Gender Stereotypes Are Messing with1 Your Kid

By Caroline Knorr

Learning gender roles from movies and TV shows has real consequences on kids' self-esteem and relationships.

孩子從影視節目中了解到的性別角色劃分確實會影響其自尊和人際關系。

G ender stereotypes are messing with your kid. It's not just one movie. It's not just one TV show. It's constant exposure to the same dated concepts in the media over and over, starting before preschool and lasting a lifetime—concepts like: Boys are smarter than girls; certain jobs are best for men and others for women; and even that girls are responsible for their own sexual assaults.

According to a recent report, w hich analyzed more than 150 articles, interviews, books, and other social-scientif ic research, gender stereotypes in movies and on TV show s are more than persistent; they're incredibly effective at teaching kids what the culture expects of boys and girls. What makes these messages stick—and harder for parents to counteract2. counteract: 抵制，對抗。—is that they're timed for the precise moment in kids' development when they're most receptive to their inf luence.

性別成見正在誤導孩子。產生這種影響的，不僅僅是一部電影或者一臺電視節目。孩子從學齡前起，就不停地接觸著媒體落后的觀念，一遍一遍受其感染，這種影響持續終生。這些觀念包括：男孩比女孩更聰明；不同的工作適合不同的性別；甚至還有，女孩要為自己受到性騷擾負責。

最近的一份調查報告分析了150多篇文章、訪談、圖書和其他社會科學研究，結果顯示，性別成見不僅長期存在于影視節目中，而且在向孩子們傳達出文化對于男女的（不同）定位方面影響驚人。這些信息會在孩子的思維里留存下來，父母很難改變，因為這段時間正好是孩子成長過程中最易受其影響的時候。

我們日常觀看的電影和電視節目，嘻嘻哈哈，玩玩鬧鬧，看似無關意識形態，實則傳達了制片人乃至整個社會認為理所當然的一些觀念。比如，溫柔細膩的男人會被稱為“娘娘腔”，大大咧咧的女人則被叫做“女漢子”。這樣的叫法背后，暗藏著一套“男人/女人原本應該怎樣”的邏輯。而從小接受這種邏輯洗禮的孩子，在人生道路上往往會受其限制。這個時候，就需要明智的家長予以指導了。

Think of preschoolers w ho are just beginning to identify as boys or girls. The characters they see on TV often have an obvious masculine or feminine appearance, such as a superhero's big muscles or a princess' long hair. These characteristics also are often associated with specif ic traits—for example, being strong and brave or fearful and meek3. meek: 溫順的，謙和的。. Fast-forward to the tw een and teen years, when characters begin to wrestle with relationships, life, and job prospects.4. tween: 指年齡介于兒童（child）和青少年（teenager）之間的孩子，一般為10—14歲；teen: 即teenager，指13—19歲的青少年；wrestle with: 努力解決，艱難對付；prospect: 前景，前途。That “strong and brave” superhero becomes aggressive and hostile. That “fearful and meek” princess becomes submissive5. submissive: 順從的，服從的。and weak.

For young audiences w ho absorb ideas from the media on how to behave and what to become, these characterizations6. characterization: （電影、戲劇或書本中的）人物塑造。can lead to false assumptions and harmful conclusions. These oversimplif ied characterizations play out in many

一些學齡前兒童在剛開始意識到自己是男孩還是女孩時，在電視上看到的就是要么非常男性化要么非常女性化的角色：超級英雄渾身肌肉，公主則長發飄飄。這些角色不僅在外貌上區別明顯，性格上也涇渭分明：要么強壯勇敢，要么怯弱溫順。等這些角色迅速長到十幾歲，開始處理人際關系、規劃生活和工作的發展方向時，強壯勇敢的超級英雄就變得強勢、不好惹，而怯弱溫順的公主則愈發順從和軟弱。

小觀眾們通過媒體習得行為方式并形成自我期待，而媒體的這種人物塑造很容易讓人留下錯誤的印象，得出有害的結論。這種過于簡單化的人物塑造以各種不w ays over and over. According to the report, a lifetime of view ing stereotypical media becomes so ingrained7. ingrained: 根深蒂固的。that it can ultimately affect kids' career choices, self-worth, relationships, and ability to achieve their full potential.

And lots of parents are concerned about these issues, too. We polled nearly 1,000 parents across the country and found that they believe the media has a signif icant inf luence on their kids, from how girls should look and behave to how seeing violence can affect boys' beliefs about themselves. Luckily, parents can assert control over the messages that Hollywood dishes out.8. assert: 主張，堅持；dish out:（尤指過分地）大量給予。Because, let's face it: Exaggerating the differences between boys and girls is just a ploy9. ploy: 計策，花招。to keep audiences entertained. It's not what we really want our kids to emulate10. emulate: 效仿，模仿。.

