How Kindergarten Children Construct Gender

Excerpts from the Paper

How Kindergarten Children Construct Gender
Young children are becoming more sophisticated in their observations and usage of gender roles. At the same time, stereotypical gender assignments still prevail within many social contexts. From a social structural perspective, it is important to address how gender roles are created and perpetuated, because of the fact that gendered constructions of social roles, tools, and occupations greatly affect the balance of power between men and women and their own identities as members of society. Exactly how and when do children in kindergarten select toys associated with gender stereotypes? What motivates these choices? This paper serves to explore the ways in which gender is connected with the use of...

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