Some things that are part of everyday life are actually brimming with cultural meaning, or in some cases, the lack thereof. The Vermont Toy and Hobby Store at the University Mall in South Burlington, Vermont is an example of the latter. Like most toy stores, there are board games, stuffed animals, toy figures, coloring books, and toys for assembling, such as legos; each of which appeals to different types of children. Children as a consumer are a highly marketed, successful business. However, cultural items such as race and gender don't seem to be illustrated well in the Vermont Toy and Hobby store. An in depth look at the store provides a view of cultural incorporation, or lack thereof in the toys that children buy.
In the early nineteenth century, as consumerism was shaping the market, childhood marketing boomed. Children as consumers succeeded the advertising development as a new way for the consumption of commodities to aid in growth of economy, as well as to expand the nuclear family concept.
The nuclear family is a great toy for children. In Vermont Toy and Hobby, there are several packages of families for children to enjoy. Each of these families is a white family with a father, mother, sister, brother, baby, and a dog. Is it fair to teach children that all families are homogenous white, heterosexual, nuclear families? Shouldn't children be able to explore the multi-cultural family? The exclusion of homosexual couples is understandable, however, how do black children feel when they walk into a toy store and can't find a family set that looks like theirs?
In the doll section of the store, there are several dolls with brown skin. However, in the toy figures section, there are pirates, wizards, soldiers, movie characters, etc, none of which are black. There are characters from the popular movie Pirates of the Caribbean, which had black characters; yet, none of those figures are available. In a review of all the characters available in the store, excluding the brown-skinned dolls, there are two black characters. One is in a box set about a construction crew that included “Lewis, the Foreman.” The other is in a box set with dinosaurs that had a black woman and a white man. This also leads to an interesting view of the female characters available.
All the female characters in the store are mainly parts of families. There are several sets called “playground friends” including a boy and girl character. All the other females are dolls or princesses. Should children only assume that females are mothers or princesses? Why are there no female characters in the construction set? The only other female character displayed in the store is Dora the Explorer. She is a character that speaks Spanish and English. Children all around the United States are learning to speak Spanish thanks to Dora the Explorer. So why aren't children learning about other cultures as well?
Interestingly enough, in part of the toddler section, there are toys that have pictures of children on them who are Asian or Black. There is actually a “party kit” displaying five children playing together, two are white, one is black, and the other two were of Asian descent. Are these toys supposed to appeal to children of different cultures just because of who is displayed on the box?
There are, however, no Asian dolls. There are no Spanish dolls. There are no Indian dolls. What is interesting about this is that almost everything in the store is made in China. Does that mean in China, children are purchasing American dolls, or are there Chinese dolls available there? If so, why aren't they available here? How do Chinese-American children feel when they walk into the store and can't find characters that look like them?
China is largely responsible for toys in America. China is ranked fourth in the world for highest gross domestic product. According to an article available at here, in 2000, China's exports of toys reached one billion U.S. dollars. No other country even comes close to this high economic success in the toy industry. Would it drastically affect China's economy if another country entered the toy industry?
The University Mall in South Burlington is a great location for a toy store because of the amount of people who shop there. The location of Vermont Toy and Hobby is directly across from a family restaurant, next to a book store, a family department store, as well as close to the ATM and an exit. Location is important for sales. The better the location, the more often that the intended consumers, children, will visit.
Physical space is important as well. The shelves are low to accommodate children, and the top shelves are used for items that parents would be interested in. The store is also quite cluttered, perhaps because children are not very concerned with organization. Products are packaged with bright colors and picture logos that most children understand. Company names are often phonetic so children can figure out how to say them easily.
The employees, both white Caucasian, seem very bored. The cashier, a younger woman, looks like she would love to be somewhere else. The owner, an older man, focuses on sales and imports as children drive little toy cars all around his store. The store is badly lit with fluorescent lighting that nauseates older customers. There is also bad ventilation which might cause health concerns, just as sick children wiping their noses as they touch everything may also. Environmentally, the store is located in a mall that surely causes a significant amount of pollution. The production of the toys themselves, though in China, must create pollution as well. The ecological footprint of Vermont Toy and Hobby is certainly significant.
Children in Vermont are completely unaware of the production of these toys they play with. They know nothing about China and gross domestic product or pollution. But from the toys they purchase at Vermont Toy and Hobby, they also learn nothing new about cultures different from American culture. They don't learn about multicultural families. They don't learn about women's suffrage. They certainly have no idea that the lack of Asian characters as toys is ironic due to the fact that Chinese workers have made each of their toys. The lack of cultural meaning in Vermont Toy and Hobby raises the question, how do children who shop at Vermont Toy and Hobby learn about different cultures?
