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Law and Morality |
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Gender Differences in Children's Toys - Kathleen Antrim, Valley High School |
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Contents of Curriculum
Introduction
The women's movement of the late 20th century has brought about radical changes in the roles played by men and women in Western societies. In general, women have had much more freedom to work outside the home, and men have gradually become less alienated from their families. The trend in the media in the past few years has been to extol the relationship between the young father and his baby. Commercials, public service announcements, and modern family sitcoms demonstrate how nice it can be for men to play an active role at home. By now, we are also familiar with the common portrayal of woman in the workplace. This eases our pain of having to endure the media-fabricated love affair women are supposed to have with cleaning products, bath salts, and leak proof-diapers. Although it is quite obvious that there is still much more that must be done in order to achieve true physical, legal, social, and psychological equality of opportunity between the sexes, it none the less behooves us to stop, look around, and take account of the strides that have been made regarding sex roles. Many of these strides have been initiated through legal means such as the right of women to enter into employment fields previously allowing only men, even as far as going into combat and flying fighter jets. Women are also gradually gaining the right to go to these jobs without being sexually harassed. People are less aware, however, of the number of cases where men have demanded equal rights, protection privileges, and benefits previously given only to women both in the workplace and society in general. There have been cases where men sued for paternity leave. In other words, the signs are all around us; feet are in doors everywhere and it is just a matter of time before old gender stereotypes do in fact become history in western culture. Naomi Wolf refers to all of this as a "Genderquake," listing a full chapter's worth of specific changes and successes made by women and in the media's portrayal of women (25-35). As Americans moved into the 90's, grown-ups became progressively more aware of the need to become balanced within oneself so that one may experience much more of what life has to offer. Both women and men are comforted by the fact that women are choosing more freely what they want to do with their lives. We know this because television in the United States, which must reflect middle-of-the-road status quo in order to stay in business, has begun to exhibit more diversity and less stereotyping, both in sex and race, that is, for adults. Twenty years ago, children's toy commercials for ages five to eleven came in three categories, one being the pink atmosphere, blond dolls accompanied with happy song commercials for girls, which could also apply to stuffed animals and ponies with comb-able hair. The second type was a pumped up car/truck/monster/army man or boy action adventure commercial for boys where something was always crushed, smashed, or run over. Lastly, there was the boy and girl game commercials (sometimes including the entire family) where at the end someone, usually the boy, would throw his arms in the air and holler, "I win." Today, in 1999, these commercials are exactly the same. The only difference is that the toys, which they advertise to boys, now include video games and CD interactive programs. Within the media universe, it seems that in the midst of the "Genderquake" of the adult world (25), the children have gotten lost in the shuffle. In children's television, advertising stereotypes are almost identically as rigid if not actually worse than when the late 20th century women's movement began. Apparently, the media, specifically toy advertising, is under the impression that there is no need for a change in the style of advertisement. The students will be examining the reasons for this. Also, they will consider the toys themselves and whether they are just as guilty of sex-stereotyping as the ads that sell them. But first, they must come to understand the importance of toys in a child's life, the connection they make with a person's ability to lead a well balanced life and to psychologically be able to take advantage of all the new opportunities now available to both men and women. It is in relation to this psychological ability and freedom that we must examine the way parents, relatives, and friends treat little boys and girls differently.
