This is a picture of the illustration on a “sturdy station,” an infant changing table I found in a women’s bathroom (click on the image for a closer look).
I thought it nicely illustrated a number of normative expectations/social constructions:
1. Families include two parents.
2. Those two parents include a male and a female.
3. Males don’t have eyelashes.
4. Males are (at) the head of the family.
5. Females are the primary caretakers of children. While the male is looking ahead, the female is either looking at the baby or looking at the person using the changing table (and is, therefore, identifying with the person using the changing table who is, presumably, also female).
This poster was affixed to a tree on my block:
NEW! This ad for sea monkeys, found at AdFreak, portrays them in a nuclear family (mom and dad, son and daughter):
Comments 22
Abby — August 30, 2008
I know they have these in a lot of men's bathrooms now (my husband changes a lot of diapers). I assume the illustration is the same. I wonder how diaper-changing men interpret it.
Fernando — August 30, 2008
The elephant family portrays a majority of their customers? Meaning, a heterosexual couple where the male is not a metrosexual and is the head of the family, and the female is the primary caretaker.
Is that really a "normative expectation/social construction" or just an art that attempts to appeal to the largest number of customers?
Ric Reyes — August 30, 2008
I´m an illustrator and I'd like to ask, how would you indicate that one elephant is male and the other is a female? at least the guy who drew this didn't give her a skirt or something.
Sometimes as an illustrator you have to choose certain features to get your point across and it can be seen as stereoyping but at the same time maybe if you're not too obvious people won't understand it. it's difficult.
Ric Reyes — August 30, 2008
Just to point out my first question isn't agressive or something.
Elena — August 30, 2008
Funny thing is, elephant reproductive groups are made of several females and their offspring. Male elephants live in solitary. There is no such thing as elephant families of one male, one female and children.
Fernando — August 30, 2008
Ric, It's the tusk.
Dubi — September 1, 2008
Who said the middle one is female?
Sociological Images » What We’ve Been Up To Behind Your Back (June 2009) — July 1, 2009
[...] A poster affixed to a tree outside my house was another excellent example of heteronormativity and the social construction of the family. I added it to a previous example (featuring elephants!). [...]
Angela — July 1, 2009
I find it interesting how they assume that the feminine lokoing one does not have tusks. Female elephants seem to have around the same sized tusks as the males, and as already said, elephant family groups are very different
What We’ve Been Up To Behind Your Back (August 2009) » Sociological Images — September 1, 2009
[...] Monkeys! We added new ads for sea monkeys to our post on heteronormativity and a new collection we’re starting on ads that use sex to sell the most unlikely [...]
Dial-A-Heterosexual Nuclear Family Member » Sociological Images — January 15, 2010
[...] more examples of heteronormativity see this post (featuring sea monkeys!) and also see our post full of cute photos of same-sex animal couples. 18 Comments Tags: [...]
Valentine’s Day Heteronormativity » Sociological Images — February 14, 2010
[...] more examples of heteronormativity, see our posts on sea monkeys and more, cell phones for kids, and signing up for Trillian. Also see our post destabilizing [...]
Eric — February 17, 2010
I think analyzing a simple cartoon on a rubbermaid container is really taking it too far. Calm down
Rita — May 15, 2010
I don't discriminate at all, certainly not against lesbians and gays or anyone else. But, I do think this is being a bit dramatic. Firstly, we can't possibly expect little chocolate companies to consider and act on such diversity. Businesses are thinking about making money, not how a minority of the population feels when they walk past a small product. Some people just can't accept it yet. Plus, minorities (including race, sexual orientation, and being a single or married parent) are extremely rarely shown in this kind of thing, and it's always been that way. Complete homonormativity is far in the future. It's pretty horrible, but true. As for the elephant picture, I think you just shouldn't read that far into a little logo cartoon. I do agree with your point here though.
Heteronormativity & My Son, The Equal Opportunity Flirt. | SociologyInFocus — September 11, 2013
[...] that everyone is heterosexual run rampant as well. From depictions of families that show a male (dad) and female (mom), to Halloween costumes, Valentine’s Day gifts, to [...]
Heteronormativity & My Son, The Equal Opportunity Flirt. | Western Illinois University's Center for the Study of Masculinities and Men's Development — September 17, 2013
[...] that everyone is heterosexual run rampant as well. From depictions of families that show a male (dad) and female (mom), to Halloween costumes, Valentine’s Day gifts, [...]