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Caiafa, Adam

Prof. Jon Beadie

English 114A

22 February 2017

Barbie Dolls and Toy Trucks for the Children

How restricted will our children be in the future due to gender norms? In todays

society, children all around the world face negative feedback due to a specific set of

gender rules/ norms placed upon them. The influence of parents in childrens lives plays

a significant role from the beginning of their childhood. This has to do with the way

parents instill certain ways of playing, dressing, and interacting. These specific authors,

Claire Renzetti & Daniel Curran and Emily W. Kane have written these stories to inform

their readers how gender and sex have been altered, in todays society. The readings,

From Women, Men, and Society by Claire Renzetti and Daniel Curran and No Way

My Boys Are Going To Be Like That: Parents Responses to Childrens Gender

Nonconformity by Emily W. Kane focus on parents influences towards their children

and the socialization to gender roles.

A childs sex is associated with the personality and behaviors they are required

to follow throughout their life. This has contributed to the division of the way males and

females are raised in their early childhood. Through the early stages of childhood,

children are exposed to a specific set of gender norms. At a very young age, boys and

girls are taught to dress differently and are taught how to identify one from the other.

According to Claire Renzetti & Daniel Curran, Boys are typically dressed in dark or

primary colors, such as red and blue. They wear overalls that are often decorated with
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sporting or military equipment, trucks, and other vehicles or superheros (Renzetti &

Curran 77). They also said Girls are typically dressed in pastels, especially pink and

yellow. Their dresses and slacks sets are decorated with ruffles, bows, flowers, and

hearts (Renzetti & Curran 77). The authors show us how gender norms are set upon the

certain colors of clothing, the image of each shirt, and even the toys in which children

play with. Society sets these norms in which people are require to follow. Once people

being to follow them, they then are taught to the next generations parent to child, etc.

Parental influences begin as soon as the gender of a baby is known. A childs first

role model is their mother or father. A child observes the way their mother or father

thinks, acts, and speaks. A child will naturally imitate the way either of their parents

think, act, and speak. This gives a parent complete power to structure their child the way

they want. Due to this affect, a child is aware of others who step out of line with the

gender norms associated with their sex. Aware of the situation, or not, a child will

constantly be reminded about the specific set of gender rules influenced upon a child by a

parent. In Emily W. Kanes story, she interviewed an Asian American, middle class,

father, who said, If we go into a clothing store I try to shy my son away from the

Power Puff Girls shirt or anything like that I would steer him away from a pink shirt as

opposed to having him wear a blue shirt (Kane 93). The author is revealing to her

readers how parents are in control of the way their child is raised and identified. Here we

are shown the reality of what it is like for parents to guide their children towards a certain

sexuality, generally given what their gender is. Parents steer their children away from

toys or clothing that are not appropriate for their sex. Sadly, children will listen to their

parent and follow what they say because they look up to them. This now creates certain
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rules and guidelines within a childs mentality and constrains them from discovering who

they really are.

The socialization in gender roles has allowed for society to indicate what is

appropriate for a male and what is appropriate for a female. Often times we are exposed

to socially unaccepted which leads to the isolation of that particular individual. In

other words, we are exposed to the negative repercussions that follow these gender

norms/rules. At a young age, children are given particular toys that help guide them in

finding their identity. Toys not only entertain children, they also teach them particular

skills and encourage them to explore through play a variety of roles they may occupy as

adults (Renzetti & Curran 80). If a parent is not present and able to observe what a child

is doing, the child has no restrictions. He/she could be playing with Barbie dolls or cars.

However, when a parent is present the parent has complete control. In the reading, a

white, low income mother said her son, asked about wearing girl clothes before, and I

said no. he likes pink, and I try not to encourage him to like pink just because, you

know, hes not a girl. Theres not many toys I wouldnt get him, except Barbie. I would

try not to encourage that (Kane 93). The author reveals to its readers that something so

simply like clothing encourages or discourages particular behaviors or activities. With

the control that parents obtain they are able to inform and make other aware of the sex of

their child. All in all, clothing sends implicit messages on how a child should be treated.

Childeren are treated differently so that they can understand the different norms in society

between a woman and a man, girl and boy.

Growing up my parents never enforced a particular gender role that I had to

follow, or disapproved of what I wanted to wear or play with. Whenever we went

shopping for Halloween, I was never restricted on what to wear; I was only influenced to

choose a more masculine or athletic look. Although, when I was in preschool we would

play house and I was given the typical role of a father. I took the role because I felt it was

right and appropriate for me as a boy. In addition, I did do the typical boy thing play

sports. My parents didnt steer me in that direction, but my father was a huge sports fan

so sports seemed to be the right fit for me. In the future with my children I will be open

to whatever they want to do. I will not place roles or restrictions upon them, I will let

them find themselves on their own.

I believe that the world we live in his hypocritical in the way that we live

our lives. We say go be whatever you want and then the school system puts restrictions

on you and tells you to be real. As kids, you never really think of anything but having

fun, even if it is by yourself. One things that I was not fully aware of until reading this

novel was that gender is everywhere and there are set rules that we basically do not speak

of. It is like an unsaid rule, like being able to walk on the street feeling comfortable,

knowing that you will not be harmed. Unless someone were to act out or step out of line,

then nobody says anything except what has already been engrained in their head, and that

is how to be a man or a woman.

Works Cited

Groner, Rachel, John F. O'Hara, Emily W. Kane, Claire Renzetti, and Daniel

Curran. Composing Gender: A Bedford Spotlight Reader. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's,

2014. Print.