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Christian Carcioppolo
10/4/2015
Period 3
Identity: Stereotypes
Stereotypes hinder how children and society develop. If these
obstacles were eliminated, future generations can live a life the way they
wish, free of societys expectations. Stereotypes with gender roles effect how
children grow up and develop in society, by not allowing gender freedom, it
will negatively affect how they develop.
Strict gender roles have a negative effect on the way children develop
because it doesnt allow them to diversify themselves in different gender
roles. The Story of X by Lois Gould, depicts a possible outcome of gender
fluidity. In the story, the X child (neither male nor female) is shown doing
both stereotypical male and female roles; playing with action figures, and a
toy kitchen set. While at first the other kids in the story are forbidden by
their parents to talk to X, they go against their parents will and start to talk
and act more like him/her. Since then, the kids are shown having much more
fun, the boys playing with girls toys and the girls playing with boys toys. The
kids in the story represent a society without gender roles and expectations,
and instead of ignoring the different one (X), they learn more about X and
embrace how X lives. The kids then find it more enjoyable to live with that
life style, stereotype free. Some could say that gender neutrality could be a
hassle to convince modern day society to conform to. However, similar

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movements have occurred that shows that show its possible, given
enough support and time. Like how homosexuals got their right to marry;
gender neutrality would make more happy and give individuals a more liberal
and diverse way to establish their Identity.
If gender roles arent eliminated, then future generations of kids will
continue to grow up with the same, conservative views on gender roles.
Parents influence how children will grow up, like in the short story Turkeys in
the Kitchen by Dave Brady, the author shows off a stereotypically
exaggerated husband and wife. The author uses phrases such as most
men make themselves as useful around the kitchen as ill-trained Labrador
retrievers.. By comparing men to dogs, it installs a negative connotation
for men, which can easily be reflected on his children. The children could
then grow up and pass on the similar view point he/she got from their father,
further pushing the stereotypical gender roles. From a radical feminists point
of view, one can argue that its beneficial to women to have stereotypes for
the fact that women wont feel oppressed. Yet, itd be more beneficial for
society as a whole to become equal and not one side, male and female,
not male or female.
Strict gender roles effect how children will grow up and treat certain
genders. For example, a stereotypical family from the 1970s; their children
would grow up believing the wife had to be the one cooking, cleaning and
taking care of the kids in the family. Judy Bradys essay, I want a Wife,
became a powerful article because it accurately visualized a stereotypical

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wife role from Bradys time period (1971). Brady puts herself into a males
perspective from that period in time, saying how she wants a wife, a wife
being a woman who would take care of Brady and her children while also
following all of Bradys expectations. This stereotypically normal family is
very harmful to how Bradys children would develop and all other children
growing up in these homes. But what if a woman wanted to conform to the
stereotypical wifely duties? If thats the way the woman wanted to liver her
life, then let her. The goal isnt to remove stereotypical wifely duties, the
goal is to eliminate the stereotype itself, for example, let a woman cook
because she wants to cook, not because its what society says she should.
Stereotypes have a negative effect on how children and society
develop. When the children grow up with these stereotypes, whether it be
that they have to act as a boy or girl, or if its about stereotypical wifely
duties, they grow up into adults and eventually parents that will continue to
pass on the same stereotypes. Future parents need to make a conscious
effort to not let their kids fall into stereotypes. Let their kids play with what
they want, as well as both parents sharing chores around the house.
Stereotypes hinder how children and society develop, the quicker theyre
removed, the quicker society will flourish.

Work Citied
Barry, Dave. Lost in the Kitchen. Miami Herald. 2 May 1986. Web. 24 September 2015.
Brady, Judy. I Want a Wife. Literature for Composition. 3rd Ed. New York: HarperCollins
Customs Books, 1993. Print.
Gould, Louis. The Story of X. The Gender Centre Inc. 2005. Web. 24 September 2015.