Introduction
Thesis Statement
The current research proposal is aiming to structure the main ideas of the research paper that will compare the culture that produced Venus de Willendfor and the one that Produced Barbie doll, focusing on explaining why such a comparison is necessary and why writing about it is necessary. The research paper will gravitate around the idea that Venus of Willendorf, as well as Barbie Dolls constitute popular culture representations of the feminine ideal of their time.
Body
Importance of writing about the topic
I consider important writing about this topic, as it elaborates on the feminine identity across time, because it compares two feminine models belonging to two distinct époques, separated by years, eras, and millenniums in which the human thinking has evolved, just as the human perceptions about society and gender and just as the popular culture has reached new stages.
Example
It is important, therefore, to explore how was the women perceived back in Paleolithic and how she is currently perceived, in the contemporary era. This is why, comparing the women ideal, as the Venus de Willendorf was perceived in Paleolithic with Barbie doll, which expresses the femininity ideal nowadays is relevant for the research paper.
What ideas will the paper formulate?
The research paper will explore the idea that Venus de Willendorf, just as Barbie doll, represented in the Paleolithic era the ideal of femininity, only that back then the feminine qualities that were emphasized and appreciated were the fertility, the feminine ability to recreate, therefore, Venus de Willendorf was reflected under the form of a corpulent woman, with a large abdomen, being a symbol of the fertility power, suggesting that the femininity idea was to reproduce, hence the large abdomen is a representation of beauty, as it involves carrying new life, and with generous breasts, being once again, a symbol of motherhood, as women have the role of breastfeeding their babies. The research paper will investigate whether these themes that were back then worshiping the woman are currently rejected in the modern culture.
Another idea that the research paper will focus on will be the fact that the statue, although it has a head, it has no face, just a circular and corrugated lines that cover hear faceless head. This might indicate that women had no personalities of their own, and their own purpose in the society they lived on, was to produce babies and feed them.
Of course, the research paper will analyze also how Barbie doll is perceived nowadays and how and why she expresses the ideal of femininity in our current times, evolving around the theme that modern society worships Barbie dolls for their qualities. Moreover, at this point, the paper should also reflect on the idea regarding how Barbie doll become the western world’s ideal of beauty and femininity and how did the world’s perception on womanhood and femininity evolved from associating woman with features such as fertility and motherhood (traits that were expressed in the Paleolithic through the large abdomen and the generous breasts of the representative feminine figure of that time – Venus de Willendorf) to describing the feminine ideal as thin, stylish, coquettish figure, highly connected to fashion, wearing the latest trends and even setting the trend in fashion, surrounded by accessories that define a lifestyle. An interesting point of the research paper should be that the nowadays representatives of womanhood and femininity, the Barbie dolls do have faces, as compared to their Paleolithic eponymous, but the ironic fact is that they all have the same face – wearing the same smile, the same eyelashes or the same form of the eyes, and so on.
Information sought
For elaborating on these ideas, the research paper should search information about the cultural significance of Venus de Willendorf, as they were interpreted by along the time, although accurate information about the popular culture of that time is not likely to be traced. However, the information gathered about this Paleolithic statue (as they were formulate in the contemporary era, with the contemporary thinking), will be compared with information about the cultural significance of Barbie doll. Other types of information that need to be sought in the research paper is about the perception on women across time, and this kind of information can be found in the feminist literature.
Example
As such, there can be analyzed the studies of Jay Kleinberg (1992), who offers a broad approach on the changing perceptions of the role of women across time or of Sarah S. Hughes and Brady Hughes (1995) that explore the evolution of the gendered world from prehistory to middle age.
Perspective
The topic will be analyzed from a sociocultural evolution perspective, identifying the changes and shifts in perceptions that have modified the society and culture through time (Rousseau, 2006), aiming to identify precisely the shifts that have appeared in different societies across time regarding the role of the women in the society or the representations of women (what do women stand for through various times) through time and distinct societies.
Example
As such, the paper will examine how women have shifted from the archaic model of fertility and motherhood to contributing to society as active members, by working hand in hand with men and how they, the women, became powerful because of their sex – appeal, provoking with their coquettish nature, an idea promoted through the Barbie dolls.
Conclusion
This research proposal has defined some schematic directions based on the comparison between Venus de Willendorf and Barbie dolls (in terms of feminine ideal in different époques) that the research paper will develop. Nevertheless, based on the ideas presented in this research proposal, the actual research will reach new ideas, developing an extended analysis on the role and status of the woman, as well as the feminine ideal, as represented in Paleolithic by Venus de Willendorf and in the current times by Barbie dolls.
References
Hughes, S., S. & Hughes, B (1995) Women in world history: readings from prehistory to 1500. New York, M.E. Sharpe, Inc.
Kleinberg, S., J. (1992) Retrieving women’s history: Changing perceptions of the role of women in politics and society. Berg – UNESCO Series in Women’s Studies.
Rousseau, J. (2006) Rethinking social evolution: the perspective from middle-range societies. Quebec, McGill-Queen’s University Press.
