Personal Narrative: Baby Dolls

Narrative
In the first aisle of the toy section were baby dolls, ranging from newborn baby dolls to toddler dolls. Some of these baby dolls were very realistic and came with packs of diapers, bottles, toys, and also had separate options of purchasing strollers, carriers, and cribs. I noticed that a majority of the baby dolls were girls and wore pink. Next to this area of baby dolls were the pretend house toys that consisted of play kitchens, cooking supplies, pretend food, cleaning supplies, and shopping carts. In this same aisle were the Barbie dolls. While the Barbie dolls consisted of females of different color, there lacked a variation of body type as all of the Barbie dolls were tall and skinny. The Barbie dolls had beautiful smiles, …show more content…
The question that pondered my mind, however, was why that was. By doing this nonparticipant observation, I was astounded to just now recognize how something that seems so insignificant, such as toys and cards, actually poses such an impact on gender roles, society, and the upbringing of a person. To see the hierarchy in society depicted and reinforced through child toys, and therefore memories, angers me to see how they suggest certain behaviors and roles each gender should play out. From a young age, young boys and girls are limited as to what and who they should be. Reflecting on my own gender socialization, I can easily make connections with how all of the materialistic things brought me up to the way I was raised and how I am now. I recall playing with pretend makeup, dressing up, and pretending to cook and clean. Everything I own and wore consisted of pink or purple skirts and dresses. I see now that from an early age, these materialistic items suggested my behavior and how I should play the role of my gender in society. It made be to believe that I should act and look a specific way, although I did not know why, just because society had placed that rule on me. Through this observation, I felt angered to realize that from a young age, my socialization made me feel as though my capabilities as a female were limited. I feel empowered and encouraged to recognize these things and do something about it. By identifying the strange in the familiar, I am aware of society’s gender role expectations and do not have to conform to it. I am able to recognize them and understand that they do not limit who I am and what I can do as a