Final answer:
Girls most commonly appropriate a gender ideal characterized by being thin, young, and traditionally beautiful, as perpetuated by media and societal expectations. These standards impact young girls' body image and perceptions of self-worth. Efforts like the gender-neutral environment at Egalia preschool in Sweden aim to counteract such gender socialization.
Step-by-step explanation:
What Gender Ideal Do Girls Most Commonly Appropriate?
The gender ideal that girls most commonly appropriate is an image largely influenced by media, including television shows, advertising campaigns, and online games. This image typically includes attributes of being thin, young, beautiful, and white or light-skinned, which are often seen as societal standards of attractiveness. The emphasis on appearance is evident from a young age, as our interactions with young girls frequently revolve around looks rather than abilities or interests. Through the process of gender socialization, societal expectations about how boys and girls should be are deeply reinforced. Studies such as those by Fox and Bailenson (2009) show that online avatars conforming to gender stereotypes can increase negative attitudes toward women. Similarly, the media often promotes these stereotypes by displaying women in a narrow range of roles, as evidenced by Etaugh and Bridges (2003) showing women in saint-like or hypersexual roles, further magnifying the issue.
This focus on a specific female ideal can have significant effects on young girls, with reports such as Bloom (2011) indicating that about 50 percent of girls aged three to six are concerned about being fat, highlighting the profound impact of societal standards on body image. Efforts to counteract this socialization, like Egalia preschool in Sweden, strive to create an environment where gender expectations are removed from the equation, allowing children to develop without the constraints of gender norms.