For this assignment, I decided to go to a grocery store near my house called Meijer. Meijer is just like any other grocery store, similar to Wal-Mart, but with higher quality products than Wal-Mart. The boys' and girls' clothing sections are close together. I noticed that there are similar clothing items for boys and girls, but they are called different names to make them more masculine or feminine. For example, girls' shirts are called fashion tops and just boys' shirts. One of the patterns I've seen in clothing/toys is that almost every advertisement or label had a picture of a boy or girl to indicate which toy or clothing is intended for which gender. I found some things that I thought were unusual. One thing I noticed for boys was that most boys' toys were more expensive than girls' toys. For example, I didn't realize how expensive Legos and other construction toys were compared to some girls' dolls. A Lego set could cost up to sixty dollars just for one set! Another thing I noticed about boys' toys was that there were a lot more choices than girls' toys. For girls, you could choose between dolls (Barbie), dressing up or wearing makeup. As for the boys, there is a lot more to choose from, they have cars/trucks, sports equipment, Lego, guns, different trading cards (Pokémon, Yugioh, sports trading cards, etc.). As I browsed the store, I started thinking about what these different types of clothes/toys were teaching these children to be and do. This could relate to symbolic interactionism because labels, advertising, drawings and colors can represent socialization in children. An example would be putting on makeup... in the middle of a sheet of paper... giving them makes me more interested and intrigued by the material we are learning in class. I think children's clothing/toys have a significant impact on gender socialization and gender inequality. I saw this because when children are little, they learn and learn different things every day. If they see their friends doing something, they will most likely follow in their footsteps because they feel that's what it takes to be like other kids. I don't think parents actually realize the impact they have on their children when they buy them gender-specific clothes and toys. At the same level, parents want their children to be the same as other friendly parents because if their children are different, it means that the parents are also considered different. I think this activity will definitely make me question what I'm buying for my son.