Parents are responsible for helping their children to be successful in the world as it is today, which entails something very different from what may have led to success in previous generations. As a result, encouraging children to fulfill stereotypical gender roles is problematic, especially for females. First, it denies a child their individuality, because most people don’t fit so neatly into any one category. Second, stereotypical feminine traits are not as highly valued by society as stereotypical masculine traits such as self-sufficiency, acheivement of wealth, influence, power, and individuality. While stereotypical masculine traits tend to put men in a position of power, the stereotypical feminine traits lead to physical and emotional vulnerability, unhealthy obsession with personal appearance, unhealthy levels of competition among females for males, and a state of dependance.
Below is a link to an excellant article written by a teen girl about the connection between gender stereotypes and sexism, the role parents play in teaching and maintaining the status quo.
How to Win the Gender War: Sexism and Teens http://www.radicalparenting.com/2009/05/12/how-to-win-the-gender-war-sexism-and-teens-teen-article/
For further discussion on this topic, go to #mce_temp_url#.
I usually dont post in Blogs but your blog forced me to, amazing work.. Kind regards from france