Can Barbie study nuclear physics? | EOS Sciences

This is what four female surgeons from Harvard Medical School concluded after analyzing ninety Barbie dolls that were on store shelves between 1960 and today. Six out of ten Barbie doll doctors treat children. The researchers found only three Barbie dolls that adults also receive for counseling. Sixty percent white, thirty percent black, and six percent Asian. Not a single doll had a physical disability (except for abnormally long legs).

Barbie doll's doctors also didn't have the medical equipment needed for their position. All doctors wear a stethoscope, but barely four percent wear a face mask (essential). However, researchers advise that personal protective equipment should be a standard accessory in Barbie's medical and scientific wardrobe. They are also calling on producer Mattel to allow Barbie to pursue her highest career ambitions.

For example, there is no neurosurgeon Barbie. Conversely, in 2014, Mattel also made a huge mistake by releasing computer engineer Barbie, who relied on her two male friends for software programming. Researchers believe that instead of breaching gender boundaries, Barbie is still reinforcing them. “The impact of such a doll is much greater than you might think. Many surgeons remember the first surgery they performed on their favorite toy.

Currently, there is no barbie surgeon or nuclear physicist, equipped with the proper equipment and tools, to give young children the idea that they too can pursue these professions in the “real world.”