Playing with America's Doll: A Cultural Analysis of
the American Girl Collection
• Participants:
Emilie Zaslow, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Communication Studies
• This critical account of the American Girl
brand explores what its books and dolls
communicate to girls about femininity,
racial identity, ethnicity, and what it
means to be an American. Examining the
dolls with both a critical eye and a fan's
curiosity, Zaslow raises questions about
the values espoused by this iconic
American brand.
• "Written in a style that makes its incisive
arguments accessible to any audience, the book
beautifully elucidates American Girl's conflicting
logics regarding race, ethnicity, gender, agency,
social activism, and consumption."—Sarah
Projansky, Associate Dean Faculty & Academic
Affairs, College of Fine Arts, Professor, Film and
Media Studies & Gender Studies, University of
Utah, USA
