Sunday, September 12, 2010

Rant on inequality

 Conversation on facebook around the article 'Skewering theories of ‘hard-wired’ gender differences' has me thinking. 


Suzan commented that "the emphasis on gender ... in the last 20 years or so (is) somewhat reactionary, a reification of socially mandated sex roles."

As a dad, I immediately flashed to taking my little to Toys R Us and how their toys are marketed. Blue and green on the right, pink and purple on the left. Why are our toys separated by gender?

What's the difference?
A lot of people would not see a problem with that, but kids who have different "rules" for the same toy can have trouble playing together. Through association, that can become a social divide that (since it's an experience that comes before the ability to analyze) is invisible. Creating enmities where there are none challenges Community, and Community is Power. If we're united and Solid, we can make this world what we want it to be.

3 comments:

  1. I know where are coming from. Growing up as a male I was forced to start thinking about mechanics (with toy cars and the such) instead of furthering my social skills. Luckly for me, I chose to ignore of that and just wanted legos. I believe eventhough legos seemed to be more directed towards boys, that they one the few gender neutral toys out there today.

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  2. Yeah, legos, wood blocks, tinker toys--and yet lots of people think those are gendered too. They're now made in pink and purple sets, etc.

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  3. I was just reading about this yesterday in that book, 'Gender Play'. I wonder what would happen if someone raised their child dressing them in the clothing we traditionally ascribe to both genders (Both "boys" and "girls" clothes) until the kid was old enough to dress themselves as they chose and allowing them to play with whatever the heck they wanted.

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