GirlsarePink,BoysareBlue

CarolineRoddey
Typically,whenexpectantcouplesfindoutthegenderoftheirchild,theyllpainttheir
babysroomeitherpinkorbluepinkforgirlsandblueforboys.Fromthenon,thegirlsplay
withbarbiedollsandMommyshighheels,andtheboysplaywithSupermanactionfiguresand
toyracecars.Genderroleshavechangedthroughoutthecenturies,butinthepastfew,theyhave
stayedfairlyconsistentinadulthood,marriedwomenaregenerallyexpectedtostayathome
andcook,clean,andtakecareofthechildren,whilethemenareexpectedtobestronganddoall
ofthemechanicalworkwhileearningthefamilysmoney.Whilethereisnoconcreteevidenceto
provetheexistenceofeitherbeneficialordetrimentaleffectsofgenderroles,theenforcementof
traditionalgenderrolescanbeharmfulbyleadingtoareluctanceinadolescentstofreelyexpress
themselves,aswellassocialproblemsorinsecuritiesfurtheronintheirlives.Ithasalsobeen
provenacademicallythatyoungwomentypicallyperformworsethanmales,possiblydueto
negativestereotypes.
Theenforcementofstereotypicalgenderrolesontoyoungchildrenimpairstheir
selfexpressionandselfconfidencebothinschoolandintheirdailylives.Forexample,achilds
gendercanaffectwhatoutfitstheychoose(oraregivento)wearandthetoysthattheyaregiven
toplaywith.Thiscanshapethekindofpersonthateachchildbecomes(Alleyne).Onecouple
decidedtoraisetheirchildasgenderneutral,nottellingfriendsandfamilywhatthegenderof
theirchildwas.Bythetimetheirchild,Sasha,wasfive,theyhadtorevealthechildsgendera
boyforschoolingpurposes.However,oneofSashasmothersstatedthathersonwouldthink
nothingofbeinggivenflowers,agiftwhichwouldembarrassmostmen(Alleyne).Thisproves

that,eventhoughtheymaybeextremelysmallatfirst,there
are
possible,considerably
detrimental,effectsofraisingachildbasedontraditionalstereotypesoftheirgender.Ofcourse,
thisstyleofraisingachildasgenderneutralcouldbeviewedinbothapositiveandnegative
light,butitisoneexperimentthatcouldbecomemoreprominentoverthenextfewdecadesto
determinethepsychologicaleffectsofgenderroles.
Inanotherscenario,acuriousfatherlookedintowhattheimpactofgenderrolesmeant
forachildsfuture.Hefiguredoutthatamasculinechildhoodpredictedadultmasculinity
amongwomen.Also,manytropesofchildhoodcanreappearinadultlifeforexample,many
womenwilltypicallyclingtoextremelyfemininebridalfantasieswhentheyaregettingmarried
(Young).However,thisisnotexactlyanegativeimpact.WhenImolderandengagedtobe
married,Iwillprobablyclingtofemininebridalfantasiesaswell.Thisjustshowsthe
consistency
of

stereotypesformanypeopleovertime.
Manytimes,parentsownperceptionsoftheirchildrencangreatlyaffectachildsview
ofthemselvesandwhattheyshouldandshouldnotdo.Forexample,astudyhasfoundthat
youngboysplaywithmorestereotypicalboytoyswhentheybelievethattheirfatherswillget
madatthemforplayingwithbadtoys(girltoys).Studieshavealsoproventhatfeminine
playhasbeenassociatedwithlowerparticipationinsportsatraditionalmaleactivity(Young).
Againhowever,asYoungpointedout,thisdoesnotmeanthatmasculinetraitsarebadand
femininetraitsaregood,andviceversathismeansthatwhatachildplayswithandwearscan
shapetheirsocialactivitiesandwhotheysurroundthemselveswith.
Typically,theeffectsofgenderroleswillshowuptoagreatextentinteenagegirlsand
boys,especiallyonesinmiddleschool.Forexample,manymiddleschoolagedgirlswillchoose

