Social Construction Of Gender In Margie Piercy's Barbie Doll

Social construction of gender is a popular topic in today 's society. The Feminist Agenda states, “A social construction is something that doesn 't exist independently in the "natural" world, but is instead an invention of society” (1). In other words, social construction of gender is formed by the ways in which we view and value gender roles. According to society, females are supposed to be interested in makeup, fashion, and colors, such as pink; however, men are expected to be into the gym, sports, and colors such as blue. Although these customs and rules do not exist, people all act as if they do because it 's in their nature from the time they have been born. For example, when parents have a baby shower, they decorate using colors that …show more content…
While boys have toys such as superman and trucks that portray masculinity, and electronic advancement, girls have Barbie dolls that shape their personalities, deteriorate their self-esteem, and defined their intelligence. Margie Piercy’s poem “Barbie Doll” provides insight on the script that woman are expected to play. The third stanza of the poem states, “She was advised to play coy, exhorted to come on hearty, exercise diet, smile, and wheedle. Her good nature wore out, like a fan belt. So she cut off her nose and legs and offered them up.”(1). This teenage girl resembles the countless faces of women that do not fit the desired gender role. Women from the earliest ages of youth are given an expected gender role and are harshly judged when the criteria of the script is not met; however, Superman, Batman, and male Barbie dolls also portray a sexist image for young men to abide by. Features such as being tall, masculine, strong, and emotionless can cause low self-esteem for the young men that do not meet expectations of their expected gender role. Often times those feelings convert into more serious issues such as, anorexia, bulimia, depression, and