Gender Norms

STORY AND LAYOUT BY ALEX D’ALESIO, RACHEL DOCTOR AND LUCY STOFER

A major corporation’s shift toward gender-neutral branding sparks conversation about evolving gender stereotypes in today’s world.

After many requests, one of the biggest international corporations in the world is paving the path toward a world with a refined perspective on gender. Target is ditching boys’ and girls’ labels on toys. With over 1,799 locations just in the United States, Target projects an influence that will reach millions. This change may make it possible for women to break gender career barriers.

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Gender-Neutral Branding the blue and the pink is that, finally, it has come to light that boy and girl are not two separate

Target recently gave its toy section a genderneutral makeover. A wood tone paper categories that will never cross,” Smith said. Howver, Target is not spearheading the shift away from gender-based branding, but replaces the former pink, blue, yellow and green is rather playing catch-up. The corporation backdrops on the toy aisles. Guests will no follows similar actions of Wal-Mart and longer receive direction from signs that separate Toys R Us, according to latimes.com. “building sets” from “girls’ building sets.” Both of these corporations would not

While signs for apparel will remain, changes comment on their gender-neutral are being made in departments including Toys, branding. Target recently gave its toy section a gender- Smith describes the magnitude neutral makeover. A wood tone paper replaces the of the story as more fascinating than former pink, blue, yellow and green backdrops Target’s action. on the toy aisles. Guests will no longer receive “The reason that now “Target wants to sell as direction from signs that separate “building sets” from “girls’ building sets.” Target is removing the blue and the pink many items that they possibly can,” Smith said. “If you’re While signs for apparel will remain, changes are being is that, finally, it has come to light that boy in it to make a profit, you don’t want to upset people who buy your stuff.” made in departments including Toys, Home and Entertainment. and girl are not two separate categories Since the change to what was supposed to be fully neutral in its’ toy The Toys section now features Nerf sets that that will never cross.” aisles, progress is shown at Target by having aisles advertise images of both - Deborah Smith, UMKC no longer completely boys and girls playing occupied by either shades with their products. Lego also provides a variety of pink or shades of blue as it was in the past. of building set options, ranging from “City Arctic Now, children toys, intended for either gender, Bulldozer” to “Disney Princess Jasmine’s Exotic intertwine on the shelves, allowing for a variety Palace.” down each aisle.

The Executive Team Leader of Human In the past, rigid gender lines would not Resources would not comment on the change nor have upset customers. However, people are now give his name. However, he urged customers to realizing that there are not separate “girl” or visit the corporate website for more information. “boy” interests. Every child is an individual who

Deborah Smith, acting chair of the deserves the opportunity to discern their own Department of Sociology at the University of likes or dislikes. Let Toys Be Toys, a parent-led Missouri, Kansas City speculates that the change organization founded in 2013 and based in the is the result of the recent transgender movement. United Kingdom, forms a major voice behind

“The reason that now Target is removing putting an end to gender-based branding. The

16%

16 percent of students reported feeling limited as a child by signs dividing toys into “boys” and “girls”categories. 86%

AGREE WITH TARGET’S DECISION

organization encourages retailers to categorize toys by saying what the toy is rather than deciding who it is for.

“There is a real lack of women entering and staying in the ‘STEM’ professions,” Let Toys Be Toys campaigner Tessa Trabue said. “If science and construction toys are being aimed at boys, girls not only lose out on the chance to develop an interest in these areas and practice these skills early on, but this also firmly sends a message that these career areas are off-limits to girls, and women.”

Likewise, the organization makes the point that if strollers are marketed only to girls, boys miss out on play experiences that allow them to develop nurturing and caring skills. This exemption can possibly prevent men from considering professions in healthcare or education later in life, according to Trabue.

As corporations, such as Target, are shifting gender-based advertising, people are redefining how they view themselves in relation to gender attributes. In a poll of 1,000 Americans conducted by research and communications firm PerryUndem, it was determined that men are more likely to reject the label “masculine” than women are to reject “feminine.” According to vox.com, 25 percent of men didn’t identify as “more masculine,” while only 20 percent of women didn’t identify as “more feminine.” Fifteen percent of the surveyed people claimed to fall in the middle of the spectrum, rejecting a rigid gender defining characteristics.

As the lines between set male and female gender norms begin to blur, there are less expectations for those in today’s society to conform. At Sion, we have many opportunities to discuss these gender norms and how we can prevent gender stereotypes or any stereotypes from defining us. According to counselor and REbeL Club Sponsor Erika Ellwanger, REbeL works at tearing down these pressures and focuses on letting you be who you truly are.

“REbeL is all about the inner you,” Ellwanger said. “We stress the importance of being authentic to who you are as a person and not feeling like you have to fit into certain stereotypes.”

