Tracy Schauer pointed out that most introductory sociology textbooks identify the main socialization agents as family, peers, schools, media, work, and religion. "...what is far less often acknowledged is the contribution that children's toys and games play in representing and reinforcing dominant conceptions of ‘appropriate' social identities found in social discourse and in institutional arrangements." Toys and games can allow us to experience the subtleties of race, class, gender, and political socialization that are embedded in play. Sometimes players may challenge and subvert these images and messages at the delight or disgust of other players.
What toys did you have as a child that you think of as agents of socialization? How did you use toys to understand relationships or prepare for new ones?