Gender Stereotypes: A Comparative Analysis of the Intersection Between Gendered Toys, Race, and Income

This research project engages systematic field observations of toy sections at a large-scale box store. I engaged qualitative observations of toy sections to explore cultural messages conveyed to populations across varied demographic census tracts. While a relatively small-scale project, I have sought to examine messages to and about children as found among toy types, toy packaging, and observed themes. In an effort to engage diversity of the local region, I used Census data to locate three distinct census tracts in the Atlanta metro area which demonstrated variation in average household incomes and racial-ethnic composition. From these tracts I then visited a Walmart in each tract and engaged systematic qualitative observations of the unique toy sections to explore issues of gender, race and ethnicity, and class. While I am still working upon the analysis of this research, preliminary findings indicate interesting aspects about how Walmart has modified the toy section structure and contents across these three locations. For example, the greatest diversity of dolls was observed in Marietta and the least diversity of dolls was found in Holly Springs, and these locations had the greatest variation in average household income of all three tracts chosen. Across all stores, there were some common themes observed that do not necessarily speak to marketing variation based on location, but speak to larger cultural themes and messages about childhood gender socialization, which is also explored in this project.