles 63.11-12 (2010): 844-859. Print.

6. Clothing: "Blue is for Boys and Pink is for Girls"

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When parents announce that they are expecting a baby, one of the first questions asked is "Is it a boy or a girl?" Once the sex is revealed, parents can expect an onslaught of pink frilly outfits with angels and princesses for their little girl, or blue onesies with trucks and dinosaurs for their bouncing baby boy. Susan Albers states, in "The Effect of Gender-Typed Clothing On Children's Social Judgments," that children are dressed according to their gender as soon as they are born.

"Dressing males and females differently increases the distinction between the two categories physically and polarizes the conceptions of men and women to be distinctly separate," Albers explains. This separation of genders based on clothing type influences the relationships between young children. According to Albers' observations, children were more likely to play with peers of the same sex, and even more likely to play with peers that wore gender-typed clothing that reflected that sex. Girls were seen complimenting other girls wearing pink, frilly dresses, saying "she looks nice." However, when a girl was wearing masculine-type clothing, other girls commented that "she looks like a boy." Research shows that certain stereotypes and expectations of how a child will act are implemented when he/she wears gender-typed clothing.

Gender roles and stereotypes can also be widely seen on the holiday where children are encouraged to dress up as whatever character they'd like to be: Halloween. Though the freedom to express oneself appears to be encouraged, distinct boundaries between costumes intended for boys and those intended for girls are clearly evident, and serve as an influencing factor in a child's costume decision. As Helen Rizzo expressed in the article, "Halloween Costumes Reinforce Gender Roles, Break Cultural Norms," "very few parents would let their son be a princess for Halloween." It is evident that society has established a strict idea of what is deemed "normal" when it comes to the clothing that children wear. These gender stereotypes are limiting self-expression of children of all ages, and even influencing the relationships kids make with others around them.

"Halloween Costumes Reinforce Gender Roles, Break Cultural Norms"

http://www.aucegypt.edu/newsatauc/Pages/story.aspx?eid=1242

Albers, Susan M. "The Effect of Gender-Typed Clothing On Children's Social Judgments." Child Study Journal 28.2 (1998): 137-159. Print.

“Halloween Costumes Reinforce Gender Roles, Break Cultural Norms.” News at the American University in Cairo. n.p. 30 Oct. 2013. Web. 29 July 2015.