Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Children and Gender
Throughout my observations of children this semester, i have begun to notice a lack of gender biases among them. In class, we learn about the behaviors an characteristics that society prescribes to boys and girls. We learn that boys like blue, play with trucks, and like to get dirty. We learn that girls like pink, play with dolls, and like to cook. These are considered to be gender norms and in many cases we see them play out in everyday life. With these children, however, these gender norms were almost non-existent. I've seen little boys playing with barbies and little girls getting dirty in the sandbox, and nobody seemed to think anything of it. This leads me to wonder when do children learn these expected norms for their gender? When has society decided the right age is to start teaching and enforcing these norms to children? -Jaime Genzel KIN 338-I
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I don't think we necessarily "teach" children gender intentionally. Children use adults as role models and imitate what they see their parents doing and the people around them. They easily pick up habits of other and will gravitate toward something that they see someone else around them likes and gets joy from. It is also common for adults to treat a child according to their gender. People generally tend to be more tough with little boys than they are with girls. Parents like to dress their girls in skirts and bows at a young age before they are even aware or interested in what kind of clothing they are wearing. I think that really influences what they perceive as part of their ideology later in life. All kids are very similar in their want to be happy, loved, and have fun. The way gender ideology is represented around them will affect their ideals of gender ideology as they begin to develop their own opinions in life. ---Natalie Gonzalez KIN 338I
Post a Comment