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Gendered marketing

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    #32
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 40,880 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    Ash885 wrote: »
    If you're telling a child that (a) you can't have a pink kitchen because that's meant for a girl and you're a boy, and (b) you can't have a blue kitchen because that's meant for a boy and well we want to teach you not to be stereo-typed

    The thing is though - when you think about it those messages also come from other children so in my view if you want to avoid gendered stereotyping then gender neutral is better in my view as it lessens the messages coming from the childs peers.

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #33
    Ash885
    Registered Users Posts: 639 ✭✭✭Ash885


    Joeytheparrot wrote: »
    The thing is though - when you think about it those messages also come from other children so in my view if you want to avoid gendered stereotyping then gender neutral is better in my view as it lessens the messages coming from the childs peers.

    So you think it's innate in us that we associate colours with gender, or are those views from the children not as a result of adults?


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    #34
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 40,880 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    Ash885 wrote: »
    So you think it's innate in us that we associate colours with gender, or are those views from the children not as a result of adults?

    No neither

    I think other children will learn things from the world around them.

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #35
    Ash885
    Registered Users Posts: 639 ✭✭✭Ash885


    Then what specifically tells us boys like blue and girls like pink then?

    I agree the world does influence us but social aspects are far more superior in strength.


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    #36
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 40,880 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    Ash885 wrote: »
    Then what specifically tells us boys like blue and girls like pink then?

    I agree the world does influence us but social aspects are far more superior in strength.

    Its not specific. Its a mixture of history, culture and marketing.

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #37
    irish_dave_83
    Registered Users Posts: 144 ✭✭irish_dave_83


    The early learning centre have two kitchens, one is different shades of pink and the other is red, blue green and white, so its neutral and they are both very sturdy with lots of accessories. And its currently half price so thats a bonus.


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    #38
    Aurongroove
    Registered Users Posts: 876 ✭✭✭Aurongroove


    Well with that logic, then gender differences and gender marketing wither or not they are an artifice of society or ingrained natural psychology, shouldn't be censored from a child as doing so would hinder their social development and understanding.

    In other words if gender marketing is everywhere them a responsible parent will prepare their child for it, rather then keep them naive to it.

    A metaphore woudl be akin to shielding your child from christmas toy commercials:

    One parent might say "I don't let my kids watch christmas ads becasue they'll want all the toys they see"

    but a better path might be to say "I allow my kids to see the toy commercials, but I also teach them that ads are designed to make you want stuff that you don't actually need, or look better then it is"


    My answer in this case is don't buy gender neutral toys, buy "girls" toys and "boys" toys and allow your child to play with whichever they wish and make them aware of gender marketing (and how silly it is) and let them make up their own minds.


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    #39
    Aard
    Registered Users Posts: 4,905 ✭✭✭Aard


    Bit extreme no? Imo there's no need to actively let a child know that pink is for girls, blue is for boys. They'll pick it up themselves. I agree with not shielding them from it, however the social risk from keeping kids naive of gender stereotyping is probably minimal.


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    #40
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 40,880 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    Ash885 wrote: »
    Then what specifically tells us boys like blue and girls like pink then?

    I agree the world does influence us but social aspects are far more superior in strength.

    I dont think there is anything specific at all. Its a mixture of culture, history, marketing, education, socialisation, assumption, ideology.

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #41
    Chunners
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 424 ✭✭Chunners


    Joeytheparrot wrote: »
    I dont think there is anything specific at all. Its a mixture of culture, history, marketing, education, socialisation, assumption, ideology.

    You are so wrong on so many levels that it is funny at this point. You all talk about kids not being forced to play with toys unless they are "Gender neutral" toys but people, even the ones here who are arguing against them, enforce those genders on a daily basis. Ask the OP if her friend called her son a "gender neutral" name, ask her if her friend dresses him in "gender neutral" clothes. I'm betting not. You are all advocating this "gender neutral" crap but the fact is her son is a boy, a male and to force a toy on him is wrong too. Has anyone asked him if he cares if the kitchen is pink? Part of growing up is finding your own gender identity and thats something that you should find yourself not have some concept of being "gender neutral" place on your shoulders at an early age.

    What exactly do you all think not buying him a pink kitchen going to achieve? I mean chances are in a week he will have it covered in mud and crawling with worms because he wants to play mad scientist and after that he will go back to his tool set which he will use as surgical implements to dissect GI Joe so will you all give out then because he is using them in a way that is not their intended purpose? Seriously it is ****e like this that destroys kids imaginations. Next it will be buying kids a box of crayons but removing all the pink and blue ones just because you don't want to confuse them :rolleyes:


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    #42
    keepkeyyellow
    Registered Users Posts: 705 ✭✭✭keepkeyyellow


    When I was 5 (in 1995) I had a kitchen set that my brother and I played with and I remember it distinctly being in primary colours - I also had a pram that was a ladybug shape but no pink whatsoever.

    In fact the only gender biased toys I remember really were those dragon fly and fairy spinners.


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    #43
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    Just to let the OP know, there's a toy kitchen set available in Lidl (or was it Aldi) in their 4th December offers. Metal grey, should be a good fit.


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