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KeraleeBaldwin
ProfessorBeadle
English115(14481Fa15)
15September,2015
GenderStereotypeswithChildren

Thereisnoonecorrectwaytoraiseachild,buthowyouraisethatchildwillaffectand

shapehowtheywillbewhentheybecomeanadult.Whenraisingachilditisimportanttonot
limitthembasedontheirgenderorforcethemtoonlydogenderstereotypicalthings.Some
articlesthattalkabouttheinfluencesofhowparentsraisetheirchildrenareClaireRenzettiand
DanielCurransarticle,Women,Men,andSociety,andEmilyW.Kanesarticle,NoWay
MyBoysAreGoingtoBeLikeThat:ParentsResponsestoChildrensGenderNonconformity.
Thesearticlesshinealightonhowgenderstereotypesareinplayfromsuchayoungtimein
oneslife,thedifferentinteractionsfromparentsbasedongender,andexplainshowparentsgive
theirchildagenderspecifictoybecauseofafearthatthechildwillbecomehomosexuallaterin
life.Readingthesearticlesitmademerealizemyparentsdidtheirbesttoraisemewithno
limitationsortomakemedospecificthingsbecauseofmygender.Theyignoredsocietys
rulesongenderstereotypesandjustallowedmetobemyself.

Whataregenderstereotypes?Theyare,
relativelyfixedandovergeneralizedattitudes

andbehaviorsthatareconsiderednormalandappropriateforapersoninaparticular

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culture
basedonhisorherbiologicalsex(Pam).
Whenchildrenareyoungtheyunknowingly
experiencegenderstereotypes.Somewaysthatparentscategorizetheirchildrentoaspecific
gendertype,whetheritisconsciouslyornot,isbyclothing,toys,andactivities.Renzettiand
Curran,theauthorsofthearticleWomen,Men,andSociety,giveanexampleofwhatclothing
foraboyusuallyis,Boysaretypicallydressedindarkorprimarycolors,suchasredorblue.
Theywearoverallsthatareoftendecoratedwithsportingormilitaryequipment,truckandother
vehicles,orsuperheroes(77).Ontheopposingside,girlsaremorecommonlydressedinlight
pastelcolors,wearingdresses,skirts,ruffles,andbows.Someofthestereotypicaltoysthatwere
saidtobeplayedwithbyboyswerecars,actionfigures,andsciencekits.Thesetoysare
specificallygearedtoysboysbecausesocietyhasmadepeopletobelievethatthesethingsare
masculine.ThetoysthatgirlsplaywiththemostbecausetheyareseenasafeminineareBarbies,
easybakeovens,andbabydolls.Stereotypicallyboysarenotsupposedtoplaywithdolls
becausetheyaretoofeminineforthem.Wellwhatisthedifferencebetweenadollandanaction
figure?Societyhasdeemedthesetwothingsasdifferentwheninrealitytheyarepracticallythe
samething.Bothofthesetoysareofapersonwithmovablepartsforachildtoplaywith.So
whyisitdeemedokayforboystoplaywithactionfigures,butnotdolls?FinallyRenzettiand
Currantalkedaboutwhatactivitieswereusuallypresentedandparticipatedinforeachgender.
Theytalkabouthowgirlsusuallytookadanceclass,didmusicals,ordidpageants,andboys
usuallyparticipatedinsportssuchasbaseball,soccer,andfootball.

AnotherinterestingpointthatisdiscussedinthearticleWomen,Men,andSocietywas

howparentsinteractedwiththeirchildren.Generallymothersandfatherstendtobegentleand

