The Barbie Doll as an Aspiration of the Fifties Housewife? Mothers and Daughters in the Shaping of Female Identity

Bachelor Thesis , 2005 , 38 Pages , Grade: A

Gender Studies

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

• Introduction
• Methods
• The cultural object
• Barbie
• The Fifties
• The Resonance of the Barbie Doll
• Conclusion
• Endnotes
• Bibliography

Objectives and Key Themes

This thesis analyzes the Barbie doll as a cultural object and its significance in shaping female identity in the 1950s. It investigates the doll's resonance with mothers and daughters in the context of the emerging cult of domesticity and explores the tensions surrounding traditional gender roles and emerging notions of female independence. The thesis seeks to understand the impact of the Barbie doll on female self-perception and the complex interplay of societal expectations, cultural values, and the role of consumerism in shaping feminine ideals.

• The Barbie Doll as a cultural object
• The cultural context of the 1950s and the cult of domesticity
• The role of the Barbie doll in shaping female identity and self-perception
• The tension between traditional feminine ideals and emerging notions of independence
• The influence of consumerism on cultural values and the representation of femininity

Chapter Summaries

• Introduction: This chapter introduces the Barbie doll and its creator, Ruth Handler, highlighting the social context of the 1950s and the cultural expectations placed on women. It explores the tensions surrounding the cult of domesticity and the limited opportunities for women in the postwar era. The introduction raises the question of whether Barbie was a symbol of empowerment or a reinforcement of existing societal norms.
• Methods: This chapter outlines the methodological approach used in the thesis. It discusses the methods used to analyze the cultural object of the Barbie doll, exploring its historical context, its representation in popular culture, and its impact on female identity.
• The cultural object: This chapter explores the concept of cultural objects and their role in shaping cultural values and individual identities. It examines how objects can carry symbolic meaning and contribute to the construction of social norms.
• Barbie: This chapter provides a detailed analysis of the Barbie doll as a cultural object, examining its design, features, and the marketing strategies employed by Mattel. It explores the doll's physical attributes and how they relate to societal expectations of femininity. This chapter also delves into the philosophical principles behind the Barbie doll, including notions of independence and singleness.
• The Fifties: This chapter examines the cultural context of the 1950s, focusing on the emergence of the cult of domesticity and its impact on women. It explores the societal expectations and limitations placed on women during this period and analyzes the rise of consumerism and its influence on feminine ideals.

Keywords

This study focuses on the Barbie doll, the cultural object, the cult of domesticity, female identity, femininity, self-perception, consumerism, and the impact of societal norms on women in the 1950s. It explores the role of cultural objects in shaping social expectations and analyzes the complex interplay between societal pressures and individual agency.

• College: The University of Chicago
• Grade: A
• Author: Nina Gehan (Author)
• Publication Year: 2005
• Pages: 38
• Catalog Number: V1376494
• ISBN (PDF): 9783346944924
• ISBN (Book): 9783346944931
• Language: English
• Tags: barbie, doll, aspiration, fifties, housewife, mothers, daughters, shaping, female, identity