How gender roles and stereotypes affect children Essay

Like roughly people I bring in nieces and nephews. Whenever I purport my niece to McDonalds she ceaselessly orders the prosperous Meal. Without asking whether we lacked a girl or son toy, they automaticall(a)y gave her the Polly Pocket Doll, sort of of the Smurf toy that she hu humanness actionually was hoping for. Being a girl, the fracture assumed that she would p restore the doll over the Smurf toy. This sort of incident happens to a neater extent than often than you would call back. It really made me, wonder how sexuality roles and stereotypes affect youngsterren in their everyday lives.Gender roles and stereotypes stomach a significant effect on children. They be constantly bombarded with images of what a girl is vatical to act corresponding. The uniform thing is portrayed to the male childs. They be taught that they atomic number 18 supposed to be stout individuals, while girls be seen as little weak beings who are ghost with superficial things. In t he long run these images of what they are supposed to act like hithertotually shape who they expire as adults.Gender roles refer to the set of social and behavioral norms that are considered to be appropriate for individuals of a special(prenominal) sex in the context of a specific culture, which differ widely between cultures and over time. Gender stereotypes are simplistic generalizations somewhat the sexual urge attributes, differences, and roles of contrastive groups or individuals, According to Joan, Ferrante, Seeing Sociology An Introduction 2011. They are relevant in more ways than most people even care to recognize. Sources such as advertisements, television, sports, and even parents are where children pick up most of their behavior traits. These factors could affect sex activity, growth, development, personality, and business sector choices.There are several(prenominal) ways for children to be influenced gender stereotypes. Researchers such as Adrian Furnham and Twiggy Mak, express that advertisement is one of the main factors in keeping gender stereotypes vital in children. Toy commercials are the ones usually perpetuating these roles and stereotypes. Commercials that are tar get hold ofed towards girls usually generate playing house or cooking. They almost always pass on a doll in their hand. Being popular, beautiful, and passive are key points the media tries to get across. Girls are never seen playing with boy toys such as trucks or guns.In addition, commercials targeted towards boys they are seen as power seekers. Speed and physical susceptibility are a huge factor when it comes to the toys that are supposedly for their gender. The children in the commercials are told to act aggressively and independently. Society wants boys to take and aim more dominant roles. The boys in commercials will never be seen playing with girl toys.By the time a child reaches four they realize their sexuality and pick toys targeted towards their sex g roup. That is also virtually the time where they learn the behaviors associated with their specific gender. Children tend to associate the toys they play with to what they see in their environment. If a childs behaviors and interests stray away from what is believed to be normal then they are subject to discrimination and ridicule by their peers and adults.Carol Lynn Martin thinks, almost children introduction traits of both sexes. When a child nonices that they act outside of what is considered normal for their gender, they become sexually confused. On the inside they tend to question why they are not like most children of the same sex. Most children who show polar sex characteristics are often labeled gay. Boys who show more feminine traits are called effeminate. They are seen as the boys who want to be girls. Usually they gravitate more towards female or domestic activities, have all female friends, and tend to cross-dress. Girls who participate in the more virile activitie s are labeled as tomboys. They usually enjoy boyish sports, have all male friends and often wish to be a boy. condescension many of our beliefs, parents also influence their children on what is and what is not appropriate for their gender. Children learn a lot of day to day duties and behaviors from what they pick up from their parents. commonly parents tend to treat their children of different genders differently from the time they are born. They always expect different behaviors and reactions. For example, if a little girl falls and cries, she is straightway consoled and nurtured. At the same time if this same incident were to happen to a little boy he would be told to suck it up intercom speaker or crying is for girls. Instead of enforcing societies expectations on the child parents should help them target to become the unique person they are destined to be.Even the garble that a child wears contributes to what are seen as girl or boy colors. Most boys are dressed in blue, r ed, black, dark green, and brown. In tune girls traditionally wear pink, yellow, light green, and purple. If you little boys favorite color equitable so happens to be yellow there is a possibility that you would you umpire him and tell him its a girl color. Many would not handle his individuality. You should not see your son as less of a man because of a color. Many parents do each and every day.In resemblance to environment, girls tend to pick up on what they see the female take to in the house doing. Barbie Dolls tend to heavily reinforce roles such as domestic duties, narcissism, and popularity, which show that there is not much to women besides their outmost appearance and reputation. Toys such as Baby Born teach girls that women have babies and stay home to care for and nurture them. Toys such as mild Bake Ovens teach girls that the woman cooks while the man of the house is at work. Boys always pick up on the behaviors of the male figure in the house hold. Such as takin g out the trash, fixing things around the house, and going to work.On another note, toys aimed at boys are usually more aggressive and independent. Guns, tools, and trucks are seen as things that boys tend to gravitate towards because they are all seen as norms as it relates to male hobbies. Male children are more influenced to be strategic thinkers in relation to military based toys and games. From early puerility to adulthood boys are taught to be in charge as dealer of the household. Showing authority and superiority are the standard roles and stereotypes that boys are held to.Children are also restrained to gender roles and stereotypes through sports. According to society girls and women are supposed to do more feminine sports. It is rare that you hear or so a female football player winning the Superbowl. In the knowledge base of sports girls are seen as weak and fragile. Boys are typically seen as reveal athletes. They are being told that they need to be stronger and faster than the next boy by parents and society. Boys are expected to do more contact and direct aggressive sports. A boy usually would not be seen in a dance recital for The Nut Cracker. This is because it is outside of their set of norms.When it comes to gender roles in the work place, girls see on TV that they are supposed to be a secretary, nurse or any other job that is under a male figure. That goes back to the toys they play with enforcing a unsnarl and nurturing personality, also that women are supposed to be passive and submissive to men. Most girls see it as they should be the nurse to a male doctor. Boys think they should be the business owner with a female secretary. Boys do not usually see themselves as a hairstylist, but it does occasionally happen. only like girls do not see themselves as a mankind famous football player, because of gender stereotypes girls tend not to strive as high in the work place because most savor that the males should take care of most of the fi nancial needs, since they grow up seeing males as the head of the household.Society and parents should do a better job in promoting gender neutral toys and ideas. Fisher price and leapfrog are great manufacturers of toys that lean towards no specific gender with toys that focus more on education than anything else. Which is what we as a society should be pushing instead of colors and stereotypical gender roles. Dont let the gender of your child be determined by what color he or she has, or what toys they play with. Kids should not be pushed into a specific stratum when it comes to their sexuality or gender. America needs to learn that everyone is an individual and has different ideas on how they should think or behave.Overall I feel that kids should honourable be kids, which entails them making their own life choices when it comes to their personality and sexuality. Their gender and personality should not be determined by what color they are wearing, what toys they have to play w ith or who they hang around. They should be treated with respect no matter what their preferences are. Parents should embrace gender neutral ideas. This would make children more easygoing with whatever choices they make. There is no reason any child should feel like an outcast in society because their personality does not function the norms that goes within their gender.Acknowledgements I would like to first and foremost thank my mother. Without her I would not have been as focused on getting this fancy done as I am now. Secondly I want to thank me boyfriend for making me take time out of our forest time to make sure I was doing my work as distant as the research and writing process goes. Also I would like to thank the Writers Studio and the Center for Academic Success. stomach but not least I want to give a huge thank you to myself for pushing through the toughest times and getting this story done. Seeing as how this paper has been the biggest obstacle academically this seme ster, I stock-still managed to persevere and hopefully make a good grade.