Question

******Short paragraph/essay Sociology:

This chapter has focused on the construction of self and gender. Many social institutions assist in the process of socialization in ways that are sometimes not immediately apparent. Being a child or an adolescent is not simply a biological stage of development. It is a social identity. People’s experiences with this identity emerge from a particular cultural and historical context as well as the process of socialization that takes place within their families. But many other social institutions assist in the process of raising children, often in ways that aren’t immediately apparent.

To see firsthand how such socialization works, visit a large shopping center. Most shopping centers today have children’s clothing stores (e.g., Baby Gap, The Children's Place, Cater's, etc.). If yours doesn’t, go to one of the large department stores and find the children’s clothing section (e.g., Macy's Target, WalMart, etc.). (Alternatively, you can browse online retail sites that sell baby and children’s clothing.) Start with the infants’ clothes. Is there a difference between “girls’ clothes” and “boys’ clothes”? Note the differences in the style, color, and texture of boys’ versus girls’ clothes. Collect the same information for clothes designed for toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary school-age children. Next, find a store that specializes in clothes for preteens and teenagers. How do clothing styles differ along gender lines at this age level? After collecting your data, analyze it and draw conclusions. Why do these differences exist? What do these differences say about the kinds of social activities in which boys and girls are expected or encouraged to engage? For instance, which clothes are “rugged” and which are “delicate”? How do such differences reinforce our cultural conceptions of masculinity and femininity? Turning your attention to teenagers, how do popular clothing styles encourage sexuality?

Answer 1

We all know the adage «pink is for girls, blue is for boys» that illustrates a strongly anchored attitude that has been dividing children per gender since the 1940s. Conceding that the color choice between girls and boys items in a clothing shop is the most obvious difference, it definitely isn’t the only one.

From Wal-Mart to Saks Fifth Avenue, inventory in boys’ and girls’ sections isn’t merely gendered by color, cartoon characters, or expectations of average sizes. It’s separated by the decorative food motifs based on which are deemed masculine or feminine.

The sleeves on girls’ shirts are too narrow, the underwear are generally thinner, and the dresses and other “nice” clothing are full of itchy tulle, sparkles, and sequins.Desserts have been used as sexual euphemisms in pop culture for at least a century.

Beside the color difference in clothing, the words written on the garments are obvious elements that deliver preconceptions concerning what a little boy or a little girl should be. If girls can expect to read «keep on smiling» on their favorite t-shirt, «cool, smart, genius, amazing and free» are common adjectives found on garments for little boys. These words encourage boys’ active behavior towards the world and strongly clash with adjectives for girls such as «cute, sweet, adorable, perfect», which enhance the importance of a girl’s looks over her actions.

Most of the animals depicted on girls t-shirts are pets. Wild animals are depicted in a domesticated, friendly version. This sympathy for domesticated animals decorating girls t-shirts is an example of emphasizing girls’ supposedly stronger ability than boys to adopt a sociable and caring behavior and to invest in the private sphere of the household. In the boys’ section, their t-shirts, fierce eagles fly in the air, huge bears roar and athletic tigers hunt.Displaying bold behaviors is promoted as a tool for boys to show their bravery, their autonomy.

Even the adults who gravitate toward all-gray everything when shopping for kids may not realize they’ve been raised with gendered perceptions of food. In Urban Outfitters and American Eagle, the young men’s section sells several shirts featuring alcohol, cereal, pizza, soda, and hot dogs. The young women's offerings had some of these, too, but also fruits and vegetables. This sends a message that women and girls, exclusively, need to concern themselves with a healthful diet. But it's the sexualized messaging that reaches its peak at these teen retailers.