Reports that gender stereotypes continue to influence parents'
decisions when buying toys for their children, according to Niagara
University researchers who interviewed adults from local toy stores.
Reasons behind the trend.
By
Peter Doskoch,
Marian M. Jones, published on December 01, 1996
Female firefighters, diapering dads: adults are slowly escaping the
confinesof traditional sex roles. But when it comes to kids' toys, gender
stereotypes still rule.
Researchers at Niagara University recently interviewed adults as
they exited local toy stores. They found that 98 percent of shoppers
bought boys "male" toys like trucks or gender-neutral gifts such as
musical instruments; only one lad in fifty was getting a traditionally
female like a doll or dishes. Similarly, just 6 percent of gifts for
girls crossed gender lines.
According to Niagara's Donna Fisher-Thompson, Ph.D., most adults
buy children toys aimed at a specific sex because that's what they ask
for. So why are kids so keen on playthings tailored to their own sex?
Imitation, for starters. Take the long hair that's standard equipment on
most dolls. Mothers spend a lot of time fussing with their daughters'
dos, so girls want to follow their example, says New Jersey-based toy
consultant Ruth B. Roufberg, explaining manufacturers' credo that girls'
toys must provide the opportunity for "hair play."
Then there's the good ol' profit motive. Toy makers often push male
and female versions of the same item in order to double their sales.
Lego, for example, now markets building sets that include lavender blocks
for girls.
Will toys escape traditional gender designations anytime soon?
Don't bet on it. The hit attraction at the 1996 International Toy Fair
was aimed exclusively at girls. Melanie's Mall is a dollhouse-sized
complex--complete with tiny gold credit cards--where Barbie and friends
can shop till they drop.
PHOTO (COLOR): The Green Lantern: Do this superhero's powers
include girl appeal?
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