| Abstract. The
purpose of this study is to determine if and how infant and
children’s clothing reinforces gender identity. Babies and children are
socialized from birth and this is influenced through consumer culture.
By performing a detailed content analysis of the children’s clothing
department in a top-selling national retail store, I explore if and how
consumer products are tailored to and create gender identities. This
paper explains how marketing is used as an agent of social control and
how consumer products are designed to reflect and reify gender norms. |
