How do fashion dolls affect girls’ and preteens’ self-image? I chose to research self-image on young girls. I am going to research if playing with fashion dolls affects how girls and preteens look at themselves. I also want to know the effect that these dolls have had on girls. I'm interested in this topic because the way fashion dolls such as Barbie look is not realistic to most girls. The manufacturers make these dolls look so fake and have all this makeup that I would not want my child to wear or look like these fashion dolls.
The first resource site that I chose to blog about is by Aurora Sherman, who is a professor in the department of School of Psychological Science at Oregon State University. "Playing with Barbie dolls could limit girls' career choices"describes a study that was conducted to see if playing with Barbie dolls limits young girls perspectives on the what jobs they could get when they are older. The girls that were chosen for the study were aged 4 to 7 years old. The study was done only with Barbies as to what I am researching is on the general idea of fashion dolls.They dressed the Barbie in two different outfits trying to see if that would differentiate what the young girls thought they could do as a job. One Barbie was in a dress as the other was a Dr. Barbie. Sherman’s information is very insightful and applicable to my topic that I've been researching. Sherman, in her article talks about how the little girls would play with three options ( two different Barbies and Mrs. potato head) for a few minutes and then were questioned on 10 different job occupations. Sherman writes that more information will be needed to help understand the whole concept of the effect that fashion dolls have on young girls.
After reading this article several questions arose for me:
After reading this article several questions arose for me:
- After reading the source I wonder why the author limited the study to just Barbie dolls?
- After reading this source I wonder why the author chose Mrs. Potato Head to compare and contrast whether Barbies limit career choices? To me it seems like Mrs. Potato head and Barbie are for different age ranges.
- After reading this article, I wonder what the implications would be if the girls that were chosen all came from different families and all the parents differentiated on the amount of money they make to expand the study and further the study?
Sherman, Aurora. “Playing with Barbie Dolls Could Limit Girls’ Career Choices, Study Shows.” Oregon State University, 5 March 2014. Web. 12 Oct 2014.
I really like what you are researching. I am really interested to see what else you find. Growing up with seven boys made me hate dolls so I never played with Barbie’s. I wonder if I would have grown up playing with Barbie’s I would be more of a girly girl and see myself differently. But I still think that Barbie’s and all fashion dolls do have an effect on girls.
ReplyDeleteI am extremely interested in reading about the study results from your article that you blogged about. What was the number one career choice that little girls gave after playing with the dolls? You stated that these dolls may have an effect on self image that young girls pose on themselves. I have a million and half questions now that have crossed my mind but have never been addressed before... Have any studies been done to show how self image issues blossomed more from girls who played with barbies and other fashion dolls? Is there maybe a different trend now than there was maybe 20 years ago? Have the companies making dolls considered making the dolls more realistic or is there too much diversity to label one kind of body type "normal" or "realistic"? Do self image issues blossom at an early age and turn into emotional issues or eating disorders later in life? Your topic is interesting to me as a girl that used to play with barbies a lot and I can see how the image of the dolls effects how young girls see themselves.
ReplyDeleteSo did the researcher find an "answer" as to whether the Dr. Barbie or the Barbie in a dress mattered to girls and their sense of what job they could have when they were older?
ReplyDeleteI think in more recent decades there have been efforts to make Barbie fit the "modern" world, and have outfits and accessories that imply she is more than a housewife. The very fact that there IS a "Dr. Barbie" is a good thing right? It would be really sad if Ken was the only Dr. and Barbie only got to be the nurse.
In terms of your topic overall, I wonder what parents can do to limit their daughters exposure to dolls like Barbie? I remember growing up that my mom didn't want me to have Barbies, but my strong desire for them (and other social pressures?) meant she caved relatively easily. Soon I had lots of Barbie dolls. I don't remember them affecting my image in a negative way, but who knows??? Personally, I feel like media I consumed as a teen (magazines, TV, movies, etc.) was probably far more influential on how I saw myself than the dolls I played when when younger.