Background
Naomi Wolf states, "The simple economics of the Genderquake can make the conditions for equality more attainable than we could have dreamed. But women must see that the movement is not something that leads them from above. Rather, they themselves, and they alone, must act as the agents of change" (36). So what does that have to do with advertisements and the toys that they sell? In order for women to act as agents of change, as Wolf discusses, they must feel free to take the initiative; they must feel secure within themselves that they can succeed (35). Wolf asserts that one part of this consciousness is to imagine and enjoy winning (37). Although this has been reflected in adult advertising such as Donna Karan's magazine ad where a woman is sworn in as president of the United States, the issue of girls winning in children's ads is not so promising as is heatedly discussed by Emily Hume, an 11 year old freelance journalist, in a 1993 article, "Blame it On the Boys." She says, "I was really upset when I never saw a girl win in any commercials. I even saw a commercial where a dog wins the game!" Hume claims that "boys are clearly favored in commercials," as cartoon characters, spokespeople, and as actors. Sadly, this is no different than in most homes in America today, regardless of culture. Whether in African-American, Anglo, Hispanic, Jewish, Asian, Armenian, even some Native American families known for their more egalitarian culture, for the most part, boys are not only treated differently than girls but more favorably so. They get more attention, more positive feedback, and more toys that encourage active rather than passive behavior. This is no surprise to psychologist Bernice Lott who states, "Many contemporary adults anticipate parenthood already prejudiced to some degree against female children" (34). Lott describes "a review of 23 "Baby X" studies in which strangers were exposed briefly in laboratory settings to neutrally clothed infants labeled girl or boy (Stern & Karraker), "which showed that "Gender labels... consistently influenced toy choices, with dolls offered to girls and footballs and hammers offered to boys" (Lott, 35). If this is so, one must ask if the toys offered to boys are better than those offered to girls in teaching them active rather than passive behavior. Dyanne Tracy reviewed research on toys typically played with by children and found that "boys' toys" seemed to be more special in nature and "girls' toys" were more domestically oriented. Another psychologist, Rosenfeld, found that "boys' toys" had more "potential for inventive use" (Lott, 44). Boys have also been encouraged to play outdoors more that girls (Lott, 46). All this places children in different contexts for their role-playing. Girls play domestic roles inside more often, and boys play adventurous and creative roles outside more often. This spatial difference is to the boys' advantage. The opportunity to move around a lot, taking up more space is in dramatic contrast to the confinement of domestic movement. More movement causes more self-assurance and creativity, more psychological freedom. If girls are not, as a rule, given the opportunity to play with "boys' toys" that encourage more spatial activity, they are clearly at a disadvantage, for this is just the kind of "change in female psychology" Wolf asserts is needed (35) for a girl to become a woman who feels free and secure enough to take advantage of a wide range of opportunity. However, boys also lose out by not being encouraged to play with more typical "girls' toys." Nancy Lyon discussed the sex roles that children learn through toys and role-playing, asserting that "children should be exposed to many variations of sex roles--from girls as 'Action Jackson' to full time mothers; boys as nursery school teachers to airline pilots," and that "role-playing must be experimental and anxiety free for both girls and boys." This was a quote from December, 1972 in a Ms. Magazine article. Twenty-seven years later, this "anxiety" still prevails. Not surprisingly, the anxiety of giving "girls' toys" to boys seems to come from a still widespread homophobia across the country. Although there is no evidence whatsoever that playing with certain types of toys causes or even relates to causing the sexuality of an individual, parents, especially fathers, are overwhelmingly fearful that their boys will become gay if they play with dolls. The issue of freedom of sexuality is the final discrimination to be dealt with by our society. Where race, religion, color, sex, disability, and age have all been included in Equal Opportunity Acts across the nation, sexuality is only addressed here and there as in employment policies regarding benefits of people "living together." This form of discrimination is still legal in many respects, and since law has consistently been the first step used to decrease levels of discrimination in America, it's no wonder that homophobia affects so greatly the choices that parents make regarding their children. Little boys need to play with the domestic toys for now obvious reasons. We want then to grow up to be men who are comfortable with sharing the responsibilities around the house. Lott relates the frequent outdoor playing with opportunity for aggression, saying that boys were more aggressive in general because they had much more opportunity to play outside. Also, playing indoors gives a child more time to interact with adults, who are