Boys, Girls and Toys- Oh My

When you walk into a toy store, it is very obvious what aisles are marketed for boys or girls. The girls toy section is mostly pink with some purples. The boys toy section is filled with blue and red toys. These colors are the stereotypical colors that associate with boys and girls. In addition, the aisles marketed for boys have toys such as cars, action figures, and superheroes. These superheroes and action figures have disproportionate bodies that exaggerate huge muscles and extremely tall bodies. This emphasizes society's stereotype that all men need to be strong and aggressive. On the other hand, the section for girls has baby dolls, cooking sets, and princesses. This is the case because women are known as the caregivers in society and take on the private life within the home by cooking and taking care of their children. Toy makers teach young children these stereotypical gender roles at very early ages. I believe that toy stores need a gender neutral aisle as well. This aisle would include toys of various colors for packaging. In addition, the aisle would have toys such as different animal figures, coloring books, games, and other toys that do not reflect the stereotypical gender roles. This allows children to create their own identities and not to be influenced by the toy makers. I believe young boys should be able to play with dolls and kitchen sets just as much as girls do. They, too, will someday be a father or caregiver and need to learn how to hold and take care of a baby. In addition, I believe young girls should be able to race cars around a track and play with superheroes. Women drive cars just as much as men do after receiving their driver's license so it should be no surprise that young girls should be able to play with cars like young boys do. It did not surprise me that the young girl in the YouTube video was aware of these specific gendered areas within toy stores. I agree with her that boys and girls should be able to choose any toy that they would like. This allows them to be creative and expand their imagination.