(To be filed in the 'ridiculous' category. In psychology there is a phenomenon called 'perceptual bias' in which people see and perceive things that support their preformed ideas. Do snowmen Really reinforce Sex stereotypes? Or can people convince themselves they are seeing things that they really want to see - Mike)

Snowmen: symbols of patriarchal gender bias?
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According to new research conducted by Birmingham University academic Tricia Cusack, snowmen reinforce traditional gender stereotypes and patriarchy by reflecting men in prominent, public roles and women in private, domestic situations. Quoth Cusack: "The snowman's location in the semi-public space of garden or field reinforces a spatial-social system marking women's sphere."

from - http://www.lineone.net/newswire/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi/skynews/uk/story/2000/12/c--2000-12-20-1n43.html

SNOWMEN 'REINFORCE GENDER STEREOTYPES', SAYS DOCTOR

23:29 Wednesday 20 December 2000

Snowmen on Christmas cards reinforce traditional gender stereotypes by reflecting men in prominent, public roles and women in private, domestic situations, according to new research.

Art historian Dr Tricia Cusack believes the festive figures represent a return to a more conservative, patriarchal view of society than exists today.

The Birmingham University academic, who studies cultural meanings in visual imagery, was prompted to research the topic after shopping for Christmas cards.

"Snowmen in representations on cards were becoming more and more common and a kind of icon up there with Father Christmas, robins and holly. It's become even more marked in the last few years," she said.

"I wanted to know why they should be so popular."

In the research, which has been published by cultural history periodical New Formations, Dr Cusack also describes snowmen as reflecting the festival spirit of overeating and excess dating back to Medieval times and beyond.

In promotional literature from the university, she writes: "In both the UK and US, Christmas has been gendered as woman's realm in its emphasis on children and family.

"The snowman's location in the semi-public space of garden or field reinforces a spatial-social system marking women's sphere as the domestic-private and the men's as the commercial-public."

She will discuss her work on BBC Radio 4 on New Year's Day at 6.15pm.