more likely to play with them inside. Girls, therefore, have been found to relate to adults better (Lott, 62). Aggression, of course, is not necessarily a bad thing (in proper context). On the contrary, it is a necessary developmental component in children in order to give them their "pilot's license in terms of worldly power" (Wolf, 45). Interestingly, Nancy Carlsson-Paige and Diane E. Levin have found that "many adult women in the United States today engaged in war play as children and remember it with obvious feelings of enjoyment and pleasure...they tell us about the sense of adventure and meaningful social connection they experienced." In contrast, these women feel strongly that war play today "is an activity almost exclusive to boys" and that "it is getting harder for their boys and girls to find common ground for playing together." In "Who's Calling the Shots?" Carlsson-Paige and Levin demonstrate how "trends of the sixties and seventies toward helping children expand their gender roles beyond narrow stereotypes...have been replaced by a toy and play culture which is more gender-specific than ever before!" If the division of roles between the sexes as indoctrinated to our children has actually become worse now than in the beginning of the late 20th century women's movement, then this is in dramatic contrast to the "hundred thousand fresh images of women taking and using traditionally male power" that Naomi Wolf discusses in Fire With Fire (28). What we are witnessing is not only a backlash in female empowerment directed at the next generation but a repeat refusal to allow young males in the domestic, nurturing sphere&emdash;historically the world of women. If this continues, the steps which feminists have taken towards eliminating alienation between the sexes will become useless to our future men and women. This would negatively affect personal relations between men and women as well as professional relations on all levels: local, state, national and international, both in business and in politics. Personally, the effects would cross all cultural barriers, virtually erasing any progress made towards marital equality in a particular culture, as has happened repeatedly in human history. Professionally, this would cause a great setback in cultures in which women have become much more visible and empowered as well as removing the chances of increased female empowerment in countries still completely male dominated in business, such as Japan and Saudi Arabia. But wait, all this because of toy advertising? Well, yes and no. Toy advertising sends a strong message to children, regardless of race, sex, nationality or religion, who spend several hours a day in front of the television now. If the stereotypes displayed repeatedly on television are reinforced in the home, the child grows up prepared to perpetuate them. Is this an American problem? With regard to toy advertising, it is a western civilization problem. This includes any country that has become well westernized, including England, while many Middle-Eastern, South American, and African countries are well on their way. In all of these countries, sex-roles and stereotypes are strongly reinforced in the home. However, position in some businesses is still the most popular when it comes to the entertainment industry. England, Canada, European countries and Japan have become pretty much Americanized, but they are still not quite as enamoured of their televisions as Americans. In Canada, the situation is most similar to America. The toys sold in Canada are virtually identical to those in the U.S. because our cultures are so similar, and the U.S. exports in many ways make Canada almost a marketing mirror of the U.S. The children are just as into superhero figures and dolls, and the cartoons that advertise them. Also, Barbie is hugely popular, along with her cars, traveling campers, houses, furniture, beauty shops, workout spas, and many clothes. In the third world which is gradually adapting to western culture due to the globalization of business and human relations, Saudi Arabia and like Arab nations have instead been financially catapulted into this American based lifestyle of fun, entertainment, and "marketing-centered success philosophy." Abdul-Gader, Abdulla and Yavas did a study on Saudi elementary school children reaction to television advertising right before the Gulf War (Marketing Intelligence and Planning 1993). They found that "Saudi Arabia has a young population with enormous buying power" because "Saudi parents generously give money to their children to spend and save" and that TV is the fastest growing advertising medium in Saudi Arabia with over half a million sets imported in 1988, 1989, 1990. Toy commercials were among the top five types in generating viewer awareness, although a significant difference was found in the types of commercials which boys were aware of as opposed to girls, both in child and adult products. Because Saudi society is unquestioningly male dominated, sex-roles are very rigidly defined in home, business, and in the media. An interesting difference in Saudi, due to cultural norms, is that toy advertising is purposefully sensitive to parental response, empathizing parent's approval of the product. Still, it was found that 44% of Saudi parents in the study always consented to their children requests for toys and candy. The marketing strategies, which in Westernized societies we are long used to, are so new to