THE CULTURAL CONSTRUCTION OF BARBIE IN AMERICAN DISCOURSES: NORMAN FAIRCLOUGH’S CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

Intan Khoirun Nisa; Ida Rochani Adi

doi:10.22146/rubikon.v10i2.86576

THE CULTURAL CONSTRUCTION OF BARBIE IN AMERICAN DISCOURSES: NORMAN FAIRCLOUGH’S CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

https://doi.org/10.22146/rubikon.v10i2.86576

Intan Khoirun Nisa^(1*), Ida Rochani Adi⁽²⁾

(1) Universitas Gadjah Mada
(2) Universitas Gadjah Mada
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract

The cultural construction of Barbie in American Discourses explains how Barbie as an American popular product is seen, talked about, and understood by the public. Barbie, a fashion doll that has successfully developed into an American icon, has been a subject of discussion since its first publication in 1959. The fact that it supposedly played the role of a simple children’s toy yet can capture the adults’ interests shows that there is something particular in Barbie that might also be deemed relevant by the adults. Thus, this study aims to break down the structure of Barbie as an American popular product in American discourses using Norman Fairclough’s theory of Critical Discourse Analysis. Using Barbie itself as the data taken from Barbie’s official Instagram account, this study applies qualitative methods. The result shows that in American discourses, Barbie is seen as the face of the American Dream and a reflection of Idealized American women. Through the depiction of Barbie’s appearance, the narration of Barbie’s abundant leisure activities, the description of Barbie’s lavish possessions, and their socialite peers, Barbie has symbolically served as an icon in the American Dream. Additionally, Barbie’s position in reflecting the image of American women is seen as the idealized epitome of beauty and success. However, she is also perceived as an icon who brings mixed messages. Even though she aims to promote female empowerment, her representation is also presumed to be problematic and unrealistic.

Keywords

American Dream; American icon; female empowerment; idealized American women

Full Text:

PDF

References

Adams, J. T. (1931). The Epic of America. Boston: Little Brown.

Anindya, J. (2013). Fulla's and Barbie's Images in Relation to Women's Beauty and Cultural Differences. Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya, 3(2), 158-168. http://dx.doi.org/10.17510/paradigma.v3i2.41

Asselanis, T. (Director). (1996). I, Doll: The Unauthorized Biography of America's 11 1/2" Sweetheart [Video file]. United States. Retrieved from https://www.wmm.com/catalog/film/i-doll/

Connell, R. W. (1987). Gender and power: Society, the Person, and Sexual Politics. Stanford University Press.

Dittmar, H. (1992). The Social Psychology of Material Possessions: To Have Is to Be. Harvester Wheatsheaf.

Dittmar, H., Halliwell, E., & Ive, S. (2006). 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. Developmental Psychology, 42(2), 283–292. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.42.2.283

Fairclough, N. (1989). Language and Power. Longman.

____________ (1992). Discourse and Social Change. Polity Press.

____________ (1995). Critical Discourse Analysis: The Critical Study of Language. Longman Publishing, New York.

____________ (2013). Critical Discourse Analysis: The Critical Study of Language (Second Edition). Routledge.

Forman-Brunell, M. (2000). What Barbie Dolls Have to Say About Postwar American Culture. Retrieved from http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/idealabs/ap/essays/barbie.htm

Gerber, R. (2009). Barbie and Ruth: The story of the world's most famous doll and the woman who created her. HarperCollins.

Gracia-Arnaiz, M. (2010). Fat Bodies and Thin Bodies. Cultural, Biomedical and Market Discourses on Obesity. Appetite, 55(2), 219–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2010.06.002

Jayanti, N. W., & Adi, I. R. (2020). The Framing of Women’s Ideal Body in American Society in Instagram Illustrations by Julie Houts (@jooleeloren). Rubikon: Journal of Transnational American Studies, 7(2), 148–161. https://doi.org/10.22146/rubikon.v7i2.62751

Kamp, D. (2009). Rethinking the American Dream. Vanity Fair, 4.

Lord, M. G. (2004). Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a real doll. Walker & Company, New York.

__________ (n.d.). Barbie. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Barbie

Luce, H. R. (1999). The American Century. Diplomatic History, 23(2), 159–171.

Mattel. (2020, November 15). Amazon.com: Barbie fashionistas doll #165 with wheelchair and ramp ... Amazon. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Barbie-Fashionistas-Wheelchair-Wearing-Tropical/dp/B08HFD54R2

________. (2021, May 4). Amazon.com: Barbie Dreamhouse, Doll House playset with 75+ furniture ... Amazon. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Barbie-Dreamhouse-Dollhouse-Elevator-Customizable/dp/B08V1R73H9

________. (n.d.). Barbie Believes in The Power of Representation. Retrieved from https://barbie.mattel.com/shop/en-us/ba/diversity?icid=all_header_top-nav_about-representation_p2

_______________Our History. Retrieved from https://barbie.mattel.com/en-us/about/history.html?icid=all_header_top-nav_history_p9

_______________ Timeline. Barbie. Retrieved from http://www.barbiemedia.com/timeline.html

Mills, C. W. (1951). White Collar: The American Middle Classes. Oxford University Press, New York.

Moore, K., & Coote, R. (2019). I’ve Had 100 Surgeries to Look Like Barbie | HOOKED ON THE LOOK. Truly Channel. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRVksvQPcTs.

Nachbar, J., & Lause, K. (1992). Popular Culture: An introductory text. Bowling Green University Popular Press.

Norton, K. I., Olds, T. S., Olive, S., & Dank, S. (1996). Ken and Barbie at Life Size. Sex Roles, 34(3-4), 287–294. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01544300

Pravitasari, S. G. (2006). Barbie: The American Icon (thesis). Retrieved from http://etd.repository.ugm.ac.id/penelitian/detail/32981.

Riesman, D. (1989). The Lonely Crowd. Yale University Press.

Rintala, M., & Mustajoki, P. (1992). Could Mannequins Menstruate? British Medical Journal, 305(6868), 1575–1576. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.305.6868.1575

Rogers, M. F. (1999). Barbie Culture. Sage Publications.

Smith, G. D. (2009). Love as Redemption The American Dream Myth and the Celebrity Biopic. Journal of Communication Inquiry, 33(3), 222–238. https://doi.org/10.1177/0196859909333696

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (2023, January 31). Declaration of Independence: A Transcription. https://www.Archives.gov/. Retrieved March 1, 2023, from https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript

Tighe, D. (2023, March 1). Gross sales of Mattel's Barbie Brand Worldwide from 2012 to 2022. Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/370361/gross-sales-of-mattel-s-barbie-brand/

Tulinski, H. (2017). Barbie as Cultural Compass: Embodiment, Representation, and Resistance Surrounding the World’s Most Iconized Doll (Unpublished master's thesis). College of the Holy Cross. Retrieved from http://crossworks.holycross.edu/soc_student_scholarship/1

Uncu, G. (2019). The “Barbie” Doll as A Popular Culture Icon: A New Image of Women Created Within, The Context of Gender Roles (C. Aslan & Ö A. Ördem, Eds.). In Social Science I (pp. 87-99). Akademisyen Kitabevi A.Ş. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332607148.

Veblen, T. (1899). The Theory of the Leisure Class. Transaction Publishers.

Wuthnow, R. (1993). Pious Materialism: How Americans View Faith and Money. Retrieved from https://www.religion-online.org/article/pious-materialism-how-americans-view-faith-and-money/

Zavella, P. (1987). Women’s work and Chicano Families: Cannery Workers of the Santa Clara Valley. Cornell University Press.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/rubikon.v10i2.86576