Chapter 24 Accelerating Global Interaction

I felt that the topic in this chapter related back to when we talked about colonization. The spreading of cultures and goods from around the world and whether that is a good or bad thing. In one aspect it is a good thing because we get to learn more about other cultures and understand them better. The problem is that each culture has different morals and beliefs among their people that may be compromised by outside influences. When goods from across the world enter a culture they are not based on the same morals that culture lives by and therefore may not be acceptable to them. The prime example is of the Barbie dolls. This chapter spoke about the negative influence Barbie dolls have on the children in Iran. Barbie is an American doll that is famous among young girls. When these dolls were introduced to the women of Iran they represented everything the girls were taught not to be. Barbie is a very slender blonde who dresses freely showing a lot of skin. Barbie and Ken are not married but act like a couple together. In Iran the women are not allowed to show their skin and would be severely punished if they were caught flirting with men. I never realized how seductive and influential Barbie dolls are until I read this chapter. Even thought the women of America are much more free to dress and act how they want, I don't understand why it is acceptable to introduce young girls to this idea of perfection at such a young age. Barbie dresses like a very loose woman and portrays the media's idea of the perfect body. It is no wonder the girls in America are so obsessed with beauty in the concept of the media's standards. Introducing our children to these little images of perfecting may be the reason young girls grow up feeling they must be anorexic and perfect to be beautiful in other people's eyes. It is sad to think about it now that Barbie dolls are so popular among children and I agree with The Iranian toy seller Masoumeh Rahimi. The point about my interest in this topic is that although globalization allows us to interact and learn from other cultures it also has the potential to tarnish cultures. Through globalization something as simple as a doll can influence the morals of a young girl and her society.