Is Geoffrey A Sexist Giraffe?

Nothing brings a smile to a child's face more quickly than a brand new toy. It is no wonder that parents go out of their minds making sure that little "Johnny" has his football and young "Suzy" her wet-the-bed doll. But are parents doing more harm than good by buying their children toys? Rather, are parents sculpting their children to look like men and woman in society today by buying them gender specific toys. If so, then perhaps we need to be careful when it comes to buying our children certain toys. This brings to mind the age old question of whether children are nurtured into the future roles they will play as adult or whether it is in humans nature to act in a certain manner.
        Studies that have sought out to capture an answer to this perplexing question of nature versus nurture have yielded contradicting and inconclusive results. An example of this can be seen through the case study of a young girl named Anna done in the early 1940's. Anna had been deprived of normal contact and had received a minimum amount of care for almost the whole first six years of her life. When social workers discovered her, they attempted to help improve her condition. When the social workers discovered Anna, she had the mentality of a one year old. When she was ten and a half years old she died. Her mental development was reported to equivalent to that of an eight year old. Her premature death left many questions open for debate regarding nature versus nurture. It was argued that Anna may have been slow because her mothers mental ability was equivalent to that of a moron. It was also argued that Anna was nurtured into being slow because of her environment during the first six years of her life. However, one could easily argue that nurture plays a more important role because Anna's mentality increased at a rapid pace once she was in a new intellectual environment.
        If nurture rather than nature has more of an effect on humans, one could argue that many wrongs in society, such as inequalities among the sexes, can be prevented. This is why parents need to stop buying their children toys that will nurture them into roles that are not equal. In Ben Greenstein's essay "Learning To Be Superior" he argues that "There is a great deal of evidence to show that its during this time period-childhood- that the male learns to be superior and girls are taught to be mere females." By not subjecting children to gender specific toys, men and woman may one day be equal counterparts. Sociologist James Henslin argues in his essay "On Becoming Male" that "Our masculinity or femininity is not biologically determined. Although our biological or genetic inheritance gives each of us the sex organs of a male or female, how our "maleness" or 'femaleness" is expressed depends on what we learn."
        While walking down the aisle of the nearest Toys R Us store one can clearly see where our country is going. Down one isle a surplus of footballs, toy guns, and boxing gloves can be seen while young boys run around begging their parents for one. The next isle over is dominated by baby dolls, tea sets, and replica house cleaning devices such as vacuums and stoves. What is the difference between the two isles? Well, one is going to turn males into leaders of major corporation and the other will breed housewives and mothers. Henslin says that toys boys play with "represent both current activities thought sexually appropriate and those symbolic of our future masculinity of courage, competition, and daring".
        Is the answer to go out and buy Little Joey a barbie doll and young Suzy a pair of boxing gloves? The answer is not conclusive. Greenstein comments that "If nature dictates gender as rigidly as it dictates sex, then attempts to distort the self-image could be very damaging, creating strains within the developing child that would present as neuroses or worse later in life". Perhaps the best answer for parents is to just be open minded regarding the sex of a child. Parent's have internalized what is appropriate for a specific gender and act on their assumptions. Children should be able to play with whatever toys they feel inclined to.
        In conclusion, one can see that the nature versus nurture question continues to be a highly debatable issue. But by finding a more accurate answer, problems such as inequality of the sexes may be helped to be brought to an end. If nurture is the more dominant force causing humans to develop in the manner they have been for centuries, one can see why toys may be playing a major role bringing such negative influence. Perhaps Geoffrey the Toys R Us Giraffe may not be as friendly as once seems. One day he may be the icon representing inequality between males and females.

                                                                    Work Cited

Greenstein, Ben. "Learning to Be Superior." Speculations: Readings in Culture, Identity, and Values. 2^nd ed.
       
        Eds. Charles I. Schuster and William V. Van Pelt. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Blair Press, 1996. 370-381.

                                                                                                                                John Appello, Class of 2003