Gender Differences in Play, and It’s Impact on Learning Amongst 1 Children Upto the Age of 8

But do these differences exist? Of course they do. The differences can be  overcome by conscious diligence to a large extent. These days we see quite a few  good women drivers, for instance.

But are these differences only sociological, or are they fundamental to our  existence? That is, are they created by society, or do they exist even when the  child is young? If they do exist, then how are they incorporated in primary school  learning? Do teachers note that a girl observes different things, as against a boy,  when given the same toy? Or are the observations same?If there is a  fundamental difference, then is this difference incorporated when we device  various play way techniques in teaching children till the age of 8 years? According to Oscar Negt and Alexander Klug, the development of a children’s  public sphere that resists the arbitrary societal control of children, which  depends on market forces. They maintained that education in the western world tends to reduce human beings to their productive functions within the capitalist  labour process that involves performance at every level not only to sell one’s  labour but also one;s mind and disposition.In contrast, Negt and Kluge proposed  that, ‘if they are to realize their specific form of sensuality, to fulfill themselves,  children require a public sphere that is more spatially concerned than to adults’  (Kluge, 1993). When we talk of a public sphere, should it include gender  differences, if there are any? There is a general observation that girls play lesser videogames than boys do. But why is that Online video games like Pixie Hollow, Barbie Girls, Ty Girls, E?Pets, Neo Pets, American Girl and Bellasara are popular amongst girls? Amy  Peterson Jensen, and McKay Jensen analyse how these games use Wickstorm’s  Brandscaping (Wickstorm , 2007) to analyse the how the games psychologically  align with the consumer and the content offered (Amy Peterson Jensen, 2010). There are similar studies By Brenda Laurel (Laurel, 2001), Ashley Wright  (Wright 2009) which discuss the fundamental character based differences that  lead to girls looking for different things in a game, than a boy. Michael Gurian, October 19, 2010) Michael Gurian studies how boys and girls  learn differently, and Leonard Sax’s analysis on how girls and boys are  cognitively different from birth (Sax, February 14, 2006).

These Studies reflect that there are fundamental cognitive differences between  boys and girls from birth. How these affect their play and subsequently their  learning skills is what I wish to study through this paper. [GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PLAY, AND IT’S IMPACT ON LEARNING AMONGST  CHILDREN UPTO THE AGE OF 8]  5Review of Literature Joan Almon, coordinator U. S Alliance for Childhood (Almon, 2008),  Remarks, ‘a tremendous Hudson is at work when children play; a kind of genius  guides them to play out the very scenes they most need for their growth and  development. I saw it over and over; in small ways and in large. It is a tragedy  that so many of today’s children have forgotten how to play and cannot access  this genius and wisdom within themselves. ’ She also talks of how children of  today can read and use computers and hi? ech machines and are so brilliant at  such a young age, but they find it difficult to relate strongly with human beings  or enter deeper spaces of play.

She comments that children today seem  impoverished in areas that matter. Oscar Negt and Alexander Kluge (Kluge, 1993) have also argued about the  importance of the development of a public sphere in children to fulfill  themselves. Almon discusses the importance of letting children play and understand their  bodies and environment in their own terms rather than manipulating their lives  for the benefit of institutions and corporations of the world.She has also quoted sociologist Roger Callois (Callois, 1961), ‘A game that is  esteemed by a people may at the same time be utilized to define the society’s  moral/ intellectual character, provide proof of its precise meaning, and  contribute to its popular acceptance of accentuating the relevant qualities’. This paper helps establish the importance of play in helping children learn and  develop. This paper helps understand the importance of breaking free from the  current institutionalized form in which children learn. It discusses that lea