Are “Architect Barbie” dolls really the best way to get girls into architecture?
Share
Possibly. Mattel is holding an on-line vote (here) to determine what profession Barbie will try out next. The choices: architect, environmentalist, surgeon, news anchor, and computer engineer.
And it turns out that there are many people in western New York who think the contest is an excellent opportunity to attract girls to the architecture profession. At the University of Buffalo, Professor Despina Stratigakos is drumming up votes and even convinced the Western New York AIA chapter to put a link on their homepage so architects can visit Mattel’s “I Can Be” website and stuff the ballot box. If her campaign doesn’t suggest passion about getting more girls curious about the profession - by any means possible, it seems - then a 2007 art exhibition Stratigakos organized certainly does. The premise? Imagine what an “Architect” Barbie” might look like.
Incidentally, I am baffled how computer engineer made the final five (somehow I can’t see a computer engineer doll flying off the shelves), particularly considering Mattel’s generally “non-feminist” track record; but the remaining options definitely present stiff competition for architects. Surgeon? High pay and prestige. Environmentalist? Good vibe and trendy. News anchor? Glamour (and respect via journalistic integrity, of course).
Related Post: Seven cities primed for an architectural renaissance - Buffalo.
Image courtesy of merwing.
[...] Posts: (1) Are “Architect Barbie” dolls really the best way to get girls into architecture? and (2) Seven cities primed for an architectural renaissance - [...]