The Achilles Effect

Its purpose? To discuss the negative impact of gender stereotypes on young boys, and in particular the effect of stereotypes on their perceptions of masculinity and femininity.

It is when boys are in the pre-school and early school age years that their ideas about masculinity and femininity begin to take form. While it is true that they can identify themselves as male from about the age of two, that identifier has little meaning until they get older.

As they mature and, certainly as they enter school, they are faced with an onslaught of influences that shape their understanding of what it means to be a boy and, by extension, what it means to be a girl. In order for them to develop healthy ideas about both genders, it is critical that these early influences be balanced and gender positive. Sadly, many of them are not.

Television, films, books, toys, and the language and attitudes in the home all contribute to a young boy’s ideas about masculinity and femininity. In this blog and in my forthcoming book, I will raise parents’ awareness of the troubles with current depictions of males and females. I also hope to encourage parents to discuss gender issues and seek out positive images of men and women as examples for their sons.

© Crystal Smith 2008