Psychology

Seeing as how I usually spend my Saturdays in my apartment glued to my television, I chose to take a break from binge watching Orange is the New Black and Modern Family to explore the world of children’s television shows. The first show I watched on Disney Channel was titled “Gravity Falls”. This show followed the adventures of twins Mabel and Dipper Pines as they spend the summer with their great uncle, Grunkle Stan, helping him run “The Mystery Shack”, which he calls the world’s most bizarre museum located in the small town of Gravity Falls. I can proudly say that after watching the first episode I then went on to binge on the entire series! This show targeted both boys and girls equally since the main characters were fraternal twins. Two ways in which this show confirmed existing gender roles were by the interests of the main characters. Mabel enjoys reading preteen vampire romance novels, arts and crafts, and constantly expresses herself through her colorfully knitted sweaters. Dipper on the other hand loves all things creepy-crawly, the wilderness and cannot wait to grow up and become a man. One thing I saw that went against a gender role was how Dipper is very openly emotional especially when it pertains to Wendy Corduroy, a part time worker at The Mystery Shack who has a boyfriend and is constantly shutting Dipper down. Usually boys are taught to not be so openly emotional, but Dipper has no problem stating, as he has many times, that he knows deep in his heart Wendy is the girl for him. Two ways in which my existing gender schemas were confirmed was by how Mabel and Dipper treated those around them. One of my gender schemas is that girls should be brought up to be assertive but never mean or rude. Mabel confirmed my gender schema by never being afraid to be opinionated, but she never purposely hurt anyone’s feelings. A gender schema I have for boys is that they should be protective of their family; Dipper confirms my gender schema by always