Literature Review--Katy Davis

The Production of Meaning through Peer Interaction: Children and Walt Disney’s Cinderella
By Lori Baker-Sperry

If you were to view all the movies and story books that children are exposed to, you would inevitably find that many behaviors and roles are strictly gendered. These stereotypical views of how a female or male should act impacts children to the point that many start mimicking these specific roles in society. Ultimately, they start to accept gendered expectations as truth that they all must follow.
In this article, Baker-Sperry discusses a study that was given out to a group of elementary children during their reading session. They went to the group to discuss Cinderella. All the girls got excited, while many of the boys brushed it off and didn’t have much to say about it for fear of being labeled feminine. Many of the boys argued that they didn’t care for the story much and that any boy that showed a slight interest in it was highly frowned upon. Simply put, Cinderella is labeled a chick flick.
The children were asked to describe the looks and personalities of Cinderella and the stepmother. Many of the Children described Cinderella as beautiful. One girl even admitted that she wanted to be just like Cinderella because she was able to attract her prince charming. Even at the tender age of six, children see that beauty is to be desired and that the only way to attract a mate and get what you want is having irresistibly good looks.
Next, the stepmother was brought into the conversation. Not one good thing was said about her. Nobody really knew what to say besides the fact that she was mean, old and lacked beauty. You can’t help but notice that none of the so called “ugly” stepsister’s got the attention of the prince…only Cinderella’s looks grabbed the Prince’s attention.
The children were also asked about who would most likely change the diapers when Cinderella and the Prince had babies. Would the prince do it? They all yelled out all at once….”NO!” The children considered changing a diaper to be a woman’s job and that the men didn’t have to worry about getting close to a stinky diaper.
Ultimately, this article described how Cinderella has definitely changed how children view gender roles and practices. Girls have gained a sense of what their duties are (cleaning and changing diapers) and that our society emphasizes beauty to get what you want.

Baker-Sperry, Lori. "The Production of Meaning Through Peer Interaction: Children and Walt Disney's Cinderella." Sex Roles, 56.11/12 (2007): 717-727.

Work and Family: How does the (Gender) Balance Change as Children Grow?
By Lyn Craig and Pooja Sawrikar

Many families grow up in a household where the mother stays home and takes care of the children while the father is out in the world bringing home the bacon. But, in some cases you have both the mother and father who both go to work and the house if left…with all that housework to do! In this article, it describes how even though both a father and mother may be working outside the house, the mother is usually the one to continue to do twice as much household work than men. Not only that, but women are more likely to go in and out of the workforce because they have to keep adjusting their hours for when duty calls for them to be at home with their young children. Looking at how children are raised in these kinds of environments you can’t help but wonder if they think that the women’s place must always be at home and even when they do have a job…they come home to do more work. What’s also quite interesting in this article is that older children ages 11-14 strongly agree that their working fathers seem to care more about being successful in their careers then they do about meeting the needs of their kids.

Craig, Lyn, and Pooja Sawrikar. "Work and Family: How Does the (Gender) Balance Change as Children Grow?." Gender, Work & Organization, 16.6 (2009): 684-709.

‘You’d Be Good at That’: Gender Patterns in Parent-Child Talk about Courses
By Harriet Tenenbaum

When children reach secondary school they are faced with the daunting task of having to choose classes. Many of these children end up getting advice from their parents which inevitably hinders their development in other fields of study. In a study that was conducted, they found that when children were advised from their parents about what courses to take they found that most of the parents chose gender-stereotyped courses. This meant that boys were encouraged to take math and science classes, whereas girls were advised to take reading and English courses. Many of the parents believed that science is more difficult for girls than it is for boys. But, in reality girls do mark higher in math and this usually goes unnoticed. What is even more astonishing is that when most girls enter into the university they are more than likely to stop taking science and math altogether. Children need to be encouraged to take a variety of courses. Never should a child be discouraged to take a class because it’s been labeled for a girl or a boy. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never come across a class labeled…MATH 100 BOYS ONLY!!!

Tenenbaum, Harriet. "'You'd Be Good at That': Gender Patterns in Parent-Child Talk About Courses." Social Development, 18.2 (2009): 447-463.

Children’s Perceptions of Aggressive and Gender-Specific Content in Toy Commercials
By Lori J. Klinger, James A. Hamilton, and Peggy J. Cantrell

Flip through the commercials on television and you are bound to find a pattern. You can tell what ads are directed for girls and which ones are for boys. In this article, they conducted a study on this and found that commercials are indeed gender stereotyped and behaviors are reinforced through these ads. The boys in the ads came off as more aggressive and were placed in settings outside of the house, whereas the girls were indoors playing with dolls. But, what was most fascinating about this article was when they asked a group of children about what toys they wished to play with more 74% of the children wanted to play with the boy toys, whereas 33% wanted to play with the girl toys. Ultimately, not all girls and all boys wish to play with their gender specific toy and they should be encouraged to play with a variety of toys…no matter who the ad is directing it to.