According to Smith, teenagers are at a

crucial point in their lives as they are determining enters a group of 122 male referees as the first Cynthia Prince-Fox has encountered some their identity while dealing with the gender full-time female game official. A trailblazer in challenges. Prince-Fox remembers a specific stereotypes imposed upon them by society. her industry, Thomas became the first female incident in which a woman made a negative

“Gender norms are extremely important to officiate a bowl game in 2009. In another gender-related comment. during high school,” Smith said, “because you are groundbreaking event, before a 2015 preseason “I had recently failed an exam related to at this age where you are trying to figure out who game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the my business and our head librarian came into you are going to be in the world.” Arizona Cardinals, Johnson shook hands with my office to collect my study materials and said Cardinals coach Jen Welter, the first female NFL ‘sorry you failed, but this business is really for coach, according to aplus.com. men and few women succeed,’” Prince-Fox said. West Point, Mayors and More With such strong women breaking gender “STEM”, which stands for Science, boundaries, the future promises a wider path Technology, Engineering and Mathematics,

Alumna Lexie Johnson confronts and defies for women partaking in activities that don’t play is a prominent and developing area of studies gender norms directly as a student and into the stereotypes that their gender holds. for graduates at Sion that aims to combat these cadet at the United States Military Academy While great strides are being made towards situations. According to science teacher, Kathleen West Point. Many times finding herself the only progress, statistics show that the majority of Teel, the purpose of STEM is to introduce girl in a class of 18, Johnson knows firsthand the large businesses in America haven’t yet made the students to these disciplines to promote and life of a woman in a man’s world. Though the progress that many believe needs to happen. encourage student interest. majority of her classmates are supportive, she According to a “As an all-girls school, admits to hearing the occasional snide comment about girls not being able to perform as many pushups as boys. CNNMoney Analysis, women hold only 14.2 percent of the top five “Some people just didn’t think it was right we hope to show the students here that these jobs are certainly open to “Back home, I did receive a little bit [of negative feedback] too,” Johnson said. “Some people just didn’t think it was right that a girl leadership positions at the companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500. that a girl should be in the Army, let alone an them, and as women they can make a significant contribution to any STEM should be in the army, let alone an officer in the army.” However, according to Johnson, West Even worse, there are only 24 women Chief Executive Officers out officer in the Army.” -Lexi Johnson, West Point Cadet field they may choose to enter,” Teel said. In 2014, engineering Point provides a very healthy, collaborative of the 500 companies. majors were fifth in environment for men and women. Sion mother, Board of Trustee member popularity for graduating Sion students. Just

“Although we have different [time and Assistant Vice President at Waddell & Reed, a year later, they jumped to the second most requirements for the Army Physical Fitness Anne Brundige breaks this gender barrier as popular, a clear indication of the increasing Test], we have the same standard and the same a woman in a senior position in the financial number of women straying from gender norms. goal to do our best for ourselves in the future world, a field that according to Brundige, is Sion students are contributing to this and for our soldiers in the future,” Johnson said. largely male-dominated. However, with the challenge of established gender roles in the

In the past year, West Point has raised its urging of programs like “STEM,” increasing workplace by aiding in the increase of women in admission rate of women from 15 to 20 percent, numbers of women are entering previously male- those fields of studies. Sion alumna and Mayoraccording to npr.org. Along with this change, dominated fields such as Accounting, Meeting Elect of Nashville, Tennessee Megan Barry serves Captain Kristen Griest and First Lieutenant Planning and Financial Management, according as a direct example of this initiative. Shaye Haver have made history, as they will be to Forbes.com. “I want to encourage more women to be the first two women to graduate from Army “When I attended graduate school at the involved in the field of science, because we often Ranger military school, according to cnn.com. University of Chicago, my class was 25 percent bring a different perspective to old problems,”

“They were both from West Point, so it’s a women,” Brundige said. “I just looked at the Barry said. “Likewise, in politics, a diversity of really big deal here. We all thought it was pretty website and it says the most recent class was 35.7 thoughts, opinions and experiences informed cool,” Johnson said. “It’s hugely inspirational to percent [women]. Progress.” by our gender or our socio-economic status can see that other girls can do it.” Brundige does not feel that she has had lead to new solutions to old problems that may

Progress in redefining gender norms is also to overcome many gender-imposed hurdles. escape others.” being made in the National Football League. However, Senior Vice President and Firm According to foxsports.com, Sarah Thomas Flagship Fund Co-Manager at Waddell & Reed,

STUDENT OPINIONS ABOUT GENDER-SPECIFIC TOYS “At McDonalds, you were “I don’t see anything asked if you had a boy or wrong with designating girl in the car [for happy boys’ toys vs girls’ toys. meal toys]. I now hope Children are not usually that my own children affected by these labels.” would not have to think Moriana Jaco (10) about such restrictions.” Erin Quinn (11)

“There’s no reason for toys to be controlled by gender.” Tempest Malone (9) “Most parents tend to shy away from buying what their child likes due to gender roles.” Annalise Acuff (12)