User:Breakfast4dinner/Gendered associations of pink and blue

Reactions
The same connection can be drawn between men and the potential for limitations associated with the color blue in western society. Often times men are marketed clothing and products that are associated with their socially acceptable color scheme of various blues, greens, and dark tones, this is something that can observed in advertising as well as store fronts. With this push for a connection between blue and masculinity, there can be instances of gender backlash which refers to social penalties directed at people who violate gender norms. More specifically, the angry, moral outrage created by the violation of prescriptive stereotypes can lead to social or economic penalties for the stereotype violator (e.g., dislike or not being hired for a position). It is not uncommon for young boys to experience negative comments pertaining to their perceived femininity when wearing clothing that others perceive as less masculine. Males who display behaviors associated with femininity can experience negative repercussions that bleed into other areas of their lives as well, studies have shown that males who engage in behaviors associated with women are perceived as possessing fewer desirable masculine traits (e.g., incompetence and assertiveness) and more undesirable feminine traits (e.g., weakness and uncertainty), resulting in various social penalties. This social reality serves to reinforce a status quo in which men who display the most masculine traits retain the highest status. With this being said, it is clear that a limitation to a narrow range of colors for boys can effect ones perception of their ability to be "masculine" or "desirable" in the eyes of society.

Academic Research
Research questioning the color preferences of male and female children in regard to specific products is minimal; however, analysis of the research available implies that there are common color preferences among boys and girls in relation to their clothing choice. In a study conducted in Turkey, the aim was to identify which colors are preferred for which garment types by girls and boys, and whether or not the color preferences of children differ according to age, sex, and garment type. It was determined that the colors preferred most by most of the girls for all garment types were magenta, red-violet, red, and red-orange; similarly, he colors preferred by the boys for all garment types were black, blue, cyan, and yellow. Despite the lack of cross cultural analysis on this topic, existing research indicates that children's clothing resides on a spectrum that has expectations which fluctuate depending on age, gender, location, class, and many more intersectional markers.