Barbie Dolls' Adverse Effects on Girls' Body Image

Barbie Dolls’ adverse effects on girls’ body image
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Barbie Dolls’ adverse effects on girls’ body image
Barbie dolls are important and iconic in the American culture where women of all ages are identifed with the doll. Thus, it has become a predominant feature in American culture and society. In 1959, the song "Barbie you’re Beautiful" brought into limelight the initial Barbie doll which was 11.5 inches tall (Abrahamson, 2009). Since then, the Barbie doll has developed into an idealized icon and formed its form of popular culture in the lives of American girls and others around the world. The doll has managed to win a human like identity in the American culture as it has given a reflection of cultural concerns that tend to influence the American lives. The Barbie doll has managed to cause a major value shift and to promote a popular culture of Americanization through thinness for attractiveness ideals in the young girl’s minds. The ideal of Barbie doll not only affect the young girls, but has adverse effects on parents and women adults in America who aim at attaining a Barbie look by working out and being on diets. This paper supports the thesis that the introduction of Barbie dolls in the American market has led to adverse effects in the girl’s body image at the global level.
A History of Barbie Dolls
Barbie was created in 1959 as a toy company for young girls. Over the years, Barbie dolls have emerged as one of the world’s top-notch sellers of fashion dolls in every major global market. It registers annual global sales of $ 1.5 billion. By 1998, girls were in possession of at least eight dolls as the company managed to sell a pair of dolls per second in almost all of their outlets across the world ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Abramson", "given" : "Elise", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2009" ] ] }, "page" : "1-40", "publisher" : "Oregon State University University Honors College)", "title" : "Barbie Brains: The Effect of Barbie Dolls on Girls' Perception of Male and Female Jobs", "type" : "thesis" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=f1674ec4-5a80-439b-ad1e-f4ec64bb3bc5" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "formattedCitation" : "(Abramson, 2009)", "plainTextFormattedCitation" : "(Abramson, 2009)", "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Abramson, 2009)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }(Abramson, 2009). The doll has been in the market for 47 years and has dominated the American society where girls aged 3-10 own up to eight Barbie dolls on average. Barbie dolls affect the social and cultural lives of the American society because its main target is the young girls ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Dittmar, Helga, Halliwell", "given" : "Emma", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "Developmental Psychology", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issue" : "No. 2", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2006" ] ] }, "page" : "283\u2013292", "title" : "Does Barbie Make Girls Want to Be Thin? The Effect of Experimental Exposure to Images of Dolls on the Body Image of 5- to 8-Year-Old Girls", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "Vol. 42" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=8077e001-b19d-433e-a612-b9a108e33279" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "formattedCitation" : "(Dittmar, Helga, Halliwell, 2006)", "plainTextFormattedCitation" : "(Dittmar, Helga, Halliwell, 2006)", "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Dittmar, Helga, Halliwell, 2006)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }(Dittmar, Helga, Halliwell, 2006).
The topic of Barbie’s influence on young girls is important because it attempts to explain most of the challenges associated with sociological concerns such despising their bodies and its effect on the American female population. The Barbie doll has redefined the issue of gender. This is characterized by young women and girls’ contention with strong transnational media images of thin body along a value shift caused by the cultural change and upward mobility. Consequently, girls have body image disturbances and the nuclear family is not assisting. Traditionally, the nuclear family played a key role in the family; however, the current nuclear family offers no reassurance for young girls because in most cases, the parents pressure them about diet and body shape and size ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Gerbner", "given" : "George", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "George Gerbner Series", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issue" : "1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2010" ] ] }, "page" : "6-10", "title" : "The Electronic Storyteller: TV As Storyteller", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "1" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=3e5ab74e-05df-4400-82f3-5fa1315843fd" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "formattedCitation" : "(Gerbner, 2010)", "plainTextFormattedCitation" : "(Gerbner, 2010)", "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Gerbner, 2010)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }(Gerbner, 2010). In a world where preference is given to physical attractiveness, a medium emphasizes thinness along with rewards for social conformity and stigmatization for nonconformity. Young girls define themselves and their gender roles according to these ideals; thus they are forced to internalize the sociocultural notions about body image, attractiveness and beauty as defined by Barbie dolls and the media (Croll, 2000).
