Target stopped using gender based labels to categorize their toys in 2015, a decision that was met with controversy. Target’s decision is a reflection of society’s changing views regarding gender stereotypes and children’s hobbies.
A 2015 survey conducted by CivicScience, a consumer research company, showed 40 percent of millennials agreed “the toy industry perpetuates gender stereotypes and should be marketing every toy to both boys and girls,” compared to only 28 percent of the general population.
Unfortunately, most of the movements to break down these stereotypes have revolved around encouraging girls to play with traditionally masculine toys. Educators and feminist activists have decried the lack of STEM-focused toys for girls in comparison to boys, and pushed for companies to also market their science and engineering kits to girls.
Yet there hasn’t been nearly as much of a push in the opposite direction. Baby dolls, easy bake ovens and toy cleaning sets remain absent from the boys’ toy aisle without much outrage from the general public. That’s a little disappointing, to say the least.
Toys are more than just a means to keep children entertained. Researchers agree that playtime is crucial to children’s learning development and shapes how they see the world. A 2005 study by researchers Judith Blakemore and Renee Centers showed toys classified as strongly gender-stereotyped actually reinforce negative gender stereotypes by encouraging aggression in boys and fixation on physical appearance in girls.
They also offered little educational value. Moderately gender-typed and gender neutral toys offered the best educational value and were less likely to reinforce harmful stereotypes. Researchers recommend children play with a mix of toys typed as moderately feminine to encourage nurturing and domestic skills, and toys typed as moderately male to encourage spatial and cognitive skills.
Anyone would be hard pressed to argue against the importance of domestic skills for both genders in today’s society. Fathers are expected to play an active role in caregiving and household chores in the era of working mothers. Even for men who never have children, caregiving skills are important to have. Men are traditionally underrepresented in caregiving fields such as teaching and nursing.
Supporters of maintaining gender categories for toys point to studies showing infants prefer toys that “match” their gender. But these studies haven’t stopped calls for STEM-oriented toys, traditionally considered boys’ toys, for girls, so why should they hinder moves to make infant dolls and housekeeping sets more attractive for boys? Small children show all sorts of limited preferences; it’s up to parents to encourage children to seek new experiences and develop all the skills they’ll need in life. Showing a preference for one toy doesn’t mean they’ll be completely averse to playing with another.
The push for eliminating gender-stereotyped toys is a movement in the right direction. However, the one sided emphasis on the value of masculine toys is a little problematic.
When pushing for the elimination of harmful gender stereotypes, we should be careful not to reinforce the belief that things traditionally associated with femininity are less valuable than those that are considered masculine.
Yes, girls should absolutely be encouraged to expand their interests with legos and building sets. But their little brothers should also be encouraged to practice cooking with their easy bake oven or feeding their own baby doll. After all, they’ll be expected to know those things when they’re adults.
That’s not political correctness. It’s preparation for adulthood.
Osie Evans is a 21-year-old English junior from Natchitoches, Louisiana.