Breaking The Mould - Appendix 1

Colouring – and talking about gender stereotypes – in the Nursery

One nursery teacher developed her own images for children to colour. See Creating new resources and adapting existing ones in the online document Boy’s Things and Girl’s Things – challenging stereotypical choices and behaviours for more information.

She noticed that children were choosing very ‘stereotypical’ pictures so she ‘mixed up’ characters like Cinderella and Power Rangers to try and offer children images that would appeal to both genders and, at the same time, challenge ideas about what was ‘appropriate’ for girls and boys to be playing with. Copies of the drawings are attached and what follows is her commentary on using the drawings. Her conversations with a number of children illustrate that, while they are already expressing stereotypical views about what girls and boys ‘should’ like, gentle challenges can begin to impact on these choices, particularly with girls.

Context

A targeted group of nine children have been involved in choosing own images based on characters that they like. The boys’ choice included Ben 10 and power rangers, while they girls tended to choose princesses. I then adapted these images to combine both sets together.

Observations

Abrar

When presented with the new images, Abrar didn’t want any of them. When asked to choose, he selected two power rangers surrounded by balloons. Later he said to Zaahir“you got girl one” and smiled. “I got boys” said Abrar. When asked why he didn’tchoose a picture which had a ‘girl’ character in, he replied “I don’t like girls”.

Zaahir

Zaahir chose a power ranger and a princess power ranger. He reacted to Abrar’s comments by saying “I have a boy and boy”. I challenged him as he said that the princess was a boy. He accepted andsaid that the princess was a girl but didn’t act negatively towards this. Hethen spent ages colouring the ‘boy’ and said “finished”. I asked him if hewas going to colour the ‘girl’ (as it was not coloured at all) and he said“later” and walked away.

Rahim

Rahim chose Ben 10 and princess Ariel picture. Rahim was very positive about the image saying “boy and girl”. He then spent ages colouring Ben 10, then quickly scribbled over the girl. He then said “girl go hospital, got baby in tummy”.

Aliyah

Aliyah was the only girl within the next group. When selecting a picture, Aliyah didn’t like the choice. She said that “Princess Cinderella” was her “favourite” and she would colour Cinderella “pink”.

After choosing two power rangers, she said “that’s a girl and that’s a boy”.

“They’re having a party” said Aliyah. “The girl blue one, the boy blue one”.

When talking to Aliyah, Aliyah said that Cinderella wears pink. I explained that

Cinderella wears a blue dress in the story. She accepted this by nodding but did not comment.

Later in the session Aliyah said, “blue is nice?” as if asking a question. I replied “yes”. “I want to have a blue dress like Cinderella” said Aliyah. “I want a yellow dress”. This seemed to have shifted her views about colours associated with gender.

“You a princess?” She asked me. I said, “No, I wanted to be a girl superhero”.

“I want to be a girl superhero and a princess” said Aliyah.

Colours represented by media can support or challenge gender stereotyping. Also, role modelling by women and men is needed.

Jamal

Jamal chose the picture of a power ranger and a princess. He said “boy and girl”. He didn’t demonstrate any differences in attitudes when colouring both characters.

Daniel

Daniel chose the “Ben 10 and Ben 10 girl”. He carefully coloured the girl first and said “I’m doing pink” (he wouldn’t usually use pink). He coloured a little pink, then said “I like all colours” and he coloured the girl lots of different colours.

“Ben 10 don’t wear pink…. in film, I’m colouring Ben 10 trousers blue” said Daniel.

Again, colours represented by media can support or challenge gender stereotyping.

Joshua

Joshua chose the Ben 10 and princess picture. He didn’t seem influenced by the images. “The girl is strong and Ben 10 is strong” said Joshua. He carefully coloured the watches on each character. Then he only coloured the Ben 10. When asked‘why he didn’t colour the girl?’ He replied “I don’t want to”.

Safira

Safira was the only girl within the next group. She chose “Ben 10 and princess”. Safira usually always chooses a princess picture and will only colour it entirely pink. She coloured the watches of both characters blue. Then when given a greater choice of colours, she chose pink, then red.

She nodded when asked who she was and pointed to the girl. When asked if she has super powers, she nodded again.

Significant outcome: She used a range of colours instead of pink. She was a “Ben 10 princess”.

Josh

Josh chose a power ranger and princess picture. He said “boy is strong because his legs like that (showed me with his own legs). I challenged this thinking and focused him on the position of the girl (same as boy). He coloured both characters the same blue colour. He said that he was the boy. I responded that I was the girl and we can fight the baddies together. Josh agreed.

Outcomes / findings

Boys’ views

If the picture included a ‘girl’ character, then this was either seen negatively by not colouring it in at all or by commenting that it wasn’t as strong as the male one.

Girls’ views

The girls’ outcomes were very positive. Both were challenged and encouraged to expand views about expectations of girls and choices of colour.

General

Choices of colours were definitely restricted according to gender. Colours represented by media can support or challenge gender stereotyping. Also, role modelling by women and men is needed.