This video is about a group of kids reaction to a makeup tutorial. The video is intended to be funny, but at one point (3:00), the adults ask the kids why it is standard for girls to wear make up and not boys. I thought this tied in perfectly with the idea of how society and our culture cause us to grow up and think one specific way. Even at this age, these kids have already been taught that guys don't wear makeup and girls do. Many of them are even unsure of why this is the case. It is possible that if we just get today's youths to think about topics like these, they will be more willing to break the current gender norms our society has created.
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Kids thoughts on Gender Norms
This video is about a group of kids reaction to a makeup tutorial. The video is intended to be funny, but at one point (3:00), the adults ask the kids why it is standard for girls to wear make up and not boys. I thought this tied in perfectly with the idea of how society and our culture cause us to grow up and think one specific way. Even at this age, these kids have already been taught that guys don't wear makeup and girls do. Many of them are even unsure of why this is the case. It is possible that if we just get today's youths to think about topics like these, they will be more willing to break the current gender norms our society has created.
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My favorite is the little girl wearing the shirt full of little stars? She's so funny! There's something so fascinating about watching kids react to anything, what is that about?
ReplyDeleteI think the interviewer in the video asked a good question: "It's become a standard, girls wear make up but guys don't. How did that happen?" Who decided that it's not normal for guys to wear makeup? In Asian countries, male celebrities, mostly idol groups, wear make up and many many girl fans find it attractive. What makes it attractive for guys in one country to do it but not in a different country? Especially with the idea that Asian countries have more conservative cultures than for example, American culture, in which it is not acceptable for guys to wear make up?
ReplyDeleteInteresting point, estherwon. It's also important to know that the question isn't only "How did that happen?" but also "How is it happening now?", since it's not like these rules were once, a long time ago, enacted and that's it. Their maintenance requires constant surveillance, a series of everyday reinforcement -- both explicit and insidious.
ReplyDeleteSo ture! Many of the things that we view as social norms today, were never formally set as rules of society. These social norms are rather being enacted every moment we look at someone critaically, judge somone, exclude someone, put someone down for who they are, unconsiously place people in stereotyped groups,...the list goes on! But at what will it take for society to wake up and begin to question this maintenance of judgement....At what point is society going to stop asking "What you are" and start asking "Who you are"?
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