Sample Essay On Gender And Play

The lecture deals with the complex role of gender in children’s play. It questions the relevance of gender to the issue and the ways to address it in the current circumstances. Gender separation has manifested itself in the play and it is influenced by age and environment of each child, while for centuries it was associated with biological differences between boys and girls. The lecture identifies the main theories that were or are associated with gender development, each of which emphasizes either biological or sociological factors.
These theories include three main models of gender formation: Biological Model, Socialization Model and Social Construction Model. Biological Model states that gender is predetermined by birth and the body differences, especially the differences in brain structure define the gender. However, this theory and its arguments have proven to be wrong and subjective, as there is evidence that the brains structure of boys and girls does not differ much. Socialization Model concentrates on gender development as an imitation of prevalent gender roles in the society that are eventually adopted by them. Social environment, people and media are the factors that determine the gender. Social Construction Model moves away from simple binary opposition and states that children continuously construct their unique gender that combines the traits of masculine and feminine. However, there are some limits to such construction that is place by the society and environment.
The lecture suggests that understanding of social nature of gender and its complexity helps to identify the ways to address gender in the classroom. It is essential of a teacher to use appropriate language and stay alert for all kinds of intolerance in the playground and threats to well-being of diverse children. Some of the ways to deal with gender include questions of restroom, appropriate representation of diverse children in books and relevant choice of toys for children to play.
Treatment of gender and its connection to children’s play has changed greatly over the last decades, while the shift towards new reality and new social demands still continues today. The growing understanding of the threats inequality and biased attitudes towards people based on their gender has influenced the view of the role of gender in play, while the new approaches are being adopted to maintain relevant social order. Children’s play is one of the things the view of which showcases the moods of the society towards the issue. Gender separation and intolerance towards diverse people have forced the limits for children, created toys’ segregation and negatively influenced the way playground functions. I believe that the fact that everything started to change and gender is finally treated as social construct that is not a relevant ground of any kind of separation or injustice is very beneficial for children’s development and adults should actively participate in the changing process.
It should be mentioned that the role of biological factors was emphasized throughout history to justify the separation between boys and girls in the playground. The fact that girls and boys tend to form separate groups in school setting may not only depend on age, but also on the certain expectations that are placed on children by their parents and teachers. Girls have been learning from early childhood to wear pink and play with dolls, kitchen stuff and be gentle and humble, while boys have been given balls and encouraged to play sports, while often they were forgiven for being naughty justified by the fact that boys will be boys. Such assumptions and expectations bombard kids from birth and finally in the school setting they achieve success creating the environment perfect for separation. Fortunately, the situation is changing nowadays.
With the adoption of socially-oriented view of gender, children are given more opportunities to express themselves and develop in unhindered way. Especially, it concerns Social Construction Model of gender development, as it allows greater variety comparing to previous theories. It does not create binary oppositions with blue and pink, but rather gives children a chance to define themselves without the others’ pressure and choose the position that may include both masculine and feminine traits in any combination. I believe that cracking this blue-pink line is a core problem of interrelation between gender and play, as media and stores still pressure children to choose the toys, intrusively suggested by traditional gender roles. Of course, there are a lot of problems that are still in the way, but I think that the progress we can see now will make a change for better.
It is extremely important for educators and parents to support their children’s choices and inspire them in their search for their identities. In this realm, play is not only entertaining and educative measure, but also an opportunity to provide children with the appropriate ground for healthy development. Teachers and parents should be attentive to children’s behavior and observe their actions when kids are playing both alone and interacting with friends and classmates. The choice of toys and activities should also be diverse, so that the kids could choose themselves what they like more: a doll or a car, dancing or playing basketball. There should be no pressure to select one activity over another, or buy a toy that is more appropriate to the dominant roles. It is essential to give children freedom in such complex issue as gender.
All in all, the change of theoretical framework allows altering the way the society used to treat gender in the playground. The freedom to select from the variety of possibilities that is less limited that ever before contributes to healthy all-round development of children. Teachers and parents should control these processes and guide children on their ways to identity formation. Social nature of gender positively influences the way the play is treated, and opens new horizons for children’s growth.