The Socjournal» Dr. Monica Brasted

While traveling recently, I stopped at a fast food restaurant with my 6-year-old daughter.  When we sat down at the table to eat, she disappointedly pulled a pink care bear out of her cheeseburger meal.  When I asked her what was wrong she asked why the woman had given her a care bear when she wanted a transformer.  She went on to explain to me that she liked boy’s toys because she was a tom boy.  Why did the fast food worker assume that my daughter wanted the care bear?  Why is the transformer considered a boy toy? Why does my daughter label herself a tomboy?  The answer is gender stereotypes.  But where are these stereotypes learned?  Research indicates that the media, particularly advertising, has played a role in the perpetuation of gender stereotypes in our culture.  Of particular interest and concern are the gender portrayals found in advertisements targeting children. Read the rest of this entry “

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