Dolls, diversity and inclusion

playing with diversity

Abstract

This experience report aims to discuss the dolls, which historically are part of children’s games and represent the ideals of childhood in society. Children were presented to a collection of different dolls representing black people, wheelchair users, elderly, individuals with Down syndrome, pregnant women, among others, which were included in their play. Through the use of those materials, we aimed to understand how children operate with the concepts of diversity and inclusion. The theoretical review is based on the work of Poststructuralist and Cultural Studies authors dealing with dolls as cultural artifacts. Initially, we draw a parallel between the History of Dolls and the History of Childhood and discuss the concept of normality and how children manifest their infantile subject through dolls. We describe the discursive practices that emerged from their conversations, attitudes and interactions in the games as an attempt to understand how those concepts operate. The study indicates that the possibility of playing with different dolls, which represent the diversity, promotes more inclusive attitudes and fosters the acceptance of differences.