This is an important question and one that begs for lots more
research. A quick search on InfoSeek for "toys" and "gender" reveals
that Justine Cassell, at MIT, is working in gender and technology and
in particular doing some research in children's choices/use of toys
with respect to gender. Go to
<http://justine.www.media.mit.edu/people/justine> ; that may then
suggest other connections. Also, though not exactly research, you
should see what's become a classic work, Barrie Thorne, _Gender
Play_, on children, play, and gender.
Are there any industry publications or documentation that would tell
you why/how toy manufacturers design toy packaging as they do? I
suspect packaging and marketing of toys is explicitly designed with
the gender stereotypes in mind. Any proof of that?
John Mason
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