This is a huge scale content analysis of gender stereotypes in children TV programmes around the world and one of a few study investigating children’ own preferences regarding gender stereotypes.
Gotz. M. (2008), Girls and Boys and Television The Role of Gender.
Gotz and her research team tracked gender representation in almost twenty thousand children’ TV shows from 24 countries and found that gender stereotypes are still extremely prevalent within kids’ television. The same study reveals that these stereotypes are far from what kids actually prefer: most girls in the study actually identified with “assertive and resourceful female leads that are in control of their lives and find their own solutions to problems” (Gotz, 2008).
Click the link below to access the file and read more 😉
My friend’s younger sister is into collecting superhero toys and anything targeted to boys. She especially likes the justice League. She never got into dolls, ponies, make up, or whatever most little girls like. She’s started loving collecting at 4 and she’s 15 now. More girls should be encouraged to do things that challenge gender stereotypes.
I have seen two girls lately dress up as Spiderman just because they wanted to and I have to say, my brain screamed “rock on little ladies!” when I saw them. That thought extended to their great parents too.
Boys and girls can play with gender specific toys but I think it is healthy that they play with gender neutral toys too or at least toys you can make gender neutral.
An example I hate is Doc McStuffin. A very popular Disney channel kid’s tv cartoon right now. My little boy loves it to pieces, the little girl being a toy doctor, the lamb and the little dragon are some of the great characters but guess what, if you want to keep it gender specific, only the dragon Stuffy is okay for boys. Even the lamb has a pink tutu on it. I don’t particularly care if the lamb has a pink tutu but you do get comments like “that is a girl’s toy” and that is where you can’t shelter them from gender specific attitudes.
My 3 year old also loves Sofia the First and my husband couldn’t understand why I had bought him a doll figure of princess Amber. I’ll buy my kids what they like, whether it is gender specific or not.
Regarding Gotz’s findings, it is interesting that she found that girls prefer the opposite to the characters offered on tv. That tells me that grown people, either men or women are projecting their idea of gender on to young minds that want and expect something different. To me, that is great as it means the younger generation are changing conceptions.
I think that boys and girls need to be taught about the gender thing while growing up and encourage it clear up until age eighteen. And, after age eighteen, a person should be whatever they want to be or do whatever they want to do after that.
When I was a little girl I noticed that a lot of toys that were made for little boys were more interesting to play with or have. Although my mother always bought me girl inspired toys, I did get some blocks, a robot, and was able to talk my grandfather into getting me some toy cars like my uncles, from Toys R Us. Further, I was kind of a tomboy growing up.
Boys were more fun to be around, play with, etc. Girls were too catty, hateful, picky, clickish, and downright stupid acting. To me it is a nightmare working around a bunch of females at the workplace, too, especially when they are on their cycle.
Also, as a child, my mom used to dress me and my sisters recall cute, feminine, and froo-froo. You know, lace and all. As soon as mom left for work or whatever, dad had us back in our John Wayne outfits, sports clothes, and even football jerseys.