Building Identity is an ongoing series of photographs addressing children’s toys and the effect they have on cognitive development and social expectations for children within their gender, race and class. Children’s toys are made in bulk, sold to millions, and are fairly consistent in color typing towards a certain gender. Their target audience is set in a higher class of wealth, maintaining what the “ideal” position in life might be. The toys are produced with a heteronormative binary that will impact the environment and societal roles that a child will understand to be preferential for them. This cyclical production tactic is one I wish to change in order to raise future children with an understanding of acceptance within all walks of life.
With this project I am exploring who is stereotyped by these toys and who actually identifies with these toys in society. Assumptions are made about a person based their physical appearance, assigned sex, manner of speech, occupation, ascribed race, class standing etc. By showcasing these children’s toys in a grid formation I attempt to force connections and blur the line between what is considered masculine and feminine, what is attributed to a “race” and what is expected from a class. I ask people to reevaluate who they might think about when looking at these photographs. By challenging the traditional ideas about gender and racial expectations I hope to create fundamental changes within the basic concept of gender and race.
Kaylee Weyrauch 