SOC 101 – Introduction to Sociology
Module 4 Assignment
Gender Socialization

Objective: This assignment is designed to provide students with the
opportunity to investigate the social world around them using a sociological
lens and to apply the course concepts and readings to better understand
social issues.

Introduction: Gender Socialization
In a general sense the term socialization refers to the process whereby an
individual learns and acquires the value systems, beliefs, behavioral norms
and personality attitudes of a specific culture. How we interact with our
environment and other individuals, and how we view ourselves within our
immediate context, often reflects the socialization processes that we have
experienced. Gender socialization is one aspect of the socialization process
in which boys and girls learn about being masculine or feminine in their
society. In the U.S. one way in which we experience and express gender is
through consumer items. From early ages, girls and boys learn about gender
through consumer items such as toys, clothes, and even furniture that is
marketed to them and their parents, and which they come to desire.

Assignment Questions:
Based on first-hand observations, discuss how consumer culture acts as
secondary agent of socialization. For your observations, you are required to
visit a children’s clothing and/or toy store stores (I suggest big box stores like
Target and Walmart). There are still some children’s stores at the mall like
OshKosh/Carters that will work. You may also do this based on online data. If
you go that route, I suggest A Children’s Place. Their online store has a lot of
material to work with. Pay attention and take notes as to how the clothing,
toys and other consumer items are organized. Your response should be at
least 750 words – this generally translates to 3 pages (double-spaced, 1 inch
margins, 12 point font). DO NOT include any identifying information you put
at the top of your assignment in your word count or page count. Essay
grading guidelines are posted to Cobra with this assignment. You will need
to use connect your observations to course readings and materials. Your
response should be organized as follows: brief introduction to the
assignment, a body that discusses your observations, analysis of
observations connected to course concepts, and a short conclusion.

Some questions to consider:
How do you know which items are intended for girls and which for
boys? Are there gender-neutral items or non-gendered items?

What kinds of things do you think clothes and toys teach children
about being a boy or a girl, end eventually a man or a woman? For
example, think about how the clothes might affect a child’s
movements, the messages/images on the packaging or clothing, and
how the toys might affect a child’s interests both now and later in life.
What beliefs, values, etc. are boys/girls and men/women supposed to
like/dislike?

Are there any ways in which toys, clothing or other children’s
consumer items encourage boys and girls to be similar to one another?
Explain.

How do children’s clothing and toys perpetuate or challenge inequality,
stereotypes, or other gender-related social phenomenon?

Describe any patterns you observed as well as anything you saw that
was unusual or unexpected.