Preschoolers’ Perceptions of Gender Appropriate Toys and their Parents’ Beliefs About Genderized Behaviors: Miscommunication, Mixed Messages, or Hidden Truths?

Abstract

Young children construct understandings of gender during the preschool years. They accurately apply common gender stereotypes to toys by the time they are three and readily predict their parents' opinions about gender-typical and cross-gender play. This study involved 3-and 5-year-old children in identifying ''girl toys'' and ''boy toys''. It also asked them to predict their parents' reactions to their choices of gender-specific toys. These children's parents were surveyed in an effort to describe their preferences about gender-specific toys and behaviors. Responses indicated that, in spite of evidence that many of these parents reject common gender stereotypes, their children predicted parents would consistently apply these stereotypes as reflected by their approval or disapproval of children's choices to play with gender stereotyped or cross-gender toys. The mis-match between parents' self-described beliefs and children's perceptions of the messages they have received about genderized play are discussed.

Gender-Stereotyped Attitudes in Kindergarten Students: A Multicausal Analysis

“…Freeman, 2007;Leaper & Gleason, 1996), a potential intellectual predetermination could not been revealed yet. In addition, former studies only considered one dominant factor but neglected to include all potential influences in their analyses.…”

“…The gender-segregated play-behavior of preschoolers results from a different education and treatment of sons and daughters by guardians, specifically parents (Lindsey & Mize, 2001). Emp irical evidence could, for example, be found for toy -preferences (Leaper & Gleason, 1996;Freeman, 2007), language-use (Leaper, Anderson, & Sanders, 1998) or gender-stereotyped play activities (Lytton & Romney, 1991) that parents engage their children in. These parental concepts of gender-stereotyped socializat ion seem to be also crucial for the subsequent selfsocializat ion of the child (Maccoby & Jacklin, 1974).…”

Vad är teknik? Pedagogers uppfattningar om och erfarenheter av teknik och teknikundervisning i förskolan <br> What is technology? Preschool teachers' conceptions and experiences of technology and technology education in the preschool

“…Freeman, 2007;Turja et al, 2009), enligt vilken leksaker och lekar följer stereotypa könsmönster; pojkar leker med bilar och lyftkranar, där tekniken ofta blir central i leken, medan flickor deltar i lekar med dockor och hästar där tekniken endast bildar bakgrund (t.ex. en hästhage).…”

Roots of Math in Preschool Play Activities: Gender Still Does Matter

“…Play also facilitates development of the child's personality and identity. By playing, children construct the concept of social reality and their place in it, and consequently, they prefer certain types of activities, in which they gradually improve their performance and which they start using to form their personal identity [3], [4].…”

“…cars-men). During the preschool period, their knowledge of gender roles further develops reaching its peak upon entering the early primary school age and the formed gender schemas remain relatively unchanged also in the subsequent periods [4], [11].…”