![]() ![]() A stereotype exists when actions are thought of as simply masculine or feminine and tend to be resistant to change (Abercrombie, Hill, and Turner, 1988 Basow, 1980). A sex-role is a set of activities deemed to be appropriate for one sex but not the other, and is determined by social norms or attributes (Basow, 1980 Busby, 1974 Durkin, 1985 Kagan, 1964 Tuchman, 1978). ![]() Television programs set powerful standards for children's behavior and as Vande Berg (1991) argues are, "designed to exnominate yet evoke, activate, reference, and occasionally challenge mainstream social myths, policies, and beliefs, including those concerning gender."Ī constant theme in all of the television sex-role research is the common definition of a sex-role stereotype. ![]() As has been proven, a significant source of cultural gendered messages is television, perhaps most powerful for children who watch up to an average of four hours daily (McKenna & Ossoff, 1998). These lessons are taught unintentionally and intentionally by parents and teachers, yet also learned from the mass media, to which children are exposed daily. Oskamp, Kaufman and Wolterbeek (1996, p.1) argue one of the most important lessons that young children learn is socialization into expected gender roles. Any stereotypes we impose on children-and by extension, adults-are purely cultural, not biological" (Blum, 1999, p.1). Though many environmental factors influence construction of gender in children, "Nothing in biology labels behaviors as right or wrong, normal or abnormal. However, this change is mostly opening up accepted behavior for boys, while sex-roles are primarily being reinforced for girls.įrom birth, children quickly learn that a great deal of their lives have to do with masculinity and femininity. We conclude that some change in portrayal of sex-roles to a preschool audience is happening through Teletubbies and Barney & Friends. We analyze depiction of gender and messages about gender expectations in two popular preschool programs, Teletubbies and Barney & Friends, both aimed at children ages two through five. Abstract: This essay suggests that new television programming aimed at one- through five-year-old children has the potential to influence gendered behavior early, as gendered expectations are formed. ![]()
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