Some notes on dolls for Black women in Maputo

Abstract:

This essay is about the role played by dolls in the formation of subjectivity of Mozambican black women. Bearing in mind that the toy industry delivers a large production of white and blond dolls to children from diverse ethnic groups, we address the following issues: What is the role dolls play in the life of a child? How do they interfere in the way girls relate with their own bodies and their hair? What are the consequences to the subjectivity of a black girl of having solely white blond dolls to play with? Would this toy be, among other things, a factor in creation of racial distinctions? We will discuss childhood from the perspective of adult women. This essay is hence a retrospective study based on stories and reminiscences of women who played with dolls in their childhood.

Keywords: Dolls; Black Women; "Race"