Gender Color Associations: Blue & Pink

How often do you see a baby boy dressed in pink? How often do you see a baby girl dressed in blue? Chances are not often. The United States has a cultural habit of dressing baby boys in blue and baby girls in pink. With every generation that passes, blue and pink become more linked with their respective genders. Think about it – what are your first thoughts when you see a man wearing a pink shirt? What are your first thoughts when seeing a woman wearing a pink shirt? The truth is the gender color associations of blue and pink have helped to create gender differences.

The association of blue with males and pink with females started in the second half of the 20th century. There are several reasons gender-color associations are what they are today. Pink first became linked to femininity during World War II. Hitler and the Nazis use to make their gay prisoners wear pink triangles, similar to how they made the Jews wear the Star of David. Homosexual males were considered feminine thus the first known association of the color pink and females.

Economic issues of the 1950s are what led the color blue to be linked with males. Blue dye was the cheapest dye available so blue dye was used to color charity school uniforms for boys. The association between the blue uniforms and those who wore them is how blue’s association with masculinity blossomed.

The main question that stems from gender-color associations is how do gender-color associations result in gender differences? The idea that colors have an influence on gender differences may seem strange but psychologists have studied colors and their influence on human behavior. Each color sends out a certain vibe to human beings. As baby’s develop they are likely be stimulated by their surrounding colors. By associating blue with boys and pink with girls society could be creating gender differences.

For example blue is known to increase productivity. Stereotypically men are more work oriented than women. This could possibly be related to being surrounded by blue as a baby. Likewise, women are stereotypically keener to romance than men. Stereotypically, women are more likely to enjoy love songs and candle light dinners. This could be because as babies they were surrounded by the color pink; a color often linked to romance.

Psychologists who have studied gender differences conclude gender differences are a result of culture, not genetics. Part of this culture is the gender-color associations of blue and pink. The purpose of this article is to provide information about the gender-color associations of blue and pink. An informed person can question cultural practices and how they can possibly result in gender differences. Don’t blindly follow cultural habits like gender-color associations. Instead become informed, think, and question cultural practices. In regards to gender-color associations of blue and pink, think and question how society’s gender-color associations of blue and pink can effect gender differences.

SOURCES
1. http://sharpskirts.com/2006/06/29/cocktail-fodder-the-color-of-gender
2. http://histclo.com/Gender/color.html
3. http://www.wisegeek.com/have-pink-and-blue- always-been-considered-gender-specific-colors.htm
4. http://psychology.about.com/od/sensationandperception/a/color_blue.htm
5. http://psychology.about.com/od/sensationandperception/a/color_pink.htm