CS rep

Musa Husseini

8/1/18

Custer Soc 101 OL1

Field Notes:

	Boys	Girls	Neutral
Toys	· The Legos colors and designs were all monster trucks or bikes. · The kids playing with ‘Boys’ Legos were all boys, no girls · The colors were all solid colors like red, blue, black, grey… · The mega blocks intended for boys were colors like blue, red, orange, and green · There was not a single male doll in the store (Not including action figure) · All the NERF Guns were advertised with boys using them.	· The Legos advertised for girls had their own brand- Lego Friends · Lego Friends were advertised with girls building houses, cafés, barbershops, and playgrounds. · The colors of Lego Friends blocks were all pink, purple, teal, and gray. · The Mega Blocks were in the same exact bag and same exacts shapes as the ‘boys’ one except the were colored pink and purple · There was a huge selection of dolls to choose from and play with · None of the girl’s toys were toy weapons or construction tools · Instead their tools were art supplies and kitchen tools such as measuring cups	· The only neutral toy I found were stuffed animals, but even then, some were strongly suggestive of which gender get what based on colors
Clothing	· My first observation was the men’s clothing section was significantly smaller than the women’s. · All the clothes were solid colors · Most pants were either jeans or khaki · The shirts were button up shirts, polo shirts, or graphic tees · The only accessories in the men’s area were belts and a small display of sunglasses.	· The whole entire wall of the store and more was women’s clothing · The clothes were very diverse in a way that there was a wider selection of clothing to choose · The shirts all had design like flowers or a decoration, very few solid shirts · The pants were either jeans or athletic leggings · The shorts sold there were all very short, no shorts that covered passed the lower thighs · There was a huge accessory section with belt, jewelry, make up, and sunglasses	· The neutral thing I saw was the graphic tees. Although they were in the men’s section, my sister coincidently bought a Captain America shirt from the men’s section, and no one could tell it was just a ‘men’s’ shirt

Analysis:

Throughout this assignment I noticed a lot of recurring themes I saw in the toys for boys and girls. I noticed that if the toy was intended for a boy or girl the box would be advertised with a picture of a boy or girl playing with the toy. This was used in every toy advertisement on the box to reach out to the company’s gender target. Some gender messages sent through these toys are trying to show kids what they can and can’t play with or become as an adult. For the clothing I think it is showing that men have less of a variety of fashion and style compared to women and their choice of clothes. I think the toys send a huge cultural message for kids in the United States. I think they toys they play with and the colors of them show what category the fall into and must follow. For example, the boys using their toys guns being aggressive and building trucks; while the girls are playing with dolls and playing with a mini kitchen set. For the clothing I think the cultural part is the color of the clothing. I think the colors tell the kids from a certain age what is acceptable for them to wear and what isn’t. I think what can be learned from observing clothes and toys is that these big companies play a huge role in shaping the thoughts and culture of the boys and girls through things as simple as toys and colors.

I think a very relevant course guideline for this assignment was engaging in guided research activities or other guided experiential activities to acquire, construct, and demonstrate sociological knowledge. I think I used this guideline to engage myself in this activity and learn form it. Also, another guide line that I think was key for this assignment was always keeping a sociological lens on everything. Keeping that in mind helped me stay focused on my task and take detailed notes. One quote that I think wraps the whole problem is, “If toys were marketed solely according to racial and ethnic stereotypes, customers would be outraged, and rightfully so. Yet every day, people encounter toy departments that are rigidly segregated — not by race, but by gender.” (Sweet, 2012). This shows that these gender roles aren’t being noticed, because it isn’t something as socially recognized as much as racism and segregation is. If these toys and clothes were market differently it could really change the way kids, see their world. An example of there being neutral clothes is graphic tees. Although throughout my observation they were in the men’s section, my sister who was with me bought a shirt, and no one can tell it is only for men, the shirt matched her outfit just fine. Also, in the toy section there were super hero masks being displayed for boys use, but again coincidently I found my sisters playing with them. Although I had no intention of observing them with the toys and clothes I think it was an important note to take and interesting to look at through a sociological lens.

WC: 524

Citation:

Sweet, E. (December 21st, 2012). Guys and Dolls No More?. 1