Voices of the Industry Editor's Blog Doll Play and Gender
| Doll Play and Gender |
| Written by Carie Ferg |
|
Growing up and into adulthood the gender divide apparent in toys, and dolls, in particular, always struck me as odd. When I was a kid, boys were not to play with dolls and if they did, mom and dad quickly set them straight and steered them on the path of more “manly” toys—matchbox cars, fire trucks, tractors, construction equipment and action figures (and aren’t those dolls anyway?). Growing up and into adulthood the gender divide apparent in toys, and dolls, in particular, always struck me as odd. When I was a kid, boys were not to play with dolls and if they did, mom and dad quickly set them straight and steered them on the path of more “manly” toys—matchbox cars, fire trucks, tractors, construction equipment and action figures (and aren’t those dolls anyway?).Girls, on the other hand, were encouraged to foster their mothering instincts by being “baby mamas” (excuse the pun). If a girl didn’t like dolls, she was (gasp) a tomboy |
