The Disney 'Princess' Model and Its Impact on Toys

Presenter Information

Natasha Frank, Minnesota State University Mankato

Location

CSU 202

Start Date

16-4-2013 1:15 PM

End Date

16-4-2013 2:15 PM

Student's Major

Gender and Women's Studies

Student's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Mentor's Name

Shannon Miller

Mentor's Department

Gender and Women's Studies

Mentor's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Description

The Walt Disney Company has a major impact on children’s development, especially girls. Created in 2000, the Disney Princess Brand that features ten princesses, Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Mulan, Pocahontas, Rapunzel, Snow White and Tiana, has brought a whole new arena of products to Disney. Existing research examines Disney’s impact on toys but has not specifically focused on the Disney Princess Brand of toys. For this research study, I conducted a visual content analysis of 275 Disney Princess toys at national retail stores, Target and Wal-Mart located in Mankato, Minnesota. I coded the primary function on the toy, the intended age range of the toy, and the Princess or Princesses featured on the toy. My results show the top uses of toys by Disney Princess are for dress up and doll play. The top Princesses featured on toys were Cinderella, Belle, and Ariel. Study findings suggest that most toys featured under the Disney Princess Brand enforce stereotypical gender roles for women such as caring for children and caring about looking like a respectable and put together woman. Toys produced under the Disney Princess Brand impact how girls are taught to be women and we, as a society, need to hold the Walt Disney Company responsible for reinforcing these norms and pressure them to change.