Gender Socialization in a Toy Store
at caught my attention the most out of this aisle was the “Baby Newborn” doll because of how real the baby doll is compared to a real baby. On the back of the box it says, “Without you, Baby Newborn could not survive. Through your love and support, Baby Newborn can grow up to be just like you.” Already, this doll and that message, tells young girls that they are able to provide and take care of a baby on their own, even though the “Baby Newborn” doll is just automated. To take care of the “Baby Newborn” doll, you must the importance to always look good. Also, toys such as, “Super Hair Creations,” “Glamour Girl Set,” Manicure Mania,” and “Scent Salon Beauty,” also, stresses the importance of beauty, along with the “Barbie” dolls. These toys teach girls at a young age that obsessing over the way you look is important and what society only may seem to accept. As blinded young girls may be by the stereotypes these objects are teaching, by growing up, it will stick in a girls mind cognitively and mentally the stress and importance of beauty that these toys create. My last observation was in the boy’s aisle. It is already a known gender stereotype for boys that they must be dominant and masculine by socialization. By following up in the boy’s aisle, I wanted to find toys that stressed those known gender stereotypes that society has created for boys. First, I came across toys such as, “Starwars Double Take Death Kit,” “Small Soldiers Karate Fighters,” “Small Soldiers Action Figures,” and “WWF Ring Warriors Wrestling Kit.” These four toys have already made gender stereotype for boys to be masculine. Not only does it encourage the trait of being masculine, but it encourages competitiveness, dominance, aggressiveness, and violence. Through these toys, it reflects boys negatively by encouraging boys to stereotype themselves that violence is the way to solve problems and to be dominant and strong. It stresses importance from society that those traits, especially dominance,