Collins Living-Learning Center

Dolls can be children’s most prized possessions and families’ most valued heirlooms. But they are more than just toys. Whether we think of ancient Egyptian paddle dolls or twentieth-century American Barbie dolls, these objects are social agents and cultural icons. This interdisciplinary class explores the role of dolls as vectors of conflict and consensus in culture and society. We will look at the role of dolls in producing identities related to race, gender, and nation. Our class will consider dolls as political projects and as social experiments across the ages. We will, finally, consider the challenges that the current moment presents for these time-honored and beloved objects. How have dolls responded to changing gender identities? What questions does Artificial Intelligence pose for dolls? In a final project, students will employ knowledge gained across the semester to design a proposal for a doll of their own imagining. 

Instructor: Lara Kriegel

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