Gender Differences in The Documentary "Babies"

Introduction

The 2010 documentary Babies, directed by Thomas Balmès, offers an engaging look into the first year of life for four babies from different parts of the globe: Mongolia, Namibia, Japan, and the United States. The film skips narration and instead uses visual storytelling to shine a light on both universal experiences and cultural differences in how kids are raised. One cool thing to dig into here is how gender differences show up in this movie. Even though it mainly looks at developmental milestones and how these little ones interact with their surroundings, there are hints about gender roles and expectations being introduced early on. In this essay, I'm gonna dive into how gender differences are shown in Babies and look at how cultural practices and parental behaviors help shape gender identities right from infancy.

Cultural Practices and Gender Socialization

In Babies, each baby's cultural background really shapes how they start understanding gender roles. While the movie doesn't talk directly about gender, you can pick up clues from what’s happening around them.

Take Ponijao in Namibia, for example. She's brought up in a rural Himba community where traditional gender roles run deep. You see her and her siblings taking part in communal activities, often with women doing household chores and looking after kids. It’s not spelled out, but you get that Ponijao’s getting early lessons in gender roles just by watching and copying the women around her.

Meanwhile, Bayar's life in rural Mongolia shows a more relaxed take on gender roles during infancy. He's often seen wandering around on his own, with no clear-cut gender-specific behavior pushed on him by his caregivers. Here, it seems like survival skills come first over strict gender norms, which gives him a more mixed experience of childhood.

Mari's story in urban Japan mixes modern vibes with traditional influences. She does what you'd expect any baby to do: play with toys and hang out with her parents. Although nothing screams "gender role," Japan's culture with its layered approach to these things provides a backdrop that'll shape Mari's identity eventually. As she grows older, Japanese values like discipline might nudge her towards certain expectations.

In the U.S., Hattie grows up in a pretty forward-thinking household where there's less fuss over who does what because of their gender. Her folks share childcare duties equally and encourage all kinds of activities regardless of whether they're "for boys" or "for girls." This mirrors today's Western ideas about equality and lets Hattie explore who she wants to be without many limits.

Parental Behaviors and Gender Expectations

The way parents act in Babies has a big impact on how kids start picking up on gender roles early on. Whether they're doing it consciously or not, these parents give their babies some initial pointers about what’s expected of them as boys or girls within their cultures.

In Ponijao’s case over in the Himba community, her mom and other female relatives are mostly shown doing tasks typical for women like cooking or child-rearing. These become key learning moments for Ponijao as she watches them go about their daily routines. The close-knit setup of men and women working separately subtly teaches Ponijao what's expected from her as she grows up.

Bayar’s family interactions in Mongolia bring something else to the table. His parents mix it up between tending livestock and housework without much clear division based on who should be doing what due to their sex. This shared responsibility shows Bayar that maybe those lines aren't so solid after all—that they’re flexible depending on the situation.

Mari learns through playing but also within structured settings guided by her parents who blend modern parenting techniques with cultural traditions found everywhere around Japan—where sticking together socially matters big-time! Even if everything seems neutral now when considering genders specifically (at least initially), society may slowly nudge toward reinforcing specific standards down-the-road during school years ahead...

You know how sometimes American families might push back against stereotypes? Well here comes Hattie's upbringing—her parents say no thanks' when faced w/traditional labels + instead opt sharing every kind duty (or toy) across board according personal interests rather than societal norms alone creating inclusive open atmosphere supporting individuality!

Conclusion

Babies gives us this cool chance to peek into early human development across different cultural landscapes while quietly showcasing budding signs differentiation rooted deeply within customs passed along generation-to-generation...even though focus isn't overtly tackling subject head-on diverse backgrounds glimpse makes worthwhile pursuit understanding just how such influences play formative role long before formal education kicks off later stages life itself ultimately determining course taken concerning identity discovery overall!

References:

• Balmès, T. (Director). (2010). Babies. StudioCanal.
• Dixon-Mueller, R., & Germain, A. (2007). Population policies: Some thoughts for moving forward.Sociological Forum, 22(1), 3-29.
• Maccoby, E.E., & Jacklin C.N.(1974) The Psychology Of Sex Differences Stanford University Press
• Trawick-Smith J.W.(2006). Early Childhood Development: A Multicultural Perspective Pearson Education Inc