( MENAFN - The Conversation) Mattel released a new range of Barbie dolls this week honouring nine trailblazing women in sport. The recognised athletes include Matildas soccer star Mary Fowler, tennis champion Venus Williams and seven other record-breaking and world champion sports stars from across the globe. Mattel's Krista Berger said the brand wishes to acknowledge“the impact of sports in fostering self-confidence, ambition and empowerment among the next generation”.
But is this a genuine effort by a corporation to be gender progressive, or is it a marketing ploy that co-opts feminism in the pursuit of profit? Discussions about Mattel's revamping of its Barbie range matter, as research has long recognised that“play” is foundational to children's development . Dolls matter in all kinds of ways: they connect us to our younger selves and are transitional objects that provide us with an early sense of comfort and security. However, doll play has historically been marketed as“for girls”, while promoting gendered norms of domesticity and ideals of physical attractiveness.
Feminists have long raised concerns about the impacts of such stereotypical portrayals – and especially their potential to socialise children in ways that both highlight and exaggerate gender differences. Barbie in particular has often been accused of spreading narrow ideals of femininity, girlhood and womanhood into the lives of young girls. Does this latest range promise something different? Par.