Klinger, Lori, James Hamilton, and Peggy Cantrell. "Children's Perceptions of Aggressive and Gender--specific Content in Toy Commercials." Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 29.1 (2001): 11-20.

Ready to Make Nice: Parental Socialization of Young Son’s and Daughters’ Prosocial Behaviors With Peers
By Paul D Hastings, Kelly E. McShane, Richard Parker and Farriola Ladha

Parents play a huge role on the lives of children and how they view the world. In this article it discusses how parenting styles socialize children’s behaviors into becoming a girl or boy. Ever since we were babies we have been taught what is male and what is female. They describe in the article that even by toddlerhood we are able to distinguish masculine and feminine characteristics and that we start to identify our own gender by the time we are in preschool. In addition, girls are encouraged to be compassionate and nurturing while boys are encouraged to be more assertive.

Hastings, Paul, Kelly McShane, Richard Parker, and Farriola Ladha. "Ready to Make Nice: Parental Socialization of Young Sons' and Daughters' Prosocial Behaviors with Peers." Journal of Genetic Psychology, 168.2 (2007): 177-200.

‘Parenting’ Or ‘Mothering’? The case of modern childcare magazines
By Jane Sunderland

Look for the parenting magazine section at the store and try to find a magazine directed towards fathers. Any luck? Ya, didn’t think so…
In this article, it describes how many fathers are left out of the loop when it comes parenting magazines and that fathers have been brushed aside as being a sidekick. There are four times as many books on motherhood than there is on fatherhood and if a father is included he’s usually just that guy in the corner “helping out.” Basically, fatherhood is not being fully addressed which can have deadly effects on how children in fact view fatherhood. The article describes how the Mother has been given the title as “main parent,” whereas the father is the “part-time parent.”

Sunderland, Jane. "'Parenting' or `mothering'? the Case of Modern Childcare Magazines." Discourse & Society, 17.4 (2006): 503-527.


Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Academic Self-Concept and Self-Reported Depressed Mood in School Children.
By Derek H. Berg and Don A. Klinger

In this article, they describe how we have stereotypical ideas of what is considered male or female courses. The most predominate idea is that math is for boys and reading is for girls. With this idea we have come to the conclusion that when girls and boys do poorly in their so called “gender specific course” they ultimately become extremely depressed. The depression occurs because these are classes that they are supposed to have an innate skill for and come to find out…they don’t. In addition, they discuss the relationship between PE and its adverse effects it has on boys who are not athletic. Considering boys in society are supposed to be the aggressive and outgoing type it’s no wonder that many find that their self-esteem plummets and depression occurs when they don’t find themselves meeting that high athletic ability. Overall, this article is telling us that nobody is born with gendered skills and that placing such an idea in the minds of children is hurting them greatly.

Berg, Derek, and Don Klinger. "Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Academic Self-Concept and Self-Reported Depressed Mood in School Children." Sex Roles, 61.7/8 (2009): 501-509.

Gender-linked Differences in the Toys, Television Shows, Computer Games, and Outdoor Activities of 5- to 13- year-old Children
By Isabelle D. Cherney and Kamala London

This article discussed the idea that boys and girls had a preference for toys that were generally stereotyped for their own gender. The boys preferred trucks, guns, bikes and action figures that encouraged exploration and aggression. On the other hand, girls preferred baby dolls, tea sets, make-up and of course, Barbie. What they found to be most interesting is the fact girls are less strictly gender-typed when it came to toys. Boys were restricted to their gender stereotyped toys because of the pressure from parents only allowing them to have gender specific toys. A boy wanting to play with a Barbie, playing with make-up and tea sets would be highly frowned upon and even their sexuality would be questioned. There is considered far less pressure for girls to stick to their gender specific toys so they can go back and forth between playing with trucks and Barbie’s. It is highly unlikely that their sexuality would even be questioned.

Cherney, Isabelle, and Kamala London. "Gender-linked Differences in the Toys, Television Shows, Computer Games, and Outdoor Activities of 5- to 13-year-old Children." Sex Roles, 54.9/10 (2006): 717-726.


A Content Analysis Of Gender Differences In Children’s Advertising
By Lois J. Smith

This article describes how certain advertisements are gendered and that you can easily distinguish which ones are directed for a girl or a boy. A study found that children aged 2 through 11 were exposed to more than 20,000 television advertisements a year and that many images that children are being shown to are ones that show girls and boys in their traditional roles. 70% of the time girls were seen in ads at home playing with their toys. Boys were usually most of the time outside the home engaged in sports or other aggressive behaviors. None of the ads portrayed any of the boys as being caring, sharing or nurturing. What this ultimately translates to is that if a boy is caught displaying any of these you would be considered feminine. Ads have tremendous influence on how children perceive the world and what is considered to be feminine or masculine.

Smith, Lois. "A Content Analysis of Gender Differences in Children's Advertising." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 38.3 (1994): 323-337.

