In our culture boys and girls begin gender socialization at very young age. They are many different theories about how they are socialized. Play is one the main components in many of these theories. Play can be seen as a way that children learn the different expectations for how boys and girls are to act. The toy exercise helped me to see the ways that different toys are used in play to help accomplish gender socialization.
             In the exercise I observed that, manufacturers differentiate, whom a toy is aimed at, through the color of the toy and how it is packaged. They make boys' toys and packaging bold colors, such as red and black. These colors symbolize activeness and aggressiveness. An example in class was the Hulk Hands were black and green. The girls' toys and packaging are usually in pastel colors, such as pink and purple. These colors symbolize passiveness and serenity. An example in class was that the Barbies were packaged in pink. Toys that can be aimed at both boys and girls were either in neutral colors or boys' colors, because society has taught us that it is okay for girl to play with boys toys, but not vice versa. An in class example was that the K'nex was packaged in orange, which is a neutral color. When a child is in a toy store, they go right to the toys that are packaged in colors that are appropriate for their gender.
             According to the social learning theory children learn gender roles as they are taught by parents, school, and the media. One way that parents teach gender socialization is through the toys that they buy for their children. They will buy boys' toys that teach them different male activities, and girls toys that teach them female activities. In class we saw a few different race cars for boys. In giving a boy a race car, you are teaching him to be interested in cars and racing. Racing is a form of competition, and boys are socialized to believe that they must be...