Children's Material Culture Flashcards
What was the initial attitude towards play?
They were overwhelmingly negative in pre-modern Europe; play was condemned as a sinful, idle pursuit and potential obstruction to learning.
What were reformist attitudes toward play?
- educative and moralistic functions
- communicate important lessons for the adult world
What was John Locke’s theory of children’s minds?
tabula rasa theory of children’s minds, in which children were blank slates shaped by environment and education
What did children’s toys originate from?
originated as adult amusements or served very different religious or spiritual functions.
early dolls were primarily used for cultic and funereal rituals and were only passed on to children after being cast off many generations later.
What do dollhouses teach children?
lessons on material culture and household management to elite children and serving as miniature displays of the material affluence, familial status, and collecting practices of princely or patrician households.
Define pester power
In the 80s, was targeted to influence parental buying patterns and overcome resistance to objectionable, faddish playthings.
What is gender typing in toys?
- toys become associated with a particular gender within a culture.
- factors that might lead to gender typing in toys: labels, colors, marketing
Why study gender-typed toys?
differentially impact children’s development.
How many hours a week do American children’s spend playing?
Children in the USA spend about 10-15 hours per week playing
What does symbolic play entail?
Symbolic play often involves the use of toys, and the toys that children choose may evoke different themes and play patterns. Thus, if boys and girls are engaged in play with different types of toys, the themes and play patterns that make up their symbolic play may also differ.
What do toys teach children?
they may be honing and developing different skills contributing to gender differences in adulthood
Many toys throughout history have been created to replicate and teach appropriate gender roles to boys and girls
–> toy dolls and swords were common playthings for girls and boys, respectively, in medieval England to prepare them for their future roles as mothers and soldiers.
Toys may reflect the gender roles of society, but also might create and perpetuate stereotypical gender roles
What are toys associated to boys and girls emphasize?
emphasize science, industry, and construction, while toys associated with girls continued to emphasize domestic roles
Throughout the 20th century, toys marketed toward boys incorporated technology and industry: cars, airplanes, model trains, chemistry sets, toy cameras, construction toys, and toy soldiers and guns. Toys marketed toward girls continued to incorporate domestic roles, though the number of accessories expanded: dolls, dresses, toy washing machines, strollers, doll houses, and play kitchens.
Fashion dolls that emphasize feminine qualities and promote stereotypes and sexualization have continued to be developed
