Gender Stereotyped Toys: What Does This Say? (PHOTO)

What Does This Say About Gender Stereotypes?

There's long been debate about whether gender roles are something we're born with or if society forces them upon us.

It's a complex question that can't be answered here and now, but we nevertheless submit for your consideration the below image, which was accompanied by this caption on reddit: "To avoid perpetuating gender stereotypes, I gave my daughter a mix of dolls and toy cars to play with. This is what happened."

While it's unclear whether this amusing photo was staged or if a young girl created the scene on her own, it's a conversation starter about gender stereotypes and the toys that are often accused of enforcing them.

HuffPost blogger Devon Corneal opened up on this topic last month with her blog post "What Are Little Boys Made Of?"

In the post, Corneal writes that while parents "should recognize that differences exist and then support and nurture our children's choices to be who they want to be," she's still not necessarily looking to raise a gender-neutral child.

Scientific American also took an in-depth look at the issue in September 2009, analyzing the neurological differences that some say define gender and giving some perspective to just how natural engrained these ideas may be.

Still, some parents go to great lengths ensure their children aren't affected by the roles society assigns.

Nature or nurture? What do you think?

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