World Games Festival - How do boys and girls engage in games differently?
Parents signing up their kids for nursery or kindergarten commonly face the initial query: male or female? This division seems natural when witnessing young children.
In kindergartens, you often see girls playing dress-up games like "Mommy, Daddy, Baby" or dancing, chatting, and putting on make-up. Boys, though, frequently gravitate towards the construction area or speed around the playground on tricycles. The debate surrounding the role of nature versus nurture influences is an ongoing query in science.
In 2017, a research team concluded that gender disparities in toy preferences emerge and are impacted by both genetic and cultural influences after studying 16 studies on children between 1 and 8 years. The research showed that boys played with more masculine toys like vehicles, while girls preferred feminine toys like dolls. While testosterone levels might be responsible for these distinctions, the preference amplified in older children, possibly due to environmental influences.
The environment starts impacting these preferences before birth, with some scholars asserting that culture's impact begins even in the womb. Bonn-based author Almut Schnerring, who specializes in the "Pink-Blue Trap" and gender equality, comments that the environment is always involved - from decorating the nursery to toying with gender-specific colors. Studies suggest that mothers alter their treatment of the fetus depending on its gender and speak more to girls.
Unconsciously, people play differently with same-sex babies, depending on their perceived gender. This behavior might encourage showcased toys preferences in children. Schnerring states that it's challenging to separate biological and social influences.
Doris Bischof-Köhler, a psychologist from Bavaria, believes that males and females have innate differences. She notes that young boys favor rough games, possibly due to evolutionary psychology, as seen in primates. Female monkeys possess a higher propensity for playing with dolls.
The controversy over the root of gender-specific preferences is ongoing. A 2020 review of 75 studies generated no consensus on typical toys for each gender. Nevertheless, it's undeniable that influences from both nature and the environment shape children's preferences.
The environment can amplify existing gender discrepancies; for instance, if children are given "gender-appropriate" toys, parents respond favorably to gender-stereotypical games, and children watch others play diverse games depending on their gender. The environment can even modify genes (epigenetics).
Schnerring posits that gender differences expand during the first years of living, significantly impacted by gender marketing. Today's children have faced an extreme barrage of binary messages, different from any previous generation. While toy soldiers and dolls used to be gender-oriented, the impact was much less pronounced due to a lack of digital amplification via social media, billboards, or TV shows.
"Many children do not want this pink and blue divided world, but their voices are not heard," Schnerring remarks. Media experts Maya Götz from Munich and Birgit Irrgang from the Institute for Media Pedagogy in Augsburg have also observed the increase in gender marketing.
Gender stereotypes may lead to unintended societal consequences.
Despite uncertainties on the contributions from nature and nurture to play behavior, it's evident that not all children adhere to gender-specific stereotypes. Society may suffer undesirable consequences if not all kids align with femaleness and maleness limits.
Girls must endure the "stereotype threat", where simply thinking about their gender can make them perform worse in certain scenarios. If, for instance, they're continuously told that girls lack aptitude for certain jobs, this can cause them underperform in their careers due to lowered self-confidence.
Schnerring urges adults to be more flexible in toy allocation, suggesting that exposure to a range of toys can help mitigate gender stereotyping. "Offer variety and constantly oppose the binary with alternatives." Additionally, parents must converse with their children about their preferences and choices. In a scenario where a child yearns for a pink ball today, they might prefer a yellow tricycle tomorrow.
Stereotypes shape the expectations and experiences of individuals, potentially affecting their future. Despite ambiguity about nature and nurture's roles, it's crucial to acknowledge that both can contribute to observed differences.
"Investigating the Distinctions in Kids' Toy Choices: An Organized Overview, Regression, and Analysis""Exploring the Extent of Gender Disparities in Toys: A Systematic Study and Statistical Review of Research on Toy Preferences""The Pink-Blue Dilemma""Considering the Roots and Mental Processes Influencing Gender Differences""Revamping Baby X's Identity""The Golden Fencepost - Award for Promoting Biased Marketing"
Maja Götz and Birgit Irrgang in the video chat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YXj09B21Jw
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- In the realm of Biology, researchers have explored the influence of nature and nurture on children's toy preferences, including Boys' fascination with vehicles and Girls' preference for dolls.
- Almut Schnerring, a Bonn-based author, argues that the environment starts affecting these preferences before birth, citing the impact of gender-specific colors in nurseries.
- Doris Bischof-Köhler, a psychologist from Bavaria, believes that some of these preferences are innate, pointing out that Boys often enjoy binary-coded play activities like constructing vehicles.
- In Bonn, German researchers have conducted studies on the role of Psychology in shaping these gender-specific toy preferences, revealing that mothers speak more to Girls in the womb.
- As children grow up, exposure to gender-specific marketing can amplify these differences, leading to Boys grinding gears with toy vehicles and Girls nurturing baby dolls.
- During World Games Day, children from around the world gather to engage in various activities, showcasing a global spectrum of toy preferences and play behaviors.
- In recent years, environmental activists have advocated for reducing gender stereotypes in toys, encouraging the production of vehicles with pink cribs and dolls with binary options.
- Teachers and parents can help combat these gender-specific stereotypes by offering a diverse range of toys and encouraging Children to mix and match their play interests, breaking free from the Pink-Blue Trap.
Source: www.stern.de
