Was Barbie, as feminists said, poisonous for young girls' self-image, did she represent the fact that a woman had choices as Handler remarked, or was she - as conservatives insisted - simply good childhood fun? Barbie may not have prompted a national crisis in female self-esteem, but she was not an innocent toy that carried no meaning either. One thing is certain, the Barbie Doll was definitely a new concept, a new doll, and a new definition of femininity that continues to permeate our culture 50+ years after she was born.
The very same year that the Barbie Doll made her debut at the American Toy Convention in New York in the 50s, her creator and the co-founder of Mattel, Ruth Handler, told reporters: "If I had to stay at home, I would be the most dreadful, mixed-up, unhappy woman in the world." Ruth Handler was expressing what many white American women in the fifties felt but did not say: that they were unhappy with the cult of domesticity into which they had been cast, and yet we're unable to publicly oppose it. When approached by feminists at the time who complained about the impact the new Barbie Doll would have on the self-image of girls across America, Ruth Handler defended her creation: "Barbie always represented the fact that a woman had choices." But did she?
Many affirm that Barbie actually took choices away rather than allot them by encouraging feminine value to be placed on beauty rather than intellect in social and economic success. Women were already being encouraged by their culture in the fifties to look their best for men, and Barbie only seemed to confirm the importance of achieving these physical standards. In fact, critics worried that this doll would simply reinforce pre-existing norms about femininity by linking the success of a woman to her physical appearance rather than to the development of her other qualities.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Methods
3. The cultural object
4. Barbie
5. The Fifties
6. The Resonance of the Barbie Doll
7. Conclusion
8. Endnotes
9. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis investigates the Barbie doll as a significant cultural object of the late 1950s, questioning how a doll representing an independent, career-oriented woman resonated with American housewives who were largely confined to domestic roles. The research explores whether Barbie served as a vessel for mothers to project their own unfulfilled aspirations onto their daughters, potentially offering an escape from the constricting gender norms of the era.
- The application of Wendy Griswold's "cultural diamond theory" to establish the Barbie doll's legitimacy as a cultural object.
- An analysis of the social, economic, and historical context of 1950s America and the impact of the "feminine mystique."
- A detailed study of the doll's creators, the philosophy behind Barbie's identity, and the targeted marketing strategies used by Mattel.
- The role of qualitative interviews with women who experienced the 1950s to assess the resonance of Barbie's identity within that generation.
Excerpt from the Book
I. INTRODUCTION
The very same year that the Barbie Doll made her debut at the American Toy Convention in New York, her creator and the co-founder of Mattel, Ruth Handler, told reporters: “if I had to stay at home, I would be the most dreadful, mixed-up, unhappy woman in the world.” Ruth Handler was expressing what many women in the fifties felt but did not say, unhappy with the cult of domesticity into which they had been cast and yet unable to publicly oppose it and give a title to what Betty Friedan rightfully labeled the “problem that has no name.”
The public climate in the United States did not encourage career-oriented women like Ruth Handler to continue on their paths of active participation in the economic and social life of the country. In fact, as the fifties emerged post-World War II, women were urged to return home from their war-time employment as men came back to the homeland holding dreams of settling in the stability and comfort of the nuclear families and jobs that they had left behind. Women like Handler were rare, most others either returned to the homes they had ‘neglected’ during the war or worked but without dreams of a career, occupying part-time positions as typists, telephone operators, receptionists and salesclerks in sectors that were undesirable to men.
When approached by feminists who complained about the impact the new Barbie Doll would have on the self-image of girls across America, Ruth Handler defended her creation: “Barbie always represented the fact that a woman had choices.” But did she? Many affirm that Barbie actually took choices away rather than allot them by encouraging feminine value to be placed on beauty rather than intellect in social and economic success. Women were already being encouraged by their culture in the fifties to look their best for men and Barbie only seemed to confirm the importance of achieving these physical standards. In fact, critics worried that this doll would simply reinforce pre-existing norms about femininity by linking the success of a woman to her physical appearance rather than to the development of her other qualities.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the central conflict of the Barbie doll's debut against the background of the 1950s "cult of domesticity" and the social pressures on women.
2. Methods: Outlines the research approach, utilizing Wendy Griswold's 'cultural diamond theory' and a series of interviews with women from the 1950s generation.
3. The cultural object: Defines the theoretical framework for analyzing a cultural object, establishing the connections between creator, object, receiver, and social world.
4. Barbie: Details the origin of the Barbie doll, tracing her inspiration to the German 'Lilli' doll and her introduction by the Mattel Corporation.
5. The Fifties: Analyzes the socioeconomic and cultural context of post-WWII America, focusing on the suburban nuclear family, the "feminine mystique," and the push for domesticity.
6. The Resonance of the Barbie Doll: Discusses the argument that Barbie's success provided an alternative feminine identity to housewives, which was then analyzed through interview data.
7. Conclusion: Summarizes the study's findings on Barbie as a groundbreaking cultural icon and suggests the potential for future research into her lasting impact on gender norms.
8. Endnotes: Lists the specific source citations for arguments and data presented throughout the thesis.
9. Bibliography: Compiles all primary and secondary literature used to support the historical and sociological analysis.
Keywords
Barbie, Ruth Handler, 1950s, Feminine Mystique, Cultural Diamond Theory, Housewife Syndrome, Gender Norms, Cultural Object, Sociology, Identity, Suburbanization, Mattel, Domesticity, Feminism, Post-War America.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this thesis?
The work examines the sociological significance of the first Barbie doll, analyzing how she emerged as a cultural icon and what she represented to women living in 1950s America.
What are the primary thematic areas explored?
The core themes include the intersection of cultural objects and society, the restrictive gender roles of the post-WWII era, the "feminine mystique" concept, and the evolution of female career aspirations.
What is the central research question?
The research asks how the Barbie doll, despite being a product often criticized as conventional, gained massive success by appealing to the hidden desires and frustrations of housewives who felt trapped by their domestic roles.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The researcher uses Wendy Griswold's 'cultural diamond theory' to framework the analysis and performs eleven qualitative interviews with women born between 1917 and 1924 to gain individual insights into the era.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The body analyzes the history of the doll's creation by Ruth Handler, the 1950s socioeconomic climate, the marketing strategies used by Mattel, and the actual resonance of the doll through historical statistics and qualitative evidence.
Which keywords best characterize the study?
Key terms include Barbie, 1950s, Feminine Mystique, Cultural Diamond Theory, identity, housewife syndrome, and gender norms.
How did the German doll 'Lilli' influence Barbie?
Lilli, a cartoon character-turned-doll in 1950s Germany, served as the visual inspiration for Ruth Handler. While Lilli was often perceived as a "material girl," Handler adapted the concept to create a "wholesome" yet independent American teenage fashion model.
Did the research interviews confirm the author's theory regarding housewife discontent?
While the interviews confirmed much about the 1950s social sphere, most respondents did not explicitly cite "housewife syndrome" or unhappiness, suggesting that the doll might have appealed to their subconscious hopes for their daughters rather than their own immediate reality.
Why was Ken introduced in 1963?
Ken was not part of the initial conception of Barbie; he was only created and brought to market due to strong consumer demand after the success of the original doll, as the initial philosophy emphasized a girl who did not need a man to define her identity.
- Citar trabajo
- Nina Gehan (Autor), 2005, The Barbie Doll as an Aspiration of the Fifties Housewife? Mothers and Daughters in the Shaping of Female Identity, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1376494
