Marta Beyer Explores the American Girl Doll Phenomenon

The relationship between a young girl and her favorite doll is unlike any other. Just ask Marta Beyer, a senior anthropology major at The College of Wooster. The Westborough, Mass., native has a special bond with “Kirsten,” one of the original dolls in the popular American Girl collection.

“I have always been very loyal to Kirsten,” she says. “I have spent hours and hours playing with her since I was nine.” Most girls set their dolls on the shelf when they leave home for college, but Beyer never forgot about Kirsten, and when it came time to develop a topic for her Senior Independent Study (I.S.) project — Wooster’s nationally renowned senior capstone experience in which students research a topic of their choice with guidance from a faculty member and produce an undergraduate thesis — her thoughts shifted to Kirsten. “I was really interested in how this product affected young girls,” says Beyer. “I had a lot of fun with my American Girl doll, but I realized that there were many larger issues that are reflected in American Girl products, so I decided to make it the subject of my I.S.”

Beyer set out to measure the impact of the doll and why it has become a cultural phenomenon. Under the direction of Christa Craven, assistant professor of anthropology and women’s studies at Wooster, Beyer rounded up 30 volunteers from campus and beyond to participate in a survey about their American Girl doll experience, including what they remembered about the relationship and what the dolls and their historical stories illustrated about gender, diversity, and various other issues.

“Marta is a fantastic student,” says Craven. “Not only does her I.S. explore a ‘hot topic’ regarding the enormous popularity of the American Girl dolls, but she also offers fascinating new anthropological perspectives on the phenomenon.

“Using theoretical work on personality development and neoliberalism, Marta examined how the American Girl company influences both gender identity and consumer identity in young girls,” adds Craven. “Her project included detailed interviews with students on campus who played with American Girl dolls as children, as well as interviews with young children and their parents.”

In order to broaden her sample, Beyer applied for and received a Copeland Fund Grant for Independent Study. This enabled her to travel to New York City (with Kirsten, of course) to visit one of only three American Girl Place stores in the nation. “My I.S. would not have been complete without experiencing this world of American Girl,” says Beyer.

While in New York, Beyer conducted a participant-observation study at the store, which included a doll salon, a theatre, and a café. “It was a total ‘make-believe world,’” she says. Beyer also received permission to chat with customers and ask them about their experiences with the American Girl doll. After the trip, Beyer gathered her notes and began to transcribe her data in an effort to determine what it revealed about girlhood, consumerism, and other issues.

“The interviewees eagerly described how the historical component of these dolls, the positive image of girls that is depicted in accompanying literature, and the social element connected to the ownership of an American Girl doll were significant reasons why they treasured this merchandise,” says Beyer. “American Girl’s strong emphasis on consumerism also emerged as a theme in the interviews and during participant-observation at American Girl Place. Young girls are thrilled to shop at this store because they realize that everything there is targeted to them. The girls know that they will almost certainly leave with a new toy and one of American Girl’s bright red bags.”

On a personal level, Beyer concluded that her I.S. experience was exceptionally valuable. “I.S. taught me about the time and energy required for the research process,” she says, “and it gave me the confidence to complete a major project.”