BMJ

How accurate are Barbie medical and science career dolls?

December 25, 2023

A 2023 descriptive, quantitative web study reports that two-thirds of Barbie-brand medical professional dolls are depicted treating mostly children, with only 4% depicted working with adults. Barbie dolls were also more white (59%) vs. their comparison doll counterparts (32%). None of the Barbie scientist dolls met PPE requirements related to hair and clothing. Finally, all dolls—whether Barbie or other brands—failed to depict a wide range of medical and scientific subfields.

• 92 Barbie brand dolls were analyzed: doctor (n=53), scientist (n=10), science educator (n=2), nurse (n=15), dentist (n=11), and paramedic (n=1).
• For comparison, 65 non-Barbie brand dolls were also analyzed: doctor (n=26), scientist (n=27), nurse (n=7), dentist (n=2), engineer (n=2), and MRI technician (n=1) dolls.
• All data was collected and analyzed from July to November 2023 by a single author. Barbie brand dolls were identified using Google search results.
• Barbie brand medical professional dolls (n=80) were depicted overwhelmingly as doctors (66%, n=53/80), with smaller numbers of Barbie brand dolls being shown working as nurses (19%, n=15/80), dentists (14%, n=11/80), and paramedics (1%, n=1/80) 
• Barbie brand medical professional dolls (n=80) largely treated children (66%, n=53/80), with only three (4%) medical professional dolls being directly depicted working with adults.
• Of the 12 scientist Barbie-brand dolls, none met all proper PPE requirements related to hair and clothing. Most comparison dolls also did not wear proper PPE. A scientist doll was viewed as adhering to PPE guidelines if it wore a wrist length laboratory coat, pants or skirt that covered the entirety of the legs, shoes that covered the entirety of the foot, safety goggles or glasses, and gloves. Hair had to be short or tied back.
• Comparison dolls offered a wider range of age and ethnic groups than the Barbie doll group did. Barbie brand medical professional dolls evaluated were predominantly adult (98%), female (93%), and white (59%), with none depicting visible disabilities. In contrast, the comparison dolls included more diversity, with 32% being white.
• However, all dolls similarly struggled to portray a wide range of medical and scientific subfields.
• The study author concludes that since exposure to a Barbie doll can shape girls’ perception of their career options, all toy companies should ensure that future medical professional and scientist dolls meet clinical and laboratory safety standards and diversify the types of medical and scientific professions represented (especially among male-dominated fields). 

Source:

Klamer, K. (2023, December 18). BMJ. Analysis of Barbie medical and science career dolls: descriptive quantitative study. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38110233/