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focusedonallofagirlsemotions,likewhatismakinghersadoruncomfortableorhappy.For
boysthough,parentsusuallyhaveamorestrictwayofraisingthemtofocusonthembeing
tough,andwhenaskingaboutemotionsitisusuallywhatmakesthemangry.Renzettiand
Currantalkabouthowinastudyofhowparentsreactedwhenachildwantedsomething,they
saidadultstendedtorespondtoboyswhentheyforcedattentionbybeingaggressive,orby
crying,whining,andscreaming,whereassimilarattemptsbygirlswereusuallyignored.Instead,
adultswereresponsivetogirlswhentheyusedgesturesorgentletouching,orwhentheysimply
talked(Renzetti,andCurran,78).Whyisitthatfromsuchayoungagegirlsaresupposedtobe
respectfulandquietbutitisexpectedandacceptedforaboytobeloudandtothrowafit?Since
societyhasacceptedtheroleofamantobearulerofthehouseandthewifetobesubmissivewe
areteachingittochildren.Societycannotexpectanychangesinthesestereotypicalrolesunless
itstartstochangethestereotypicalgenderrolesplacedonchildrenfrombirth.
Inthenextarticle,byEmilyW.Kane,shecoversthequestiononwhyparentsusually
providetheirchildwithgenderstereotypicalthingsandwhyparentsareobsessedwithpeople
beingabletotellwhatgendertheyarebyjustlookingatthem.Sheinterviewedtwentyseven
familieswhohadamalechildandaskedwhethertheywouldallowhimtoplaywithonly
stereotypicalboytoys.Onefather,whenaskedabouthissonsgenderstereotypicaltoyssaid,
Therearethingsthataremeantforgirls,butwhywoulditbebadforhimtohaveoneofthem?I
dontknow,maybeIhavesomedeep,deep,deepburiedfearthathewouldturnout,well,that
hissexualorientationmaygetscrewedup(Kane,96).Thefearthattheirchildwouldturnoutto
becomehomosexualwasthenumberonereasonwhytheparentswouldprovidetheirsonwith

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onlymasculinetoyssuchastrucksandactionfigures.Theseparentsexpressedthattheywould
feeluncomfortableseeingtheirsonplaywithtoysthatmadehimactfemininebecausetheythink
theywillfeellikefailuresiftheirchildturnsouttobehomosexual.Wellinasocietythatis
increasinglyacceptinghomosexualityanddifferentgenderidentificationswhyisthereaneedto
beworriedthattheywillturnouttobethatway.Isitnotitbetterforaparenttomakesurethat
theirchildgrowsupproudtobehimselfandtobehappy,thantofocusonsomethingthata
parentdoesnotevenreallyhavecontroloverwhenthechildbecomesolderandgoeshisown
way?

Readingthesearticlesaboutgenderstereotypesgiventochildrenmademethinkabout

howIgrewupandwhetherIhadonlygenderstereotypicalthingsornot.Growingupbeingthe
youngestinmyfamilyIgotthehandmedownsfrommysiblings,whichmeansIwasexposed
tobothtypicalgirlandboytoys.SinceIhaveanoldersisterandthreeolderbrothers,Ibecame
usedtoplayingwithanythingaslongmysiblingswouldplaywithme.BecauseofthisIplayed
withBarbiesandPollyPocketdollstovideogamesandbugsthatIfoundoutsidewithmy
brothers.MyparentsreallymadeitknownthattheywantedmysiblingsandItobehaveandact
likeourselves.BecauseofthistheydidnotcareifI(agirl)wantedtoplayoutsidecatching
beetlesandgrasshoppers,orifIwantedtoplaygameslikePrettyPettyPrincess.Asfor
clothingmyparentsletmewearbasicallywhateverwehadathome.Thismeantdresses,
mismatchedskirtsandshirts,orevenaSpidermancostume.Ifeelveryfortunatethatmyparents
didnotforcemeintoanythingbecausenowIfeellikeIamacceptingofeveryoneschoicesand
opinionsfortheirlife,andIknowtheywillbehappywithwhateverIdoinmylifebecausethey

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knowImdoingitbecause
I
choosetonotbecausesocietymademe.

Inconclusion,ClaireRenzettiandDanielCurransarticle,Women,Men,andSociety,

andEmilyW.Kanesarticle,NoWayMyBoysAreGoingtoBeLikeThat:ParentsResponses
toChildrensGenderNonconformityshonealightonhowgenderstereotypesareinplayfrom
suchayoungtimeinoneslife,thedifferentinteractionsfromparentsbasedongender,and
explainshowparentsgivetheirchildagenderspecifictoybecauseofafearthatthechildwill
becomehomosexuallaterinlife.Ibelievethatsocietyshouldfocusonlettingachildgrowup
beinghappywithwhotheyareandwithwhattheyaredoingintheirlife,ratherthanfocusingon
whattoyachildshouldplaywithbasedongender.

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WorksCited
Kane,EmilyW.NoWayMyBoysAreGoingtoBeLikeThat:ParentsResponsesto
ChildrensGenderNonconformity.
ComposingGender
2014:9197.Nd.,n.p

Pam.WhatisGENDERSTEREOTYPES?DefinitionofGENDERSTEREOTYPES
(PsychologyDictionary).
PsychologyDictionary.
N.p.,n.d.Web

Renzetti,Claire,andDanielCurran.Women,Men,andSociety.
ComposingGender
2014:
7684.Nd.,n.p