Gender Targeted Toys in Department stores

Virtually explore the toy section of an online department store or of an independent toy store. Or, alternatively browse through a printed catalog that advertises children’s toys.

While browsing, please pay attention to the following:

Do you identify toys that are targeted at girls, boys? Are there non-gendered toys? Do you notice anything in the store that relates to transgender, gender non-conforming, gender-creative, gender-variant children? Does the store offer toys to a multi-ethnic group of consumers? What themes and expectations are stressed in toys for boys and for girls, and how do these differ?

Play, among other things, is socialization and a rehearsal for adult roles. What types of adult roles are being rehearsed by children playing with these toys? What gender messages about the meaning of masculinity and femininity are conveyed? And, how does the socialization and rehearsal of roles interact with the structures of careers, opportunity, and inequality in our society? Are certain images and behaviors more likely to lead to financial rewards and success?

These questions are ONLY meant as guiding questions to analyze toys.

Based on your analysis write an essay about your findings and how this all relates to social stratification.

The length of the essay should be 3 full pages and cannot be longer than 5 full pages.

Use at least 2 scholarly source for this essay (in addition to any of the scholarly texts that are part of the course materials) and cite scholarly texts correctly;
Use Times Roman, 12 (or similar);
Double line spacing;
Standard margins (1 inch on top and bottom, 1.25 inches on left and right side);