Catherine Hebert
Michael Pieper
Ryan Richardson
Rhiannon Way
Kim Whalen
Ideology as Defined by Foss
“A pattern of beliefs that determine a group’s
interpretation of some aspects of the world.
It is a system of beliefs that reflect a group’s
fundamental social, economic, political or
cultural interests.’”
Ideology as Defined by Foss
“It represents who we are, what we stand
for, what our values are and what our
relationships with other groups, particularly
groups that oppose what we stand for,
threaten our interests and prevent us from
accessing resources important to us.’”
Research Question
What are some of the ideologies
are presented by Mattel’s
Barbie that help to support
society’s gender roles? What
are some of the strategies
Mattel uses to support the
ideology of gender roles?
Why is Barbie important?
-Barbie dominates the market share.
-99% of 3-10 year old girls in the U.S. own
at least one Barbie
-U.S. girls own an average 8 Barbie dolls
-Every half second, a Barbie is purchased
somewhere in the world
History of Barbie
-Barbie was based off of a German
doll named “Bild Lilli.”
-“Bild Lilli” started as a comic in the
Hamburg tabloid, Bild- Zeitung.
-She was very popular among
young men.
History of Barbie
History of Barbie
Barbie was created by Ruth
Handler. Ruth thought of
creating an adult doll while
watching her daughter play
with paper dolls. She based
Barbie’s design off of the
“Bild Lilli” dolls.
History of Barbie
Ruth believed that it was
important for young girls to
be able to act out how they
imagined their adult lives.
History of Barbie
Ruth also believed that
it was important for young
girls’ self esteem to play
with dolls that have breasts.
History of Barbie
Barbie was introduced to the
American market on March 9,
1959, at the price of $3.
Barbie’s full name is
Barbara Millicent Roberts.
History of Barbie
Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken, was
introduced in 1961.
Many other dolls have been
introduced through the years
including, Midge, Skipper and
Christy.
Image of Barbie
If Barbie were human she would be;
6’2” – 7’5” tall
38’ bust
18’ waist
33’ waist
Image of Barbie
The body image of Barbie has changed very
little since she was introduced in 1959.
The only change to her body has been a
slight widening of her waist.
Image of Barbie
The only major changes to Barbie
dolls has been to Barbie’s hairstyles
and clothing style.
Image of Barbie
1959
2006
Culture/Ethnicity
- Mattel creates Barbies of many different
ethnicities and cultures.
- All of the “ethnic” Barbie dolls are made by
the same mold that the Caucasian Barbie
is made from
Culture/Ethnicity
Cambodia
India
Culture/Ethnicity
Middle Eastern
African-American
Products
- These products are put to market by
Mattel
- They can be found at:
http://barbie.everythinggirl.com/
- They reinforce gender roles and ideologies
of how to be feminine
Products
Barbie Doctor Play Set –
“Wanna be a doctor when
you grow up? This cute
kit is perfect for playing check-up! Inside
the multi-colored bag, you’ll find a pretend
stethoscope for listening to heartbeats, a
thermometer for taking imaginary
temperatures, and an arm cuff for makebelieve blood pressure checks. Keep ‘em
healthy, doc!”
Products
- Pink “athletic” shoes –
“Mixin’ it up with sporty
style! Six different sets of
shoes, each with their own special flair made for moving fast, and looking good
while you do it! Trendy stitching, V-straps
that are easy-to-use and add to its good
looks…you'll want to wear them with
everything!”
Products
Sewing Machine –
“Sew cool! Imagine creating
original fashions, accessories,
pillows and more with your very own
sewing machine! The foot pedal and push
button controls are easy to use. This prethreaded, portable machine is great for
learning how to get crafty. It really works!
You’ll love the pretty pink design, too!”
Gender Roles
-Barbie perpetuated the ideology of women
being submissive to their male counter parts
-Barbie is repeatedly show in a supportive
role to Ken
Commercial from 1963
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D-aTM7Uv_w
Gender Roles
Dream Date
Barbie and Ken
Gender Roles
-“Acceptable” female behavior is shown
in Barbie commercials
-Cutting and dying hair
-Focus on physical beauty not person
accomplishments
-1965 Commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF9dZdm8x94
-Hilary Duff Commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J1m0pxYTfY
Gender Roles
- Barbie is hyper-sexualized by Mattel
- Lingerie – clad line of Barbie’s