Gender Stereotypes in Children
Hello fellow bloggers,
We are all aware of gender stereotypes between men and women but are we aware how early these stereotypes are pushed upon children. The following experiment conducted by BBC shows how at some level adults push these stereotypes on children even if subconsciously.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWu44AqF0iI
They dress toddlers in clothes typically worn by the opposite sex and ask adult volunteers to play with them. All of the adults chose toys to give to the toddlers purely based on the clothes they were wearing, the children dressed as boys were mainly given a toy robot by the adults and the girls were given a doll or teddy bear.
As a species we subconsciously fear being different to some extent. This is evidently seen in how we treat our children. we give little girls dolls and unicorns while the boys get trucks and robots.
We shape the minds of kids who in turn will shape the minds of the future generations. This has been the unending cycle of human evolution but through it all gender stereotypes have still prevailed while all other aspects of humanity have changed for the better.
This placing of stereotypes on the new generation will continue to and has suffocated individuality and the idea that it is okay to be different.
A few questions I have for all of you are:
Have you ever been in a situation where somebody has placed a stereotype on you, based on gender, that was false?
Have you ever done the same to somebody else?
Were there times in your childhood where you did not do something you wanted to because it was not "meant for your gender"?
We are all aware of gender stereotypes between men and women but are we aware how early these stereotypes are pushed upon children. The following experiment conducted by BBC shows how at some level adults push these stereotypes on children even if subconsciously.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWu44AqF0iI
They dress toddlers in clothes typically worn by the opposite sex and ask adult volunteers to play with them. All of the adults chose toys to give to the toddlers purely based on the clothes they were wearing, the children dressed as boys were mainly given a toy robot by the adults and the girls were given a doll or teddy bear.
As a species we subconsciously fear being different to some extent. This is evidently seen in how we treat our children. we give little girls dolls and unicorns while the boys get trucks and robots.
We shape the minds of kids who in turn will shape the minds of the future generations. This has been the unending cycle of human evolution but through it all gender stereotypes have still prevailed while all other aspects of humanity have changed for the better.
This placing of stereotypes on the new generation will continue to and has suffocated individuality and the idea that it is okay to be different.
A few questions I have for all of you are:
Have you ever been in a situation where somebody has placed a stereotype on you, based on gender, that was false?
Have you ever done the same to somebody else?
Were there times in your childhood where you did not do something you wanted to because it was not "meant for your gender"?
Hey Huzafah, first I'd like to mention that this was a really well constructed blog, Now on to answering your questions. Yes, I've been placed in gender stereotypes that are not true in the past, mainly with reading books, because according to the world I should've grown up looking are cars and not novels. There are many other times too, mainly with the whole "not being talkative" I'm very talkative... and nurturing! Now considering the answers to the first question, I didn't really want others to go through the same stereotypes so I did my best to stay aware and not stereotype others, mainly in a house with children, I tend to give the kids the toys they wanted not the toys they stereotypically should play with. Finally, I'm pretty sure there was a time in my childhood where that happened, mainly with me being too uninterested and introverted to go outside and play sports, but I had to go and play sports because apparently masculinity is really fragile and if you don't act on it you're not a "man."
ReplyDeleteThanks Maqsood, you really helped further prove my point by sharing your personal experiences. I have been through the same thing just in different scenarios. This just goes to show the reality of gender stereotypes put upon children from a young age
DeleteNo problem Huzafah, and yeah I would also like to mention that everyone in their lives have been victims of gender stereotypes in their lives but as you said in "different scenarios" so some of them on a larger scale then others. Gender stereotypes applied on children at a young age really affects them and people around them, as the video you linked to, showed that people who didn't have kids of their own knew that boys should play with certain toys and girls with certain. This shows that you dont need to have a personal experience with stereotypes to be a victim of them.
DeleteNice blog Huzafah, There have been many times where people have placed stereotypes on me based on my gender. Back in grade 7, I did had no physical activities, I did not participate in any sports nor outdoor activities, and my friends and uncles would always tell me to join sports, and to not sit around at home like girls. One time I went shopping with my friends and saw a very nice sweater, but it was pink. I wanted to buy it but my friends forced me not to saying that I will be made fun of. And I think I also did something similar like that in my life. Every time if it were any of my cousins birthday, I would buy him\her a gift based on their gender. If it were a boy, I would buy him a robot toy or a Nerf gun, and if it were a girl, I would buy her a toy house or a barbie doll. Now I have come to realize that we must stop these gender norm. We can change all this if everyone tries to change it.
ReplyDeleteAwesome blog! yeah I can recall at one time that I felt like I was being stereotyped, I'm a person who likes all colour. So one day I went to a party dressed in pink t-shirt. I felt like all eyes were staring at me, I knew something was wrong. Pink colour has been stereotyped! it felt like a taboo for a male to be seen with the colour. I might have stereotyped someone subconsciously, but I deeply apologize. Well I can not recall when I didn't do something because it was meant for the opposite gender.
ReplyDeleteHey Huzafah , First off I'd like to say your blog is well constructed and I feel as though gender stereotypes is a tough topic to discuss although we see it happening everywhere, in our generation we find it totally normal where it isn't supposed to be a norm. To answer your questions , yes I was in a situation where I went shopping with my friends for a baby shower for a baby girl and I started picking up blue onesies , blue sweaters , yellow matching sets but nothing pink and I was told "Its a girl why are you buying her boy clothes". I was confused and irritated because we start putting a gender stereotype on people right from the jump and it isn't healthy because they grow up thinking their life is in a box that they can't do anything out of the ordinary and they can't stand out and they have to fit it and follow whats "Normal".
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ReplyDeleteHey Huzafuh,
ReplyDeleteYour blog was really good. I remember Yayhe calling something in law class a year ago for acting in a performance. He was probably joking, but it annoyed me. I never put a stereotype on anyone, because that is not something I picture myself doing ever. In my childhood, for some reason I would cry a lot, people even called me annoying for doing that. My dad would always tell me that I'm not a man if I always cry. I think that stereotype is dead, and anyone could cry if they want to. Crying doesn't take away your masculinity
Great blog Huzafah! I personally can't recall myself in a situation where I have been stereotyped based on my gender but I have definitely heard individuals who have been stereotyped based on their favourite colour or their selection of clothing. I personally think stereotyping people based on their gender is very wrong since each person should be able to express themselves openly without the constant fear of criticism from others.
ReplyDelete