Saudi that they have not had enough time to examine the possible negative effects television advertising might have on the "traditionally" Arab society. Indeed, Abdul-Gader, Abdulla and Yavas stress the "acute need for international research" in this area because evidence pertaining to the influence of television commercials on children from developing countries is done by the western world and is consequently biased. Yet in America, the globe's advertising and media leader, we are not setting a good example for other westernized or developing countries. The power of the media conceptually dictates that America has the responsibility to set the standard for equality. But we fall short and shortchange both our boys and girls through rigidly stereotyped advertising. Whose fault is this? Is it the fault of the toy companies for not taking the initiative to advertise their toys with more of a conscience? Were women just trying so hard to break free from the domestic cage and focusing so much on changes in the workplace that they did not notice that their children's world was not changing like theirs? Did men just get fed up with being confused about their roles since the women's movement, consequently re-embracing the old macho image? Or maybe we just decided that we enjoy our stereotypical perceptions of little girls and little boys so much that we do not want to change. After all, it does not seem so harmful to dress little boys in blue and little girls in pink, to decorate little girls' rooms with dolls and flower wallpaper and boys' rooms with cars, superheroes, or baseballs. But what if there are no cars, superheroes, or baseballs in the in little girls' rooms, and what if flowers or dolls are not allowed in little boys' rooms? Western society today is allowing more and more freedom of choice in opportunity for both men and women. The law has paved the way. But if our children are not raised with the psychological freedom to choose these opportunities, what good has come from all this effort? We must now search for the reason for this paradox in our culture. Is it due to our institutions or does it come from within ourselves?
Analysis of Institutions
The toy industry, and its way of marketing, is one of the two institutions in need of change. The companies' emphasis is on smallness and miniaturization. Toys are made to be replicas of larger objects from an adult world. Dolls are miniature copies of people, and dollhouses are like real houses in nearly every aspect but size. As children get older, they acquire tastes and make demands. They are influenced by their friends, families, and most of all television commercials, which they are exposed to on a daily basis. Today, the toy industry is large and very competitive. Companies are fearful of industrial espionage. Because fads come and go so quickly, manufacturers must continually be aware of market trends. Manufacturers also watch the entertainment industry closely to learn which motion picture personalities and animation characters are popular. These toy companies push so hard on gearing gender stereotypes that most adults, and especially the children, consider it the norm and do not realize what is taking place. In order for a real change to appear in the toy industry, toy companies will have to totally reorganize their train of thought, following intensive demands from the consumer. But in the end, it is going to have to come from within the family to help make revolutionary changes. Toy companies and manufacturers simply make and produce what they believe sells without taking into consideration the degrading gender bias it may be presenting. If the product sells and brings in money, the marketing strategy would seem to be doing its job. Toys are a 14 billion dollar a year industry in which children themselves spend 4.2 billion dollars of their own money. Companies like Hasbro and Mattel rule the toy world and toy advertising. These companies found with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) de-regulations of the advertising industry during the Reagan era which ushered in the new age of toy "commercials," a whole new marketing forum of 30-minute children's shows created specifically to advertise a line of toys. More than half are action and war toys advertised by very violent cartoon shows. In 1987, only the beginning of this new concept, the National Coalition on Television found this type of advertising to be extremely and terrifyingly successful, increasing the sales of war toys by 70% since 1982. It also found that "11 out of 20 best selling toys in the U.S. had violent themes" (Advertising Age). Twelve years later, these shows are the norm, as are toys with violent themes, usually promoted with superheroes like the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Batman, and X-Man (the best selling toys for boys). Other "commershows" such as Muppet Babies and TellaTubies have been geared more for preschool children of both sexes but are also watched by older children (the 6-11 age group), mostly girls. Girls are more comfortable watching these programs because they are most like the short toy commercials geared to them, with everything all fuzzy, cute and lovable. In general, the themes underlying the gender-specificity in toy marketing focus on gentle feelings and appearance for girls, and on aggression, hostility and anger for boys. Children are definitely getting the message as to the types of feelings that are expected