Children’s ideas of social construction are in large influenced by the many forms of media that surround them. From a young age children are bombarded with images of gender and race through the toys they play with and the movies they watch. These images may not be obvious at a first glance, but with further examination the influence they have becomes very apparent. In reality these portrayals of gender and race have a great affect on the behavior of children and their ideas of gender roles. For this reason, it is important for parents to actively communicate with their children about these topics. This site aims to explore these aspects and reveal the not so innocent images that are fed to children. Specifically, how toys are advertised toward boys and girls is examined, and images of females, males, and race in movies are explored.
Do you fit into one of these boxes?
Below is a video by Anita Sarkesian, a creator of blogs that discuss the relationship between gender and the media. She discusses toys and advertising, and how it may affect how girls and boys may grow and develop differently because of these things. These elements are explored further in the remainder of this site.
The video and corresponding blog can be found at: http://marinagraphy.com/gender-toys-messages-send/.