Stereotypical Ideas of Gender - Essay Example

Sexualized and gender-stereotyped attires, products, and services that are given to children are the central areas of concern and especially for parents. I think this is a fashion that responds to stereotypical ideas of gender in particular relating to clothes that are sold to children. It can be a great dilemma for parents who especially want to raise their children in a manner that reflects and mirrors the culture and customs of a certain society where certain things are not acceptable. These clothes seem to be very inappropriate for children because of their age and their tender-hearted nature. For instance, some of the clothes have an evocative catchphrase (slogan) and a connotation of adult sexuality. These clothes comprise bras, short skirts, and high-heeled shoes with lace and animal prints (Challenge the Media, 2014).
In addition, gender-stereotyped clothes are the main concern due to classification; they are sorted out in pink or blue as well as the feminine clothes for little girls and the army or sports clothes for boys together with the make-ups and accessories targeting girls. This makes it difficult for parents as children's minds are set in search of a way that they can only accept what they think is right for them as a boy or a girl. They even go to the extent of refusing to wear some of the clothes that are bought for them and even mock each other depending on the type of cloth they are wearing(Bailey and Great, 2011).
According to John Berger the ways of seeing “men act and women appear” Cited at Cranny, 2003 pg. 140) .and so the manner and which a girl child will act matters most to her than how a boy child will be. In addition, the stereotypes have some conflicting factors, especially when applied to certain social groups due to their conflicting characters (Cranny et al, 2003). Therefore, the products and clothing that have adult connotations are not so good for younger generations, and it is essential to put the parent's concerns at heart before marketing the clothes. Moreover, Gender studies and design and fashion challenge certain beliefs and stereotypes and so textile fashion and industrial design should be reconsidered the conflicting issues creating concern for parents who have the responsibility of raising children in the contemporary world (McDermott, 2007).
Due to the concerns indicated above, my main focus is to find the following information about sexualized and gender-stereotyped clothing (Bailey and Great, 2011).
• Is there any clearer evidence for the negative impact of gender stereotyping than for sexualization?
• How big is the market for sexualized adult clothing and clothing with sexual slogans?
• In the stereotyped clothing, how explicitly friendly and systematically family-friendly are they?
• Is there any concrete evidence from other researchers suggesting that gender stereotyping in products influences children's behavior be it positively or negatively?
• How influential is the color pink for girls’ products? Precisely are the gender preferences strongly driven by biological aspects and normal for the healthy development of gender identity?
• Are there any recommendations that are made regarding gender stereotypes of products?
• Will the stereotyped product continue to exist and create a booming business as long as there is consumer demand? (Challenge the Media,2014). Read More