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KeraleeBaldwin
ProfessorBeadle
English115
15September,2015
GenderStereotypeswithChildren

Thereisnoonecorrectwaytoraiseachild,buthowyouraisethatchildwillaffectand

shapehowtheywillbewhentheybecomeanadult.Whenraisingachilditisimportanttonot
limitthembasedontheirgenderorforcethemtoonlydogenderstereotypicalthings.Some
articles
insideofthebook,
ComposingGender,

talkabouttheinfluencesofhowparentsraise
theirchildrenareClaireRenzettiandDanielCurransarticle,Women,Men,andSociety,and
EmilyW.Kanesarticle,NoWayMyBoysAreGoingtoBeLikeThat:ParentsResponsesto
ChildrensGenderNonconformity.Thesearticlesshinealightonhowgenderstereotypesare
inplayfromsuchayoungtimeinoneslife,thedifferentinteractionsfromparentsbasedon
gender,andexplainshowparentsgivetheirchildagenderspecifictoybecauseofafearthatthe
childwillbecomehomosexuallaterinlife.
Societyshouldnotbedictatinghowoneraisestheir
child.Allchildrenareuniqueandlimitingwhattheywearandwhattheyplaywithgeneralizes
themanddullstheiruniquepersonality.Unlikethesearticles,myparentsdidnotlimitmeon
whatIworeorwhatactivitiesIdidbasedonmygender.Theyinsteadallowedmetofreelybe
myselfandnotjustfallintowhatsocietysexpectationsformygenderwas.

Beforeanythingelse,firstallowmetoexplainwhatagenderstereotypeis.Accordingto

thepsychologydictionary,genderstereotypesaredefinedas,relativelyfixedand

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overgeneralizedattitudesandbehaviorsthatareconsiderednormalandappropriateforaperson
inaparticular
culture
basedonhisorherbiologicalsex(Brian,Pamela).

Whenchildrenare
youngtheyunknowinglyexperiencegenderstereotypes.Somewaysthatparentscategorizetheir
childrentoaspecificgendertype,whetheritisconsciouslyornot,isbyclothing,toys,and
activities.RenzettiandCurran,theauthorsofthearticleWomen,Men,andSociety,givean
exampleofwhatclothingforaboyusuallyis,Boysaretypicallydressedindarkorprimary
colors,suchasredorblue.Theywearoverallsthatareoftendecoratedwithsportingormilitary
equipment,truckandothervehicles,orsuperheroes(77).Ontheopposingside,girlsaremore
commonlydressedinlightpastelcolors,wearingdresses,skirts,ruffles,andbows.Someofthe
stereotypicaltoysthatweresaidtobeplayedwithbyboyswerecars,actionfigures,andscience
kits.Thesetoysarespecificallygearedtoysboysbecausesocietyhasmadepeopletobelievethat
these
toysaremasculinebecausethetoyitselfrepresentsthingsthatrequiressmartthinkingor
gettingdirty,ordoingsomethingdangerouslikefighting.

Thetoysthatgirlsplaywiththemost
wereBarbies,easybakeovens,andbabydolls.
Girlsaregearedtoplaywiththesebecauseit
encouragestheirmotherlyandsweetnaturethatwillneedtobeappliedlaterinlifewhenthey
getmarriedorhavechildren.

Stereotypicallyboysarenotsupposedtoplaywithdollsbecause
theyaretoofeminineforthem.Wellwhatisthedifferencebetweenadollandanactionfigure?
Societyhasdeemedthesetwothingsasdifferentwheninrealitytheyarepracticallythesame
thing.Bothofthesetoysareofapersonwithmovablepartsforachildtoplaywith.Sowhyisit
deemedokayforboystoplaywithactionfigures,butnotdolls?
Theonlyreasonwhytheyare
calledactionfiguresisbecauseboysareencouragedtomakethemfight.Whycan'tgirlsmake

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theirBarbiesfight?IftheydidwouldBarbiesthenbeseenasanactionfigure?
FinallyRenzetti
andCurrantalkedaboutwhatactivitieswereusuallypresentedandparticipatedinforeach
gender.Theytalkabouthowgirlsusuallytookadanceclass,didmusicals,ordidpageants,and
boysusuallyparticipatedinsportssuchasbaseball,soccer,andfootball.

