Princesses
This site links to an article that discusses hidden biases and stereotypes found in this popular present day children’s show.
Villains
These characters and shows are some examples of children’s media I have heard my students and other young children discuss and adore. In terms of the way females are perceived in many of the leading characters of children’s entertainment are stereotypical female attire such as dresses, the color pink, and long hair. The male characters are perceived as being strong, intelligent, and in high positions of power regardless of their age and appearance. The bad guys in children's entertainment are usually older than the protagonist do not attain “attractive characteristics” and are driven by revenge and jealousy of the leading protagonist or protagonist's family. These tropes secretly teach children the lessons of beauty, attractiveness, and youth is what it takes to be considered a good guy and the lesson that if someone is to wrong you the best way to cope and move on is seeking revenge until you are the one who others admire and the other person is the one seen in the negative light.
An incident that occurred once in my classroom regarding which gender goes in which bathroom was when one of my female students with short hair went into the bathroom labeled girls some students went up to me saying that she went into the wrong bathroom because they assumed she was a boy strictly based on her hair length. I found it a little challenging explaining she was a girl without getting into biological terms because looking at the labels on the bathroom doors the girl sign had a picture of a girl with two pigtails and a dress on while the boy was wearing pants, a shirt and had short hair. These perceptions of stereotypes of males, females, and girls and boys are seen everywhere even in our own classroom environments.
Great post! The majority of cartoons are depicted just as you stated with very strong gender roles. It is the typical male leadership, female in pink and dresses, and the villain older. These gender roles do not assist with children learning who they are. What is made visible and invisible creates a state of mind for the child of what is right and wrong. Cartoons should be more diverse for children to feel accepted and valued in who they are. Do you think that parents would allow their children to watch cartoons with less gender roles?
ReplyDeleteHi Kristen, thank you for sharing the article. I agree that children's books and the media have stereotyped the ways society categorizes what and how boys and girls should look like and do. And points out stereotyped strengths and weakness of each gender.
ReplyDeleteI too have witness children's assumptions of what boys and girls should be wearing and playing with. Remarks about earrings, bracelets playing with dolls, cooking the drama center and wearing dress up clothes were maining made by girls towards boys. While boys commented on girls that played with race cars, basket balls, and wore Spiderman or Power Ranger t-shirts.
Everyone can and must play a role in countering gender bias. Parents can choose media that show a diversity of male and female characters in nontraditional roles contributing equally to the storylines.They can help their children identify and reject the stereotypes they encounter in movies, on TV shows, and elsewhere.
Hi Kirsten,
ReplyDeleteI like how you incorporated the disney cartoons with this assignment. As you pointed out most of the disney movies, do portray certain gender specific roles. Like the girls needs to be in a pretty dress and the boys have to be strong and the protector. In my classroom, I only have one bathroom with two toilets, so the same gender is only allowed to go into the bathroom together. So I found that the children are becoming aware of who they are. You would hear them say to their friends at times "you can't go in there, because there is a girl/ boy in there". I work with 3's so they are just discovering differences among themselves and others.
Thanks for sharing