Gender Roles and Stereotyping

            
             Commonly, Men are suppose to be the "bread makers" of the household. Women, on the other hand, are suppose to stay home take of the children and clean the house. Throughout this essay we will explore youth and gender stereotyping, the negative effect of gender stereotyping, and, gender stereotyping and the media. .
             Gender stereotyping starts at a young age. Parents of many children start establishing gender roles when children are first born. Parents establish gender roles by use of decorations in their child's rooms. In a study done in Chapel Hills, researchers concluded that gender roles were being formed through the decorating of the room. Girls rooms tended to have more yellow and boys more blue(http://inside.bard.edu). When given the choice most parents buy toys that are oriented toward the same sex of the child example being a truck for a boy or a doll for a girl. The stereotyping here is the interaction between parent and child when playing with the toy. For example, when a parent is playing with a truck they are more likely just to make sounds but when they are playing with a doll they are more likely to be verbal (http://ematusov.soe.udel.edu). .
             Being exposed to gender stereotyping at a young age can limit a child's opportunities as a person. Children who have been taught that girls clean the house and boys take out the garbage are more likely to take a "gender typical" job. Boys and girls that are use to gender roles often feel what society expects them to feel. When males and females feel the same emotions their reactions are totally different. Because of gender stereotyping, males tend to be more passive with emotion, females being more open and expressive. Higher self esteem, more self identity, and better luck in love and relationship are some of the advantages of encouraging a non-gender stereotyped environment(http://www.eoc.org.uk) . The children in these gender role free households tend to be more knowledgeable about occupations that are not gender specific and believe their work habits are not effected by gender roles.