Gender in Play
2017
Gender binarism is a prevailing social construct that has been proven to be damaging and detrimental, but established evidence that shows that gender exists as spectrum - and as a distinct, separate entity to biological sex - continues to be widely dismissed and derided by many. When archaic and antediluvian gender norms are perpetuated and enforced, everyone suffers; “to define is to limit” (Wilde, p.251). Although the gender binary has not yet been prevalently or adequately challenged by the mainstream mass media, one of the most high profile areas of discussion has involved the out-dated gender stereotypes evidenced in, and perpetuated by, the design, marketing, and packaging of children’s toys.
So many facets of life perpetuate gender stereotypes - the media, the entertainment industry and legislation, to name a few - but toys hold particular importance as they are one of the earliest products (and thus reflections) of our society to which children are exposed. Children continually assimilate and internalise information, and toys serve as powerful teaching tools; it is therefore imperative that toys should not promote harmful stereotypes, as they are highly likely to impact the perception the child has of their own limits, capabilities, and potential. A recent study found that “gendered notions of brilliance are acquired early”; by the age of six, girls viewed themselves as less intelligent than their male counterparts, and consequently avoided activities that they perceived to be solely for “really, really smart” children (Bian et al., 2017).
Gender roles affect not only how a child views their own personal identity, but also how they subsequently perceive their place in the world. A growing awareness of gender roles and the damage that they can cause, paired with the rise of accountability culture, has perhaps cultivated conversations within more liberal factions of society and brought about some low-level changes, but the collective consciousness of wider society - and the antiquated, obsolete gender norms that it so obstinately clings to – urgently needs to be challenged and changed.
Reference list
Bian, L. et al. (2017) Gender stereotypes about intellectual ability emerge early and influence children’s interests. Available at: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6323/389 (Accessed: 13th May 2017)
Wilde, O. (1908) The Picture of Dorian Gray. Bernhard Tauchnitz.
Bibliography
Arney, K. (2011) ‘Are pink toys turning girls into passive princesses?’, The Guardian, 9th May. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2011/may/09/pink-toys-girls-passive-princesses (Accessed: 13th May 2017).
Curtis, P. (2011) ‘Pink v blue – are children born with gender preferences?’, The Guardian, 13th December. Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2011/dec/13/women-children (Accessed: 13th May 2017).
Education Employers (2016) #RedrawTheBalance. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJP1zPOfq_0 (Accessed: 13th May 2017).
Fighting the Power of Pink (2016) BBC Radio 4 extra, 11th August.
Gander, K. (2015) ‘Most toy adverts are ‘sexist’ and show ‘narrow and limiting’ gender stereotypes, study warned’, The Guardian, 8th December. Available at:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/most-toy-adverts-are-sexist-and-show-narrow-and-limiting-gender-stereotypes-study-warns-a6776746.html (Accessed: 13th May 2017).
Kilvington, J. and Wood, A. (2016) Gender, Sex and Children’s Play. UK: Bloomsbury.
Oksman, O. (2016) ‘Are gendered toys harming childhood development?’, The Guardian, 28th May. Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/may/28/toys-kids-girls-boys-childhood-development-gender-research (Accessed: 13th May 2017).
Perry, G. (2016) The Descent of Man. UK: Penguin Random House.
Weale, S. (2016) ‘Gendered toys could deter girls from career in engineering, report says’, The Guardian, 8th December. Available at:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/dec/08/gendered-toys-deter-girls-from-career-engineering-technology (Accessed: 13th May 2017).
Women’s Hour: What’s in a name? (2017) BBC Radio 4, 17th April.