I used to be absolutely certain that boys shouldn't play with dolls.
Now I'm absolutely certain that I was wrong.
In this week's reading, Barbara Pocock talks about unpaid work in Australia (such as child care, cleaning and cooking among other work that occurs mostly in the private domain of the house) and describes maternal guilt as how "many women feel criticized for their choices (whether in paid jobs or at home, whether with children or without)." (p. 47) Pocock describes women at home as being seen as "loving, selfless care-givers", while those who work carry the stigma of a "selfish career woman". Yet, women are still pressured to work, and to become educated before having children. In the current system it seems that women can't win. They are criticized for not pulling their weight as dependent house wives, however if they have a career they are seen as selfish. Greater recognition needs to be given to unpaid work so as to limit the suffering that comes about from "maternal guilt". Children are still brought up with gendered expectations that reinforce their roles in the workplace. Here is an article that looks at the increase in the gendering of children's toys:
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4617704
Hi Chrissie,
ReplyDeleteHere is a cool post listing loads of toys for girls and boys that challenge gender, race and disability stereotypes. Some of them a real gems.
There are also links to further sources, including some scientific research about the myth that boys prefer trucks and girls prefer dolls.
It was interesting to see in item 14 that some mainstream stores in the USA are embracing flexible gender advertising toward children.
http://www.policymic.com/articles/87379/30-photos-that-challenge-the-harmful-stereotypes-toy-companies-sell-you