Anotherinterestingpointthatisdiscussedin
ComposingGender,
washowparents

interactedwiththeirchildren.Generallymothersandfatherstendtobegentleandfocusedonall
ofagirlsemotions,likewhatismakinghersadoruncomfortableorhappy.Forboysthough,
parentsusuallyhaveamorestrictwayofraisingthemtofocusonthembeingtough,andwhen
askingaboutemotionsitisusuallywhatmakesthemangry.RenzettiandCurrantalkabouthow
inastudyofhowparentsreactedwhenachildwantedsomething,theysaidadultstendedto
respondtoboyswhentheyforcedattentionbybeingaggressive,orbycrying,whining,and
screaming,whereassimilarattemptsbygirlswereusuallyignored.Instead,adultswere
responsivetogirlswhentheyusedgesturesorgentletouching,orwhentheysimplytalked
(Renzetti,andCurran,78).Whyisitthatfromsuchayoungagegirlsaresupposedtobe
respectfulandquietbutitisexpectedandacceptedforaboytobeloudandtothrowafit?Since
societyhasacceptedtheroleofamantobearulerofthehouseandthewifetobe
submissivewe
areinstallingthatintothembeforetheyevenrealizewhatishappening.Insteadoftreatingall
boysinamoreroughmatterweshouldbetreatingandrespondingtothemhowitworksbestfor
thatchild.Oppositethat,notallgirlsneedtobesweetlycoddled.Iforoneneededtoget
spankingsandtobedealtwithinamorestrictertonebecauseIwasstubbornandthatwasthe
onlywaytomakemebehave.
Societycannotexpectanychangesinthesestereotypicalroles

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unlessitstartstochangethestereotypicalgenderrolesplacedonchildrenfrombirth.
Inthearticle,NoWayMyBoysAreGoingtoBeLikeThat:ParentsResponsesto
ChildrensGenderNonconformity,byEmilyW.Kane,
shecoversthequestiononwhyparents
usuallyprovidetheirchildwithgenderstereotypicalthingsandwhyparentsareobsessedwith
peoplebeingabletotellwhatgendertheyarebyjustlookingatthem.Sheinterviewed
twentysevenfamilieswhohadamalechildandaskedwhethertheywouldallowhimtoplay
withonlystereotypicalboytoys.Onefather,whenaskedabouthissonsgenderstereotypical
toyssaid,Therearethingsthataremeantforgirls,butwhywoulditbebadforhimtohaveone
ofthem?Idontknow,maybeIhavesomedeep,deep,deepburiedfearthathewouldturnout,
well,thathissexualorientationmaygetscrewedup(Kane,96).Thefearthattheirchildwould
turnouttobecomehomosexualwasthenumberonereasonwhytheparentswouldprovidetheir
sonwithonlymasculinetoyssuchastrucksandactionfigures.Theseparentsexpressedthat
theywouldfeeluncomfortableseeingtheirsonplaywithtoysthatmadehimactfeminine
becausetheythinktheywillfeellikefailuresiftheirchildturnsouttobehomosexual.Wellina
societythatisincreasinglyacceptinghomosexualityanddifferentgenderidentificationswhyis
thereaneedtobeworriedthattheywillturnouttobethatway?
Beinggayisnotadiseasethat
canbepreventedbywhatyourchildplayswith.Insteadoffearingthatyourchildmaybegay
andforcingthemtoonlyplaywithspecificthinganddomasculineactivities,youshouldbe
focusingonmakingsurethattheirchildgrowsupproudtobehimselfandtobehappy.

Readingthesearticlesaboutgenderstereotypesgiventochildrenmademethinkabout

howIgrewupandwhetherIhadonlygenderstereotypicalthingsornot.Growingupbeingthe

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youngestinmyfamilyIgotthehandmedownsfrommysiblings,whichmeansIwasexposed
tobothtypicalgirlandboytoys.SinceIhaveanoldersisterandthreeolderbrothers,Ibecame
usedtoplayingwithanythingaslongmysiblingswouldplaywithme.BecauseofthisIplayed
withBarbiesandPollyPocketdollstovideogamesandbugsthatIfoundoutsidewithmy
brothers.MyparentsreallymadeitknownthattheywantedmysiblingsandItobehaveandact
likeourselves.
Sincetheydidnotcareabouthowsocietythinksweshoulddoareplaywith,Igot
tohavefuncatchinggrasshopperswithmyhandsoutside,orplaygameslikePrettyPetty
Princessbecausethatiswhatmade
me
happy,notsocietyhappy.
Asforclothingmyparentslet
mewearbasicallywhateverwehadathome.Thismeantdresses,mismatchedskirtsandshirts,or
evenaSpidermancostume.Ifeelveryfortunatethatmyparentsdidnotforcemeintoanything
becausenowIfeellikeIamacceptingofeveryoneschoicesandopinionsfortheirlife,andI
knowtheywillbehappywithwhateverIdoinmylifebecausetheyknowImdoingitbecause
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.
Leasa,2014:9197.Print.
Brian,Pamela.WhatisGENDERSTEREOTYPES?DefinitionofGENDERSTEREOTYPES
(PsychologyDictionary).
PsychologyDictionary.
14September,2015.Web
Renzetti,Claire,andDanielCurran.Women,Men,andSociety.
Composing.
Leasa,2014:76
84.Print.