One thing that struck me over the past few
weeks, however, is the fact that in some cases, it seems as though we are
losing ground. In particular, in the prevalence of stereotypes that has
seemed to worsen over the past year.
For example, during a Christmas shopping
expedition, I happened to notice gender segregation in the toy department! Even though there have been efforts to neutralize
gender stereotyping (there’s now a blue Easy Bake Oven for boys and there’s a
Lego line made just for girls – although the girls’ line is more about beauty
and domesticity than building), aisles and displays filled with pink and
pastel, with toys involving homemaking and beauty obviously catered to girls,
and across the way, blue and army green aisles filled with action, sports, and
building-oriented toys were filled with boys.
I did a bit of research, and found that
although there had been clear gender-based marketing when I was little, it
somewhat disappeared in the 1970s – in fact, a researcher noted that in
1975, more than 70% of toys in the Sears catalog showed no markings of gender
at all – there were even photos of girls playing airline pilots and boys
cooking in the kitchen.
Over the past 30+ years, gender-based
marketing has become much more explicit, causing increased pressure for girls
and boys to stay within the manufacturers’ boundaries for their play
choices. According to the Journal of Applied Developmental
Psychology, parents interviewed when leaving a toy store reported
purchasing gender-typed toys because the kids asked for them, even
though the toy may not have been the parents’ choice. This type of
phenomenon has no doubt fueled the development and marketing of gender-based
toys under the guise of gender-differentiated play preferences.
Experts believe that the reflection of
stereotypes about gender roles in toys and their marketing shows how little
retail marketers’ attitudes have changed over time – even though 70% of mothers
are in the labor force today, and most domestic responsibilities within a
family are shared.
In a culture that bombards us with gender
messages, it’s so important that we help both boys and girls understand
that the choices and options are completely open to them, regardless of
gender. In Chrysalis After-School programs, we help girls navigate the
gender-biased messages they see and hear in order to dispel the myths they
convey.
P.S. Just for fun – when you think the
minds and marketers in Hollywood are finally “getting it” -- http://youtu.be/i1FZF4nynMI
