Text Analysis 2

'Why Does Gender Matter? Counteracting Stereotypes With Young Children'

Olaiya E. Aina and Petronella A. Cameron (2011)

http://www.southernearlychildhood.org/upload/pdf/Why_Does_Gender_Matter_Counteracting_Stereotypes_With_Young_Children_Olaiya_E_Aina_and_Petronella_A_Cameron.pdf

Key Points:

• Early gender bias and stereotypes can affect children in different ways:
• shape their attitudes and beliefs in terms of relationships 
• it can hinder their education equality 
• role in the real world (work)
• affect their well-being (physical and emotional)
• Children develop their gender identity and start to understand gender from a very young age- 3-5 years old.
• Lots of influence such as media, popular culture, education, friends, family, books and toys- consumer products are stereotyped.
• Consequences- lead to believe they have to follow certain social norms in order to be accepted (even by parents and friends). 

Key Quotes:

• 'Stereotypes and sexism limit potential growth and development (Narahara, 1998) because internalizing negative stereotypes impacts self-esteem and ultimately, academic performance.'
• 'Not only are these products marketed for specific genders, but they are merchandised in stores by gender, creating segregated pink and blue aisles for shopping.'
• 'Children also have been shown to actively create gender identities through interactions with each other (Thorne, 1993).'
• 'Children’s gender-typed toy preferences are more likely to be exhibited when in the proximity of peers who approve of the gendertyped choices (Hughes, 2003).'
• 'Young children often reveal their gender stereotyping in their play.'
• 'Young children create and internalize their own meanings of gender, based on the social cues of the adults, environments, and media around them.'
• 'By equipping young children with positive messages of empowerment regardless of gender, in addition to the critical thinking skills to identify stereotypes, teachers and families can impart in children self-concept resiliency, even when faced with negative stereotypes (Small, 2003). Those children will then be less likely to perpetuate the stereotypes and can help end the cycle of prejudice.'