Deborah L. Rhode

Gender roles in children are shaped by cultural forces, argues Deborah L. Rhode in the following viewpoint. She asserts that children are taught gender stereotypes by their peers and adults—for example, girls learn to be nurturing and boys are expected to be aggressive. According to Rhode, these messages, intentional or otherwise, are widespread. Rhode is the Ernest W. McFarland Professor of Law at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, and the author of Speaking of Sex: The Denial of Gender Inequality, from which this viewpoint is taken.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to a survey of Michigan elementary students, as cited by Rhode, what percentage of girls thought there were advantages to being male?
2. By what age do children have sex-linked toy preferences, according to the author?
3. As stated by Rhode, what...