Playing with America's Doll: A Cultural Analysis of the American Girl Collection

Description

This critical account of the American Girl brand explores what its books and dolls communicate to girls about femininity, racial identity, ethnicity, and what it means to be an American. Emilie Zaslow begins by tracing the development of American Girl and situates the company’s growth and popularity in a social history of girl power media culture. She then weaves analyses of the collection’s narrative and material representations with qualitative research on mothers and girls. Examining the dolls with both a critical eye and a fan’s curiosity, Zaslow raises questions about the values espoused by this iconic American brand. Front Matter ....Pages i-xi Introduction: Unpacking America’s Doll (Emilie Zaslow)....Pages 1-12 Branding the American Girl: The Making of Cultural Icons (Emilie Zaslow)....Pages 13-34 Situating American Girl: Tools of Socialization in a Changing Culture (Emilie Zaslow)....Pages 35-70 “Baby Doll, You Made the World a Little Bit Better by Speaking Out for What You Believe In”: Narratives of Femininity and Political Action in the BeForever Collection (Emilie Zaslow)....Pages 71-104 From “This Where Freedom Supposed to Be At” to “She Knew She Would Never Stop Speaking Out for What Was Right”: Racial Logics and African American Identity in American Girl (Emilie Zaslow)....Pages 105-135 “This Is My Home”: Representing Race, Ethnicity, and the American Experience in American Girl (Emilie Zaslow)....Pages 137-169 Conclusion: Constructing American Girlhood (Emilie Zaslow)....Pages 171-177 Back Matter ....Pages 179-204