of them. The emotions are not necessarily wrong in themselves; it is gearing the toy and the accompanying gender role with the emotion to only one gender, which is dangerous and alienating. Boys need to learn caring and nurturing, and girls need to learn that hostility, anger and aggression are sometimes acceptable feelings for them as well. One issue which must be addressed is whether advertising for children is in fact worse than for adults. Even though there have been many strides in changing sex roles and stereotypes in television shows, Susan A. Basow, author of Gender Stereotypes and Roles, found that "gender stereotypes are... more explicit in TV commercials than in regular programming." She states that "since the early 1970's, gender stereotyping has decreased somewhat, but women still are most often presented in the home in the role of wife and/or mother." Basow noticed changes when women were seen more in the workplace in commercials, but those roles were still traditionally feminine occupations. Men are just as badly stereotyped into traditional roles but have been seen more as husband and father in recent times. According to Basow, "the most striking difference between women and men in commercials is the fact that men predominate (83%-90%) as the authoritative, dominant voice over, even when the products are aimed at women." This is so in both adult and children's advertising, despite research suggesting that female voice voice-overs are just as effective. The toy industry, both the companies and the advertising agencies, could do much to balance the many inequities in the marketing of children's toys and products in general (candy and cereal are also big children's markets). Kate Fitzgerald, in her article, states, "Domestic life fun--for tots eager to emulate." Toy companies have tried to please concerned parents, stating that "marketers say parents steer their kids toward gender stereotyped toys despite asking the industry for unisex playthings" (Advertising Age). Little Tikes company found that 91% of their unisex-designed Party Kitchen were purchased for girls, not boys (Advertising Age). In contrast, with regard to race discrimination, parents (primarily those employed in the toy industry) have been very outspoken and forceful in the toy market, particularly with dolls. Assisted by groups like the African American Marketing and Media Association, much pressure was exerted on toy companies to not just make black versions of white dolls but dolls that were ethnically correct (Marketing News). According to Cyndee Miller, "now, if minority consumers don't see what they want on the shelf, they will go somewhere else." Dolls are also made with Asian and American Indian features as well as African American in The Culture Corner Toy Catalog, founded by Althea Garvey. Hasbro, a leading toy manufacture, was asked why it chooses pink and blue to market its otherwise gender neutral toys, such as rocking chairs, in colors that so narrowly define them. Wayne Charness, Hasbro's spokesperson, explains, "We test a lot of colors and find ones kids like best and parents like best" (USA Today). So the toy manufacturers claim that the market is a result of supply and demand; parents and children like their toys to be gender specific, so the toys remain that way. Children are then kept within their own pink and blue camps and are not to cross over these arbitrary boundary lines. If certain toys are only marketed to boys, and parents buy into these boundaries, these children will view the roles they are playing out to be the roles expected of them in the future. For example, if a parent buys a kitchen set for a daughter and a doctor set for a son, then the daughter will play the roles associated with the kitchen and the son will play the roles of the doctor. This role-playing can potentially perpetuate sex-role stereotypes by not taking into consideration the reality of today's children's future. Not only can women be doctors, but men can help out in the kitchen. With the economic demands of the world as it is today, our children will be growing up in a world in which a two income family may be the norm, and the household chores may have to be shared by all, regardless of sex. Children today "learn the cultural definition of sex roles by observing firsthand what their parents do within the family and outside of it" (Lott, 255). In a world in which parents are dramatically affected by economics and are trying to provide for their families the best they can, they may find themselves less focused on being perfect role models for their children. They are also less able to be more diversified in the way they model for their children because there is a lack of time when both parents are engrossed in careers that keep them out of the house full time and often overtime. It is within their power, however, to provide their children with other examples. Parents can choose a broader range of toys for their children to act as models for playing out different roles that may not be modeled by parents or members of the family. Somehow, no matter what the financial situation of the family, toys manage to take their place in the budget. But even if a child has only three toys, the parents have a choice as to whether they are in like or different categories, thereby teaching the child one thing or a variety of things. This is a choice even the busiest of parents has, and it is a responsibility which they must exercise.
