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SearchResearch Challenge (2/24/21): When did which colors signal gender?

Dan Russell • February 24, 2021
 SearchReSearch
Republished with permission from SearchReSearch
SearchResearch Challenge (2/24/21): When did which colors signal gender? Dan Russell

As endless gender recent reveal parties have shown us...


... these days, in the US at least, the colors of pink and blue have commonly-agreed upon gender meanings. Pink means female, blue means male. But as a friend asked recently, why?

Or, as a way to figure out the why perhaps we can think about it this way: when did pink come to mean female and blue come to mean male? This leads to today's SearchResearch Challenges:


1. Can you figure out the history of pink/blue meaning female/male? Has blue always signified male? Has pink always signified female?


2. And, if I remember correctly, young boys used to wear dresses (or some kind of gown) in their early photos. When did that practice stop? (Or has it?)


As usual, we'd really like to learn HOW you found the history of these gender signals. What was the search process you followed? Let us know.

Search on!


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About the Author

Dan RussellDan Russell

I study the way people search and research. I guess that makes me an anthropologist of search. While I work at Google, my blog and G+ posts reflects my own thoughts and not those of my employer. I am FIA's Future-ist in Residence. More »

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