nottoparticipateinsportsorphysicalactivitiesforfearofnotbeingseenasfeminineinthe
eyesoftheirmalepeerstherefore,theboysarethemainparticipantsfittingmanly
stereotypes.Aharshrealitythatis,today,seenverycommonly,isyounggirlsnoteatingasmuch
astheyshouldinordertobeskinnyandnotseemgross(CulpRessler).Thesegirls,often
goingthroughpuberty,needsubstantialfoodsandnutrientsinordertomaintainhealthand
developwell,bothpsychologicallyandmentally.Othersituationsinwhichyounggirlsorboys
findtheneedtoadjustthemselvestofitstereotypesincludelowlevelviolence:manyyoungboys
willplayfightandslap/hiteachothertodemonstratetheirmasculinity.Later,thesameboys
willmostlikelyfeeltheneedtoconsumelargeamountsofalcoholandbeunemotionalbecause
thatiswhatisexpectedofthem,whetheritbebytheirfathers,peers,orsocietyingeneral
(CulpRessler).Manytimes,thesebehaviorsstaywithmenthroughouttheirlives,allstemming
fromwhattheylearned/weretoldwhentheywereyoung.
However,boysarenottheonlyoneswhosebehaviorisinfluencedbystereotypes.Some
younggirlswillgoasfarastoadjustcertainpersonalitytraitsinordertofitinwiththeright
crowd.InresearchdonebyDr.MariadoMarPereiraoftheUniversityofWarwick,itisshown
thatyounggirlsfeeltheneedtoplaydumbinordertopleaseboys(Frew).Couldthissocial
constructgosofarastoaffecthowyoungwomenperforminschool,oristhissimplyhowgirls
interact

withboys?Afterthreemonthsofstudyingtheinteractionsineducationalenvironments
betweenboysandgirls(typicallyaged14),Dr.Pereirastatedthatsocietysideasofwhat
constitutesarealmanorwomanarenotnaturalandspecificallyforyoungboys,
thebeliefthat
menhavetobedominantoverwomenmakesboysfeelconstantlyanxiousandunderpressureto
provetheirpowernamelybyfighting,drinking,sexuallyharassing,refusingtoaskforhelp,

andrepressingtheiremotions(Frew).Manytimes,thisbehaviorisbroughtuponbyseeinghow
manlymenactinmoviesandotherformsofmedia,orevenfromwatchingolderbrothersand
othermalefamilymembers.
Whenyoungboysandgirlsfeeltheneedtobasetheirbehavioroffofstereotypes,they
becomementallyunhealthy.Manytimes,theneedtofitsocialstandardsisanunderlying
motivationbehindmentalillnessessuchaseatingdisorders,anxiety,depression,andconsistent
stressverycommondisordersinteenagersthesedays,andevensometimesinyoungchildren.
However,manyofthesesamegirlsandboysdonotenjoytherolestheyarefillinginordertobe
sociallyaccepted(CulpRessler).Alotoftimes,thesocialpressurewillfadewithage,but
longtermdamagescanbecausedfromwhathappenstoachildwhiletheyredeveloping.
Inmanycases,othersperceptions
and
selfperceptionsofgenderdifferencescanaffect
childrenandadolescentsviewsoftheirownabilities.Forexample,youngwomen,aswellas
theirparents,consistentlyratetheirmathabilitylowerthanthatofyoungmen(Eccles,Jacobs,&
Harold).Mathematicshasbeenasubjectthathasbeenproventobeharderforfemalestolearn
andretainthanmales.Isthisabiologicalgenderdifference,orisittheimpactofstereotyping
andgenderroles?Manystudieshaveproventhelatter.Forexample,thereisthestereotypethreat
whenpeople(specificallyfemales)areawareofthenegativestereotypesabouttheracialor
gendergroupstowhichtheybelong(minorities),theyaremorelikelytoperformpoorlyon
significanttests.Thisstereotypethreatbeginstoexplainthesignificantracialandgendergapson
standardizedtests(Beilock).Similarlytothestereotypethreatisgenderpriming,whichreveals
similardata.InastudyattheUniversityofTexasatAustin,itwasshownthatfemaleswhowere
primedtorecalltheiridentitiesasstudentsofaselectiveschoolperformedatahigherlevelon