Barbie Dolls’ Adverse Effects on Girls’ Body Image
The way a girl views her body, the way she feels and acts towards her body is shaped by various influences such as discernments, physical ambiances and emotions. Body perceptions change depending on the environment, mood, and physical sensations. Girls reach different stages before reaching maturation. Therefore, they hold different perceptions of body image at different stages, which is impacted by self-esteem and self- evaluation more than is impacted by physical and environmental factors. However, cultural influences can also affect strongly on one's body perception along with societal expectations or standards of attractiveness and appearance ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Croll", "given" : "Jillian", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "chapter-number" : "13", "container-title" : "GUIDELINES FOR ADOLESCENT NUTRITION SERVICES", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2000" ] ] }, "page" : "155-166", "title" : "BODY IMAGE AND ADOLESCENTS", "type" : "chapter" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=2598cae1-3a61-4878-b609-d7a4cbc97200" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "formattedCitation" : "(Croll, 2000)", "plainTextFormattedCitation" : "(Croll, 2000)", "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Croll, 2000)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }(Croll, 2000).
Additionally ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Croll", "given" : "Jillian", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "chapter-number" : "13", "container-title" : "GUIDELINES FOR ADOLESCENT NUTRITION SERVICES", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2000" ] ] }, "page" : "155-166", "title" : "BODY IMAGE AND ADOLESCENTS", "type" : "chapter" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=2598cae1-3a61-4878-b609-d7a4cbc97200" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "formattedCitation" : "(Croll, 2000)", "manualFormatting" : "Croll, (2000)", "plainTextFormattedCitation" : "(Croll, 2000)", "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Croll, 2000)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }Croll, (2000) points that westernization has given the prevalence to thin and lean female images. Hence, resulting in 50-88 % of girls in the adolescent age have a negative view towards their size of body and shape. Moreover, 49 % of the teenagers know a person suffering from eating disorders while 33 % of the girls complain of not being in the right shape and body weight (Dittmar, Helga & Halliwell 2006). Consequently, 58 % plan to lose the weight and only 9 % want to gain.
According to ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Dittmar, Helga, Halliwell", "given" : "Emma", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "container-title" : "Developmental Psychology", "id" : "ITEM-1", "issue" : "No. 2", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2006" ] ] }, "page" : "283\u2013292", "title" : "Does Barbie Make Girls Want to Be Thin? The Effect of Experimental Exposure to Images of Dolls on the Body Image of 5- to 8-Year-Old Girls", "type" : "article-journal", "volume" : "Vol. 42" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=8077e001-b19d-433e-a612-b9a108e33279" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "formattedCitation" : "(Dittmar, Helga, Halliwell, 2006)", "manualFormatting" : "Dittmar, Helga, Halliwell, (2006)", "plainTextFormattedCitation" : "(Dittmar, Helga, Halliwell, 2006)", "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Dittmar, Helga, Halliwell, 2006)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }Dittmar, Helga, Halliwell, (2006), the effect of Barbie and dolls from other companies has adverse effect on the way the American young adolescents think and view themselves. A total of 99 % of young girls between the ages of 3-10 own one or more dolls particularly a Barbie doll. The disadvantage of the Barbie doll is that it is ultra-thin and the body proportions are unhealthy and unattainable. Unfortunately, the young girls are unaware of this fact; hence, their body ideal is set to the standards of the Barbie doll. Moreover, young girls at this age are usually at the socialization stage where fantasy and games help them internalize and develop concepts that are vital in their socialization. Therefore, dolls contribute to their body image and identity.
Objectification theory
From a young age, Barbie dolls encourage young girls to aspire to look attractive and to attain Barbie adults. Thus, young girls and young women aim at being tall, slender, with long hair, full lips, rounded buttocks, long eyelashes, large breasts, long legs and a thin waist. Moreover, young girls often view wearing tight clothes that reveal areas considered ideal has become common. All the factors require that the body is taken care of at all time and that it is all a person lives for. Consequently, young girls treat their bodies like a product that is used to measure how successful a person is, how useful they are to a company, their happiness levels among other misconceptions ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "URL" : "/article2/0,2817,2393842,00.asp", "accessed" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2015", "11", "9" ] ] }, "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Hachman", "given" : "Mark", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2011" ] ] }, "title" : "WB's Facebook TV Shows Puts You and Your friends in the Picture.\"", "type" : "webpage" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=fbc301cc-216f-408c-9255-647d461d5805" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "formattedCitation" : "(Hachman, 2011)", "plainTextFormattedCitation" : "(Hachman, 2011)", "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Hachman, 2011)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }(Hachman, 2011). More so, young girls are socialized to treat their bodies as objects that are to be used to gain anything that one desires as is evident in various forms of Barbie dolls.
Additionally, self-objectification causes girls to view themselves as objects to be looked at and judged by other people based on their appearance. Further objectification prompts girls to view themselves as passive being who are only useful as decorative pinky objects as seen in most of Barbie doll lines. Other sources of women objectification include the internet, various types of media such as in advertising, music videos, magazine, and movies among others.
Social Theories of Consumption
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