Objectives
I elected to write a curriculum unit on gender differences found in children's toys because I see that my students' lives seem to be greatly influenced by pressures put on them by society. Students, as well as adults, seem to relay the wrong message about the roles each person portrays. My primary objective in this curricular unit is to present my students with a comprehensive and alternative approach to their current beliefs. Many of my students, both male and female, express the view that the roles of women are a lot more submissive than the roles of males. My goal is to have the students realize that stereotypes are placed on them at an early age and that those current attitudes aren't necessarily the right beliefs. This unit is developed with the hopes of challenging my students' minds and having them experiment with new ideas and concepts in a non-evasive way.
Unit Plan
General Objectives
Lesson Plan: Class #1 Objectives:
Materials:
Methods:
Evaluation: At the end of this lesson students should have a good understanding about gender biases in toys. This lesson is about collaboration and how students can work together to get an assignment completed. The students are in charge of who does the talking, writing, and typing. The final essay should have agreed upon opinions on their findings. Developing a basic format on the computer for the essay eliminates time and confusion. This way the students just have to plug in their information, and the computer puts it in the correct format. When the essays are already formatted in the same way, they are easier to submit into the school newspaper.
Lesson Plan: Day #2 Objectives:
Materials:
Method:
Evaluation: Students' final work should be four separate write-ups on four different articles related to gender biases in toys. The summary papers are a great way to check for comprehension. Students are also required to edit their own papers for spelling and grammatical errors. Often information is at higher reading levels and simple modifications need to be made. Students can work in groups; however, everyone is to turn in four differently written papers. Students may ask for an adult to read the papers to them aloud, and if writing skills are very minimal, each student is allowed to write basic sentences and to add drawings as descriptions. So each assignment is graded according to each student's ability.
Lesson Plan: Class #3 Objectives:
Materials:
Method:
Evaluation: This is fun activity that allows the students to become creative. This is not a directed teaching activity; the students are to explore on their own. The teacher may give basic directions and an example, but the rest is up to the groups. Their final projects should be laminated and hung around the room.
Lesson Plan: Day #4
Objectives:
Materials:
Method:
Example: A pair chooses Malibu Barbie. They need to make her a box that she would be sold in and a commercial to go along with the package. The catch is that she must be marketed to boys. Her packaging may be blue; the commercial can show her as a really good surfer, etc. The marketing has to be made to the gender that would not typically buy this product. Evaluation: This is the final project the students have to do in this unit. They are to give one week to develop and construct their packaging and commercials. Again very little teacher direction is needed. The students are to get as creative as possible. On the final day, students will show the audience their newly packaged toy and begin their respective commercials. The commercial may include the students or it can be the actual toy. After completion of all commercials, students will then get to watch themselves on the television and vote on the most believable new product. The winners will receive a free gift certificate at a local toy store.
Annotated Teacher Bibliography Abdul-Gader, Abdulla, and Yavas. "Impact of TV Commercials on Saudi Children's Purchase Behavior." Marketing Intelligence and Planning. V.11 n.2, 1993. A study on Saudi Arabian children and the effects of television on the way they are swayed to buy certain toys. Anderson, Margaret L. Thinking About Women: Sociological Perspectives on Sex and Gender. 3rd ed. 1993. A related topic of the pervasive woman and how gender plays a strong role in the way women are viewed. Anonymous. "War Toys: cartoons more violent." Advertising Age. 21 Sept. 1987. A comparison between war toys and the violence children are seeing on television with the cartoon programs becoming more aggressive and vulgar. Basow, Susan A. Gender, Stereotypes and Roles. 