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November 18, 2005
Guns vs. Dolls
Is it possible for girls to be attracted to ‘boy’ toys and boys to ‘girl’ toys? The articles “Snakes and Snails” by Ellen, and “Why Boys Don’t Play With Dolls” by Katha Pollit seemed to be supporting a similar notion that no matter how hard the parents try to change the fact of boys preferring guns and girls Barbie dolls might as well won’t change in the near future. Those of you are who have younger or older brother would agree that you find it uninteresting and boring to be playing with boy toys. More than that, if you even tried to play with their toys and got caught by your parents or others members in your family or friends might have experienced the embarrassment from them; the society.
Have you ever wondered why they liked ‘war’ toys and games so much? Many of us fall into a stereotype: girls who like to play with dolls and will stay that way. There is nothing wrong with this and this is the way how it has been for centuries. I wonder whether it is possible to reverse the attraction towards toys change, that boys might find it more interesting to be braiding the Barbie’s hair than ‘fighting’ in the war games with their toys.
In the country side in Mongolia, children used to play with various shaped stones as they were not supplied with ‘normal’ toys such as Barbie dolls or gun those modern children, they still have the same ability to play their “appropriate” roles in their games. Girls play the roles of mothers and boys play as fathers when they play as a family, usually imitating their own family style. It is not only about the toys children play with, but these toys create the border line in their minds what women and men’s role should be in the society.
Posted by lcisbold at November 18, 2005 08:41 AM