It is assumed that in America every little girl plays with dolls, and to be more exact the (disputably) most American doll you can find: Barbie. The Barbie doll got its start in the 1950’s when it was originally designed and was prepared to be marketed. The doll was made to resemble to perfect woman with just the right proportions, a reflection of society and beliefs of the time. The Barbie became a household item in the 1960’s, which was crucial because of the events of that time period. During the sixties the Civil Rights Movement was going on and it seemed that the Barbie wasn’t a true representation of what America was really like.
As history progressed and the American culture evolved so did the design of the Barbie. Segregation was outlawed and in the 1980’s the first African American Barbie made it’s way to market, and not long to follow was the Hispanic Barbie. Not only did the culture move in a way where this type of doll would be acceptable, but it became the expectation of society to have such representation of the true American culture. Caucasian America was no longer the image, which represented this country, but instead a juxtaposition of many races, cultures, and religions.
The history of the Barbie not only shows us the changes that can be made to a product or design, but how necessary it is to adapt to a changing world. It is a demanding market, and only the designs that are flexible enough to change to meet the demands of the consumer will survive.
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