Daisy Edmonds, 8 years old at the time, caught my attention as she criticized clo-thing for sexism in a viral video. She says that it is unfair for boys to be given the message "Think outside the box," and "Hero," while girls are stuck with shirts that say "Hey!" and "I feel fabulous," "because everyone thinks girls should just be pretty and boys should just be adventurous." She then hung up the boy's shirts in the girl's section because, she "think[s] girls should be heroes…" She made me wonder why this kind of positive image did not exist 20 years ago. This in turn made me realize just how much attitudes in society have changed in the last 20 years. Literature, TV, and toys in America are finally beginning to reflect these changes with more positive images for children regarding family background, gender roles, and race.
Family Background
In my childhood, there were no images or messages, let alone positive ones, about children dealing with diverse family structures, until that is I came across the Percy Jackson series. Percy, a son who was born from an affair, discovers that his father is Poseidon. Poseidon's godly status keeps him from being an active father figure in Percy's life. Throughout the series, Percy must come to terms with his distant relationship with his father as he fights against his nemesis, Luke Castellan who resorts to revenge over his abandonment issues with his father Hermes. Written in a landscape of fast paced fantasy adventure with magic, duels, and wars, the heart of the story is a beautiful positive image for children dealing with untraditional family structures. Here is a series that says that a child does not need to be from a perfect-mother-father-sister-brother-never-divorced family to pursue his or her adventures in life.
Gender Roles
In my childhood, growing up with Disney princess movies, the end game goal for Disney princesses was to find true love, get married, and live happily ever after, until that is I stumbled upon an article about Disney's animated TV movie sequel Tangled: Before Ever After. Rapunzel, in this movie, is adjusting to life as a princess and still in love with Eugene, but when he gets down on one knee to propose to her in front of a banquet full of people, she realizes that she wants more than to be someone's wife within the castle walls. The heart of this movie is a beautiful positive image for young children that marriage does not have to be the end game goal in life. Here is an animated princess movie that says a child can pursue many other dreams in life before settling down.
Race
In my childhood, all my dolls were white. In fact, the Clark doll test has shown that American children, regardless of race, "often come to view lighter-skinned dolls and figurines as 'nicer' than dark-skinned dolls." A child can feel marginalized in society to not see themselves reflected in the toys they play with which is a disheartening reality, until that is I heard the story of a white 2-year old girl who bought a black doll. The cashier told Sophia Brenner that the doll she had picked did not look like her. Sophia responded, "Yes, she does. She's a doctor like I'm a doctor. And I'm a pretty girl and she's a pretty girl." The heart of this event (and the trend for toy companies to produce racially diverse toys in recent years) is the beautiful positive image for children that they can find themselves in society. Here is an event and a possible future that say kids can achieve their goals without being judged by their race.
These positive images about family, gender roles, and race give the message to children that there is no particular set of standards for them to be judged against. Little girls and boys can pursue their aspirations in life without feeling marginalized in society because of their family background, gender, or race. As I observe these changes from what I experienced as a child, I hope that more positive images will flood literature, media, and toys.
Prof. Tara Beck
(M.A.College of Liberal Arts)