Barbie, Her House and the American Dream

“Every little girl needed a doll through which to project herself into her dream of her future,” Ruth Handler, the inventor of Barbie, told The New York Times in 1977.

The house has served as a subliminal, maybe even subversive, blueprint for children, especially girls. Barbie’s Dreamhouse was all her own — Ken was not on the deed.

Notably, Barbie’s first home, which was made of cardboard, had no kitchen.

This was contrary to many early dollhouses, which were made with the intent of teaching young girls domestic tasks.

Instead, Barbie had a television set and record player. She was here to have fun . Not be a homemaker.

Outside of Barbie’s world, there are many ways in which one’s home can reflect their racial, cultural and gender identities — whether that’s through the art on their walls or the spices in their kitchen.

“Homes are made up of, or at the least contain, the materiality of aspirations, joy, despair — so many things. Tied up in that is identity,” said C