Gender Stereotypes
Blue for Boys, Pink for Girls Our traditional story begins with what are often the first words uttered when a baby is born: “It’s a boy!” or “It’s a girl!” (Of course, with “gender reveal parties,” this may also happen months in advance.) In many hospitals, the newborn boy is immediately given a blue hat and the newborn girl a pink hat. The infant receives a gender- appropriate name and is showered with gender-appropriate gifts. Over the next few years, the typical boy is supplied with toy trucks, footballs, pretend tools, toy guns, and chemistry sets; the typical girl is furnished with dolls, stuffed animals, pretend makeup kits, kitchen and tea sets, and dress-up clothes. As they enter school, many expect the boy to earn money by mowing lawns and to enjoy violent superhero movies, while they expect the girl to earn money by babysitting and to enjoy sweet stories about friendship or love.
These distinctions persist in college, as more male students major in econom- ics and the sciences and more female students major in the arts, languages, and humanities. In the workforce, more men become doctors, construction workers, auto mechanics, airplane pilots, investment bankers, and engineers. In contrast,
The traditional pinks and blues are not as distinct today as they used to be. Many gender barriers of the past have broken down, and the colors have somewhat blended together. Indeed, there has been a dramatic increase in awareness of gender as something other than a binary category and that the gender one is assigned at birth does not always reflect the gender identity of the individual later in life. In addition, people are more likely to defy and confront gender-based stereotyping and discrimination today than in years past. Nevertheless, the stereotypes—and, as we discussed earlier, sexism—persist.
