Multicultural dolls are a diversity of dolls design to define and identify with international differences and culture of ethnic groups; they open the door to multiple choices for consumers in market places. They are featured for their facial structure, skin tone and hair texture in human realism.
The introduction of multicultural dolls have been one of the most interesting subject debated among groups and doll makers who were in time past only focused on the traditional one dominant color of dolls.
The appeal of dolls are very significant to people of different culture in our civilize world today, in fact people look to find what they want and are convince they should have. The word "multicultural" has become a more friendly word to accept over the years as it differentiate the vast mixture of cultural differences in people coming together from different parts of the globe in business as well as in marital relationships. Dolls made reflecting people's culture definitely will identify and appeal to them. Children like to know that they belong and want to be included in what defines them.
Dolls and Children
Children learn about color differences very early even before they are able to speak they identify with colors. However we describe a child's nationality it should be just as easy to describe the dolls they play with to identify with them.
Children have very little or no choice, they are totally dependent on the decisions of their parents or guardians, the choices we make for them are what they will be conformed to until they are able to make decisions for themselves; by then we will have made them into what we want, or think they should be. Children do ask questions about themselves and the things and people in their surroundings.
More than ever the questions of biological origin and racism are the hottest debates in family forums; biracial identity is a complex, and people want to know who they really are, and where they belong in the human race. No one should be disturbed by whom they are among humanity; there is only one human race comprised of differences necessary to identify each other.
Racial intermarriages will significantly produce uniqueness in individual characteristics but by no means diminish anyone from being a whole individual or exclude them from society. Likewise dolls can, and should be carved to reflect human beings of any descent if possible.
Black Doll
Lucilda Evans human realism art doll design in cloth. | Source
A Doll Review
Approximately eight years ago I had the opportunity of answering the question posed by a student who was working on a project; he publicly posted his question looking for answers to: why black children prefer white dolls over black dolls? In this particular incident I learned it was a couple of four year old children were being interviewed and the conclusion was made.
Anyone of us might have reacted similarly as those children have, supposedly for the first time they were given the option to choose between two dolls of different colors; of course they only knew the doll which has always been the prevalent color doll globally, it is natural that any child would choose the one she is accustom to seeing over that which is just being introduced, irrespective of it having resemblance of the child in color. On the other hand if it were not designed with lovable features and poorly presented it is bound to be a rejected by a child. The child also has the right to exercise her power of choice which she did.
White Doll
All cloth play doll | Source
In Response to the Question of White Dolls V Black
I Quoted:
"One of the main reasons black girls may have shown a preference to white dolls is simple, black dolls were rarely promoted or never promoted a tall. Like images of black children were seldom seen on posters anywhere, not on book covers or in children readers, not in daycare or places where a stage would be set to promote the self esteem of the black child".
The pictures painted of blacks have not been good so it become easy for the average black child to want what they see the most around them being accepted. Children in general are more likely to respond to what they are familiar with.
It has to do with the message sent to the mind of young children, if taught to accept themselves they will understand their values. "Black dolls are some of the most beautiful among dolls when created to reflect the black community in the true sense."
Hoping to answer the student's question clearly I added "people who do not like blacks will not promote black dolls neither will they do a good job making them". Recently heads begin to turn in the direction of the black doll market since more parents are becoming civilize to the fact that they need to instill these values in their children with the toys they introduce to them. "They need to embrace their true identity for whom they are in opposing to a myth of someone else’s identity". The world is a multicultural place and we cannot evade it.
Cultural Difference
Source
Differences in Dolls
Needless to say black dolls are not the only dolls in question in the market places, parents and children of other races share the same common concern, some have publicly voice their concern in gathered information while surveying them. The Italians, Mexicans, Hispanics, Orientals, Indians, are speaking out in support of differences in dolls. We have not yet addressed the biracial families that are growing rapidly and seem to have more complexity dealing with identity than any other people on the planet.
This article is an illustration of a true scenario and a subject of interest seeing the changes in our everyday growing population and the demand such differences in growth put on the various industries that make provision for human consumption. This is why people's opinion matter and those who are in the goods and services business need to have a fair knowledge of how to provide to meet the demands of the civilization.
Participate
How do you view multicultural dolls for identity in the toy industry?
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