Early Childhood Education: Gender Roles and Impact on Self-Esteem

This case study explores the issue of gender disparity as perceived by a child named Riley in a toy store setting, highlighting her concerns about toy companies promoting gender stereotypes by limiting choices for girls to predominantly pink toys and portraying superheroes as exclusively masculine. Riley argues that this lack of variety and representation negatively impacts the self-esteem of children with feminine identities by not providing them with the same options and opportunities as their male counterparts. The case further examines the role of Riley's father in supporting her views and clarifying her understanding of gender identity, emphasizing that color should not define gender and that children should be free to choose toys based on their preferences. This analysis underscores the broader implications of gender stereotypes in early childhood development and the importance of parental support in shaping children's perceptions and self-esteem. Desklib provides similar solved assignments and study resources for students.

Running head: EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

1EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE
Answer 1
While discussing with her father in the toy store, Riley complaints of gender disparity
and inequality in her own way. In one of her statement, she mentioned that toy companies are
forcing girls to buy pink toys and the boys have option to get any color of their own choice. Toy
companies produce pink dolls instead of multiple color dolls and hence, in a way they force them
to buy pink toys as they do not have option to buy dolls of any other color. Further, as the social
stereotype and perception, all the superheroes are of masculine identities and boys have the
option to buy those (Hanifan & Kirchhausen, 2018). Hence, as per Riley, girls who are willing to
buy superheroes are not allowed to buy them because they are of different colors and girls can
only have pink toys irrespective of their likings and preferences (Trawick-Smith & Smith, 2014).
Therefore, through these arguments, Riley supported the statement that children with feminine
identities are with lower self-esteem because they are not provided with the choices and option
as compared to their equal counterparts.
Answer 2
It was seen through the interview that her father supported her views and provided her
with support so that she can put her views on gender equality through her views on toys for boys
and girls (Newall et al., 2018). While Riley complaint of organizations making such toys are
forcing pink to the girls intentionally so that they could not have the choice to buy toys of
another color, it was seen that her father cleared her thought. Her father mentioned that color
does not define gender identity and girls and boys are free to choose toys depending on their
likings. Hence, her father influenced her thoughts by allowing her to express her ideations
(Trawick-Smith & Smith, 2014).

2EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE
References
Hanifan, O., & Kirchhausen, L. (2018). Gender Role Stereotypes in Toy Commercials: A Two-
Country Comparison Based on the Level of Gender Equality.
Newall, C., Gonsalkorale, K., Walker, E., Forbes, G. A., Highfield, K., & Sweller, N. (2018).
Science education: Adult biases because of the child’s gender and gender
stereotypicality. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 55, 30-41.
Trawick-Smith, J. W., & Smith, T. (2014). Early childhood development: A multicultural
perspective. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.