specificteststhanthosewhowereprimedtocontemplatetheirgenderorsomethingirrelevant
relatedtoit(McGlone&Geisler).
Furthermore,stereotypethreatsandidentityprimingdomorethanjustbringupissueson
teststheycanessentiallyshutdownlearninginacademicenvironments.Forexample,when
femalestudentsareremindedofthestereotypethatgirlscantdomath,thegirlslearnlessin
mathlessonsandretainlessinformation,thereforeleadingtopoorertestscores(Beilock).Spend
aweekinanyelementaryormiddleschoolmathclassroomandyouareboundtohearthisphrase
utteredmultipletimestogirls,jokingly.However,thesejokescanhavelastingeffects.Laterin
life,youngwomenexpresssignificantlylessinterestinstudyingmathematicsandinentering
mathrelatedprofessionsthantheirmalecounterparts(Eccles,Jacobs,&Harold).Thiscouldbea
resultoflifelongstereotypesthatgirlshaverepeatedlyheard.Itiseasilyseeninthegraphtothe
leftjusthowstaggeringthe
differencebetweengendersin
certainengineeringand
sciencerelatedprofessions
reallyis.Asacurrenthigh
schoolstudent,Ihave
memoriesofbeingtoldthatI
wasgiftedbymyfamilyand
parents,butthenbeingtold
otherwisebymypeerswhenIwasyoungergirlscantdomathwasdefinitelyaphrasethatI
heard.Atayoungage,childrentakeveryseriouslywhattheirpeerssayaboutthemand

derogatorycommentscanbesomethingthatmany(children)holdinsideforalongtime,
affectingthemmentallyand/orsociallylateronintheirlives.
Itisarguablethatthisisnotanimportantenoughproblemthattherearebigger
problemsintheworldthatneedmorefocus,suchaspoverty,theenvironment,andviolence.
However,byrefutinggenderrolesfromearlyoninpeopleslives,someofthebiggerproblems
maybelessened.Forexamplethesocialideaofmasculinityleadsmanymen,especiallyyoung
men,toviolenceand/oralcoholism,leadingthemtopoverty(Nauert).Womencouldbecome
moreempoweredandviewedasequalsalongsidemales,especiallyinpolitics.Theamountof
timesthatIhaveheardwomencantbepoliticianstheyretooemotional,womenarent
smartenoughtobemakingbigdecisions,andher?President?No,shesawomansimply
astoundsmeandonlypushesmetofurtherchallengetheseideas.Theoretically,therecouldbea
strongerfeelingofequalitybetweengenders,aswellaslessfearregardingviolenceandsexual
assaultifgenderrolesweredownplayedthroughoutsociety.
Besidesthelargerpicture,therealsoneedstobeafocusontheindividualpeoplehow
manyfewersuicides,mentaldisorders,andeatingdisorderswouldtherebewithoutgender
roles?Howmanyyounggirlswouldhavetheconfidencetogointomathematicsorscience
relatedcareers,andhowmanyyoungboyswouldnotfeeltheneedtobeatthesmallerkidupat
schoolforbeinglessathletic?Combattingthesestereotypesfaceonwillnotonlydecreasethe
amountofbullyingprevalentintodayssociety,butshowpeoplewhatitmeanstobe
comfortablewithwhotheyarewithoutfeelingpressurefromtheirspecificgenderidentity.
Theconversationabouthowtochangethisneedstobeginsmallparentsand
grandparentsshouldbeencouragingtheirchildrentogrowuptobehealthyandhappy,rather

thanteachingthemtofitspecificgenderroles(Nauert).Teachersneedtoberolemodelsinevery
childslife,showingthemthattheyarenotdefinedbytheirgender,butalsothattheirgenderisa
wonderfulthingthattheyshouldbeproudof,notafraidof.Educationalinstitutionsshould
implementprogramsdesignedforchildrentodiscussandchallengegendernormsthattheyface,
aswellashowtheycanincorporate
positive
genderidealsandintoclassroomsworldwide.
Eliminatingsubtlegendercuesfromtestingenvironmentscouldbeonewaytodothis(McGlone
&Geisler).
Studieshavesuggestedthateveryone,bothmale
and
female,wouldbenefitfromthe
eliminationofgenderroles.Whiletherewillalwaysbeproblemswithsexism,astherewillbe
racism,intheworld,thisdoesntmeanthateffortscantbemadetocombattheseissuesnow.
Startingeducationanddiscussionsearlyinchildrensliveswouldpositivelyaffectthemforthe
restoftheirlives,andtheywouldhaveabasisofknowledgeregardingjusthowdetrimental
thesegenderrolescanbe,stimulatingtheirpsychologicalgrowthandrelationshipswiththeir
peers.Specifically,younggirlsmayperformbetteracademicallyandsocially,andyoungboys
maynotfeeltheneedtoresorttoviolenceorrapeinordertoshowdominance.Withthis
progress,eventually,therecouldbeadecreaseinmentalillnessamongteenagersandyoung
adults.