3rd ed. Pacific Grove, CA. Brooks/Cole: 1990. A break-down of how women and men become categorized and the never ending attempt to change current roles to those of more equal status Carlsson-Paige, Nancy, and Diane E. Levin. "What ever Happened to Annie Oakley?: Girls, Sexism, and War Play." Challenging Media Images of Women. Fall, 1993. This article expresses concern that girls of today are not playing the active, running games such as soldiers, cops or cowboys. Teachers are expressing concern that the division is happening sooner and at a younger age. Fitzgerald, Kate. "Domestic life fun--for tots eager to emulate." Advertising Age. 8 Feb. 1993. Discusses the view that the toys even given to young children produce a great effect because children are so eager to copy what they see modeled. ---. "Toyland's elusive goal&emdash;win over both sexes." Advertising Age. 8 Feb. 1993. Different companies try to capture the eyes of both sexes by developing more unisex toys but see a down-fall because of a lack of purchases. Fivush, Robyn, and Susan Golombok. Gender Development. Cambridge: 1994. Good book that discusses in detail the different stages of development and the importance of gender classification. Guber, Selina S. Sugar and Spice and everything...wait! Little girls no longer predictable. Advertising Age. 8 Feb. 1993. This article says girls are becoming more aggressive and tough while boys seem to be not so noticeably. Healy, Michelle. "Playing Around with Gender Specific Toys." USA Today. 15 Nov. 1989, life sec.: 4D. A look at the ways gender specific toys gear to a particular sex. Concerns with the lack of imagination and creativity. Hume, Emily. "Blame it on the Boys." Advertising Age, 8 Feb. 1993. This article discusses the aggressive behaviors young boys are taught and how they seem always to demand more attention. Young girls are given the message that it is good to be quiet and not to draw a lot of attention toward themselves. List, S.K. "More Than Fun and Games." American Demographics. Aug., 1991. The rise of computer and interactive toys that the toy companies are trying to gear towards both boys and girls. Lott, Bernice. Women's Lives, Themes and Variations in Gender Learning. 2nd ed. Pacific Grove, CA. Brooks/Cole: 1994. Good book that discusses the roles women often live by. Details of how women find their respective places in the world and different techniques for achieving their goals. Miller, Cyndee. "Flat feet and big hips--now that's one happy doll." Marketing News. 30 Sept. 1991. An argumentative article demanding more full-figured dolls for young girls to play with, stating that in today's society we put to many restrictions on what is the appropriate clothing size for women. Miller, Cyndee. "Toy companies release ethnically correct dolls." Marketing News. 30 Sept. 1991. More and more dolls are being produced that meet the needs of different cultures. Dolls, to which all young girls can relate because they are now looking closer to themselves. Stipp, Horst. "Children as Consumers." American Demographics, Feb.1988. This article talks about just how much the average child spends on buying his/her own toys. Children are becoming authorities on what they want and where to buy. Thomas, Hester. Special Report/Sales Promotion, Kid's Stuff, Marketing, Feb. 2, 1989. A statistical finding of sales of children's toys. How different types of marketing increase or decrease sales. Weinstein, Steve. "Fight heats up against kids' TV commershows." Marketing News. 9 Oct.1989. With children's programs increasing, the number of marketable items increase. This article shows that as new television programs come out, new toys hit the aisles, thus resulting in television programs being their own commercials. Wolf, Naomi. "Fire With Fire." The New Female Power and How It Will Change the 21st Century. Random House: 1993. Excellent book about women and change. Inspiring tales of women who are trying to make the world a little more equal in the sex roles.
Annotated Student Bibliography
Duckett-Cain, Joy. "Toys That Teach." Essence. Aug. 1990 An article about educational toys and how they mold our children into behaviors that are expected rather than allowing them to use their imagination. Jones, Lisa C. "Toys That Teach, Black-oriented playthings inspire, educate and entertain." Ebony. Nov., 1993. This article talks about the differences among ethnic toys. The African perspective is on the rise with more toys geared towards African cultures. Lyon, Nancy. "More Than Child's Play." Ms. Magazine. Dec., 1972. The emphasis in this article is with the parents and that if they stop buying certain toys, the toy companies are going to have make other items that will be more pleasing to the parents and children. Reifler, Ellen J. "Time Warp in the Toy Store." On The Issues. Fall 1994. A comparison of current toys vs. older toys within the 20th century and how most of them have remained the same, with lots of toys expressing domestic behaviors and action figures exploring violence.
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