While there are movies and TV shows that defy11. defy: 對抗，反抗。gender stereotypes—and Hollyw ood is making some progress on this front—you're not going to be able to prevent your kids from seeing everything that sends the wrong message. And your kids probably like a lot of media that reinforces stereotypes. Fortunately, the most powerful messages kids absorb are from you. When you actively role-model gender equality, speak out against stereotypes, and challenge outdated ideas, kids w ill hear that loud and clear.

Also, you have a lot of control over your kids' media—mostly when they're little, but even as they grow. Choose quality media that ref lects your values, and talk to your 同的形式重復上演。前面提到的研究顯示，如果孩子一直收看這種帶有性別成見的媒體節目，便會形成根深蒂固的觀念，連職業選擇、自我價值、人際關系和潛能的發揮最終都會受到影響。

很多家長對此也憂心忡忡。我們調查了美國國內近一千名家長，發現他們認為媒體對孩子的影響很大——既教會女孩該如何打扮如何表現，也讓觀看暴力情節的男孩對自己有了不同的看法。幸運的是，對于好萊塢傳達出來的大量信息，父母是可以施加影響的。因為我們知道，夸大男孩和女孩之間的差異只是媒體用來取悅觀眾的手段，我們并不希望孩子真的去效仿。

當然也有挑戰固有性別成見的影視節目，好萊塢在這方面正在取得進步，但你依然沒法保證孩子一點都不接觸錯誤的信息。你的孩子也有可能偏偏喜歡那些強化性別成見的節目。所幸父母是孩子最強大的信息來源。當你積極地表現出性別平等以示榜樣，對那些成見說不，并挑戰過時的觀念時，孩子也會清楚地明白你的立場。

不僅如此，你還可以控制孩子觀看的媒體節目，尤其是在他們比較小的時候，當然長大了也未嘗不可。選擇那些能反映出你價值觀的優質媒體，并且經常和孩子討kids about the movies and TV shows they watch. Use these age-based strategies—from toddlerhood12to the teen years—to reach kids at the exact moment they need to hear them.

Age 2—6

At this age, kids:

＊ Learn their gender identities (that they're a boy or a girl).

＊ Learn stereotypes about activities, traits, toys, and skills associated with each gender.

＊ Begin gender-typed play (girls “clean the kitchen,” boys “mow the lawn”).

＊ Need to hear your input in specif ic, not abstract, terms.

Age 7—10

At this age, kids:

＊ Attribute certain qualities to men and women—for example, that w omen are more emotional and affectionate and men are more ambitious and aggressive.13. attribute sth. to sb.: 認為……具有（某一品質或特征）；affectionate: 充滿深情的，有感情的。

＊ Associate specif ic occupations and academic subjects with each gender.

＊ Self-segregate14. segregate: 分離，分開。based on gender—boys want to play with boys, and girls want to play with girls.

＊ Want some choice over what they watch but still respect parents' input.論他們觀看的影視節目。你可以采取不同的年齡策略——從幼年到青少年——來讓孩子在最正確的時機接收需要的信息。

2—6歲

在這一年齡段，孩子會：

* 認識到自己的性別（知道自己是男孩還是女孩）。

* 了解不同性別在行為、性格、玩具、技能上所對應的成見。

* 在游戲中扮演不同性別角色（女孩“打掃廚房”，男孩“給草坪割草”）。

* 需要你給出具體而不抽象的意見。

7—10歲

在這一年齡段，孩子會：

* 賦予男人和女人不同的特質。比如，女人更加情緒化、更有愛心，男人則更有抱負、更加積極進取。

* 將不同的性別與不同的職業和學科聯系起來。

* 根據性別為自己劃分群體——男孩更愿意跟男孩玩，女孩更愿意跟女孩玩。

* 想自己決定看什么節目，但依然尊重家長的意見。

Age 11—13

At this age, kids:

＊ Feel self-conscious about physical changes and feel pressure to conform to cultural gender norms.

＊ Are intolerant of cross-gender mannerisms15. mannerism: 習慣性動作，習性。and behaviors.

＊ Are concerned about dating potential.

＊ Want to pick their own shows—and they're often shows intended for older kids.

＊ Are more interested in peers than parents.

Age 14—17

At this age, kids:

＊ Mix with other genders and become more f lexible about stereotypes.

＊ Become preoccupied with their future careers, as well as appearance.

＊ Want to learn gender-based expectations for how to behave in social communications.

＊ Choose what they want to watch and are willing to discuss abstract ideas (and don't w ant to be lectured to).

11—13歲

在這一年齡段，孩子會：

* 察覺出生理上的變化，對遵從文化中的性別規范感到有壓力。

* 受不了與性別不符的做法和行為。

* 考慮有沒有可能約會。

* 想自己挑選電視節目，并且喜歡看那些為年齡更大的孩子準備的節目。

* 更加關注同伴，而非父母。

14—17歲

在這一年齡段，孩子會：

* 與異性相處較好，不太看重性別成見。

* 將大部分精力放在外表和未來的事業上。

* 在社會交往中，想要知道如何表現出自己這個性別該有的樣子。

* 自己決定要看的節目，并且愿意談論抽象的概念（但不愿聽人說教）。