Gender Stereotyping Of Children Essay - 2820 Words

In the late 1980’s McDonald’s introduced a new lineup of toys in their Happy Meal promotions, now offering exclusively Barbie and Hot Wheels as toy options. They were a huge hit, making Happy Meals more popular than ever. â€Å"Is this for a boy or girl?† was added to the list of questions you were asked when ordering. This was one of the beginnings of a new form of marketing that specifically gendered toys and stereotyped interests for each gender (Faust N. Pag.). Advertisements and marketing are not the only influences in perpetuating gender stereotypes. There are numerous influences on the youth of America that aid in the stereotyping of personalities and interests for boys and girls. Today, most would call these actions†¦show more content†¦What does this mean for children that do not conform to the set of rules that the gender binary has made for them? This extremely rigid two-gender system that is in place does not allow for much free expres sion of gender and ostracizes those who do not fit into that system. This leaves some wondering whether the perpetuation of the gender binary in society is negatively impacting the growth and development of youth to adulthood. Many argue that this stereotyping is extremely detrimental and should be stopped all together. This notion is strong and truly means well, but it seems a bit illogical. A stronger approach may be to allow these notions of gender norms to present, but rather let them take a back seat and allow vast amounts of room for different forms of gender expression in youth. Though many may blame the media and advertising for a majority of negative influence, research shows that family plays the largest role in the development of a child’s beliefs and values. This is leading some parents to think about whether or not their gender stereotyping is affecting the way they were raising their children. In an article written for Relation Child Youth Care Practice, a n academic journal that covers child and youth care with an emphasis on social services and welfare, author Liz Laidlaw shared her own experience raising her children and comments on the effects her gender stereotyping may have had. She states,Show MoreRelatedGender Stereotyping Of Children s Advertisements1672 Words   |  7 PagesGender Stereotyping is generalizing attributes or characteristics on roles for boys and girls, especially through children’s advertisements. In America the difference between boys and girls advertisements is quite noticeable and something that should be recognized as a problem. Companies create ads and labels that have their products categorized by gender and shades of colors. 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