Family Patterns of Gender Role Attitudes
By Jaime L Marks, Chun Bun Lam and Susan M McHale

Gender role attitudes can be learned from a variety of sources, but have such a huge impact that you might say they play the biggest role. Parents encourage children to engage in certain activities that might be gender specific and even behaviors are either encouraged or frowned upon. An example was that fathers reacted more negatively towards sons crying than daughters. It’s as if crying is viewed as showing weakness and therefore not masculine. To show that children do watch and engage in roles of parents is when sons viewed their fathers doing what would be considered “feminine housework.” As the son got older, he engaged in the same housework as well.

Marks, Jaime, Chun Lam, and Susan McHale. "Family Patterns of Gender Role Attitudes." Sex Roles, 61.3/4 (2009): 221-234.

Children’s Beliefs About Violating Gender Norms: Boys Shouldn’t Look Like Girls, and Girls Shouldn’t Act Like Boys
By Judieth E. Owen Blakemore

Children that ranged from ages 3-11 were interviewed about what they believed to be the norms for how boys and girls should act. The boys were viewed more negatively if they had LOOKED feminine. The children believed that it wouldn’t be acceptable if a boy were to have any type of feminine hair style or clothing. Girls on the other hand were able to get away with having masculine hairstyles and clothing. But that didn’t mean that girls didn’t get away unscathed. Girls were viewed more negatively if they PLAYED masculine, such as being loud, rough and aggressive. On the other hand, if a boy were to play gently and quietly it was considered okay.

Owen Blakemore, Judith. "Children's Belief About Violating Gender Norms: Boys Shouldn't Look Like Girls, and Girls Shouldn't Act Like Boys." Sex Roles, 48.9/10 (2003): 411-419.

Gender In American Public Schools: Thinking Institutionally
Elisabeth Hansot and David Tyack

Public Schools play an important part in how children are socialized and gendered. Children come together to learn certain gender roles and expectations from teachers as well as from other peers. Schools have traditionally helped children with the transition of gender relationships. In the past classes have helped reinforce certain behaviors and skills needed for certain genders. For example, home economics was taught. Back in the day classes like these were introduced to help girls become “model wives and mothers.”

Hansot, Elisabeth, and David Tyack. "Gender in American Public Schools: Thinking Institutionally." Signs: Journal of Women in Culture & Society, 13.4 (1988): 741-760.

Preschoolers’ Perceptions of Gender Appropriate Toys and their Parents’ Beliefs About Genderized Behaviors: Miscommunication, Mixed Messages, or Hidden Truths?
By Nancy K. Freeman

A study was conducted with 3- and 5- year old children asking them to identify boy and girl toys. The 3 year olds separated the toys and found that 92% of their responses showed gender typical stereotypes. When the 5 year olds accomplished such an assignment the toys were even more stereotypically separated than the 3 year olds. Seems that the older a child gets the more they identify what is considered feminine or masculine. This article also discussed the idea that children should not be limited to only gender specific toys. If boys are interested in playing with dolls and girls with trucks they should be encouraged to do so. There is no harm in a boy showing signs of being nurturing and a girl being adventurous.

Freeman, Nancy. "Preschoolers' Perceptions of Gender Appropriate Toys and Their Parents' Beliefs About Genderized Behaviors: Miscommunication, Mixed Messages, or Hidden Truths?." Early Childhood Education Journal, 34.5 (2007): 357-366.

The Impact of Parenting Experience on Gender Stereotyped Toy Play of Children
By Eileen Wood, Serge Desmarais, and Sara Gugula

In this study parents were to sort toys into gender categories and label them as either feminine, neutral or masculine. None of the toys that were considered traditionally masculine were ever labeled as feminine. The baby doll, soft doll and house were all labeled as feminine and the truck and tools were labeled masculine. Neutral items included the phone and kitchen. They also conducted a study in which the parents of the children were set up in a room and played toys with the children. Fathers were found to be less flexible in allowing boys to play with traditional girl toys. Boys are found being constrained to only their gender specific toys, whereas girls have more flexibility in playing with a variety of toys including boy toys.

Wood, Eileen, Serge Desmarais, and Sara Gugula. "The Impact of Parenting Experience on Gender Stereotyped Toy Play of Children." Sex Roles, 47.1/2 (2002): 39-49.

Gendered Voices in Children’s Television Advertising
By Fern L. Johnson and Karren Young

This article pin points the differences between a girl ad or a boy ad. Ads for boys emphasize action, competition and destruction, whereas girl ads emphasize nurturing and feelings. Commercial ads for girls contain more fades and dissolves giving it a more fantasy and dream like appeal to their products. In ads where the item being advertized can be regarded as gender neutral the girl is usually off in the background and the boy is given the most speaking lines. If the girl were to have more speaking lines then the product would most likely be labeled as feminine and most boys will not buy a product that is directed for a girl but, a girl will have no problem buying a product if it was ever directed for boys.

Johnson, Fern, and Karren Young. "Gendered Voices in Children's Television Advertising." Critical Studies in Media Communication, 19.4 (2002): 461-480.