Overview
The aim of the assignment is to find out whether and to what extent children receive messages about gender (is it defined and approached in binary terms?) and gender stereotypes. For this assignment, you are asked to go to a children’s clothing or toy store of your choice (focus one or the other; avoid looking at both toys and clothes if they are sold in the same place). You might have already been to these types of stores many times, but this time your purpose is academic. If you prefer to avoid going to a store, you can examine the website of the store. You are asked to analyze the store and its content as well as its marketing strategies by focusing on gender. Before you do your analysis, make sure to review the topics covered so far. When analyzing the store keep the following questions in mind:
-Which store are you analyzing?
-Look at the way the store/section is divided. Examine the layout of toys, clothes. How are the items organized? What are the gender implications of organization?
-Identify the colors, pictures, words, shapes, sounds (if there are any) that communicate gender-relevant information. In other words, can you identify the items as gendered?
-What do the items examined tell children about gender roles? What type of activities and behavior do they encourage or discourage? What type of messages do they give to children about what is expected of them now in terms of gender behavior? Are there implications of these messages for future adult lives?
-Are there any signs that gender stereotypes may be changing?
-How does gender intersect with other social locations such as race, ethnicity, sexuality, and age?
-How would you interpret your findings in light of your readings so far? Make sure to refer to your readings specifically and utilize your readings adequately in your analysis.
-Would you make any changes to the way the items are marketed to children? Explain why.
Using your answers to the above questions, write a two-page (double space) report.