If the video at the above location is not working, you may find the same video at this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWyI77Yh1Gg
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| "I decided I would reconduct the 'doll test' initially conducted by Dr. Kenneth Clark, which was used in the historic desegregation case, Brown vs. Board of Education." – Kiri Davis Source: American Anthropological Association |
Share your thoughts about the clip by commenting on this blog post. Respond to at least one of the following questions in your comment.
1. Were you surprised by the outcome of Kiri Davis's updated doll test?
2. Did you learn something new about race and the pressure to conform?
3. Do you have your own anecdote to add about the social pressure that people can feel because of identity differences?
If you are interested in a newer study about the effects of social messages on children of color, conducted by CNN, click on the following link and watch the third video down on the left side: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/19/doll.study.reactions/index.html
This video was not shocking, because I think we're able to see that everyday. And I do believe at at least a very small level we contribute to the social pressures that people feel. I believe that even the jokes about racial stereotypes can push people's feelings to look at themselves or others in the form the joke portays who the joke is aimed at. And this can cause some to feel less than others. Unfortunately people will say ''oh, you're just an ultra PC, social justice warrior'' and act like I'm crazy, but I don't think fighting racism should be portrayed that way. Also just because I support social justice and civil rights movements, it doesn't mean I am a arrogant elitist who thinks that he's pure and above others. And no one is, because I know that probably everyone has said or laughed at a racially insensitive joke.
ReplyDeleteQ,1) I wasn't surprised because in modern media today, white people are usually portrayed as the good guys.
Question 1: Were you surprised by the outcome of Kiri Davis's updated doll test?
ReplyDeleteMy opinions and feelings about this short film cannot be described by the words shock or surprise. I thought that it was interesting, not shocking. The reason I am not so surprised is because the desire to keep up with cultural norms and assimilation runs deep in every race living in a certain society, with expectations of how people should be. (Norm) Many times throughout history, it was apparent that people did not want to be the odd one out, and in the majority of cases people want to be part of the majority. As earlier stated, the majority in America have certain expectations of people. It is easy to forget about one's culture or one's own beliefs on how they should look or behave, when there is constant pressure to conform. Therefore, the doll test did not surprise me because children especially do not want to be left out, therefore they accept the cultural norms.
Since the doll test shown in the video was first conducted by Kenneth and Mamie Clark in the 1950s, the civil rights of African Americans in the US have improved. For the most part, segregation under legal circumstances does not exist anymore. However, it is no secret that the social divide and discrimination against the colored population is still a very prevalent issue. I often hear of racial prejudice in the news and in my daily life. In many ways, news of this issue is not shocking to me as it has become routine to hear of events concerning this issue such as police violence against African Americans or about social movements such as Black Lives Matter. Because of this, the outcome of Kiri Davis’s experiment was not surprising to me because it seems to be a direct result of the current social discrimination towards African Americans and many other minorities in our country.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1: Were you surprised by the outcome of Kiri Davis's updated doll test?
ReplyDeleteThis video, showing the updated results of the doll test, didn't surprise me, yet the answers to why the children chose the white doll over the African-American one did. As to why the children chose the white doll over the African-American one, that is because of the society they have been raised in. They see the white, tiny-waisted, platinum haired Barbie doll every day as the epitome of the human form. They probably wish that they could look like Barbie, maybe not because of the skin color but because of the other physical characteristics. In this updated doll test this concept, being so deeply ingrained in the children's heads, is showcased. However, when the children were asked why they thought the white doll was better, they openly acknowledged and said that it was better because of its skin color. The fact that the children would say this not only demonstrates that they live in a biased environment, but elevates it to a new plateau. I, before and after watching this video, believe that racism still exists in the United States. However, after watching this video, I realize that it doesn't just exist in certain places, but that it is everywhere. In some places it is more prevalent than others, such as in the rural southern countryside, but to know that children believe that they are inferior to others based on the color of their skin deeply saddens and angers me. In the future, I hope that U.S. citizens, white and colored alike, can work together to create an unbiased, desegregated, and, above all, bright future for the United States and what it stands for: equality.
Being light skinned has been idolized since early human history. Pale skin has been a sign of high social class as it means that one does not have to work outdoors. Light, white women have been a symbol of beauty from ancient Greece into the 20th century, and that is almost all that has been represented in the media as beautiful. I was not surprised by the reactions of these children in the doll test because I know how deeply rooted in history this image of white beauty is. We need to change this. The media has more influence than it has ever had in human history. If we can have more diversity in everything from children's cartoons to runway models we can spread the idea that every race is beautiful and just as valuable as any other. We also need different shades within these representations of different races. Colorism also needs to be erased. Dark skin is no less beautiful than light skin within any race. We also need more diversity of body types in the media, we need to recognize that every shape and size is beautiful as well. The one thing that I think our media needs the most is portraying beautiful souls. We need more beautiful tongues that speak words that lift up others. We need kindness and patience and love to symbolize beauty, not a shade or measurement. We have a very big job ahead of us. erasing the ideals of the past will be hard and face backlash, but it is possible with open minds and more representation.
ReplyDeleteThe newly tested results showed in this video surprised me. The actual data, however, did not. I was expecting the kids to choose the white doll as the better one and the African American doll as the bad one. The media and toy industry almost always favors lighter skinned subjects. The heroes of most children's shows are white. The media, especially for children, is whitewashed. However, what surprised me was the blatant responses provided by the kids as to why the doll was good/bad. The responded, "because it's white." They acted like it was obvious, doesn't everyone know that white is better? It's horrible. The clear connection between race and worth is still as present as it was during the Civil Rights movement. We, as a society, need to portray people of all color to children of all color. I think the saddest part of this test was that the children thought that they were the bad ones. We need to teach every child that they are not bad, and that they don't have to look a certain way to be good.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I am not very surprised of the results of the updated doll test. What I found interesting though, was the fact that when the little girl was asked to choose the doll that looked like her, even though she explicitly said that the black doll is the worse looking doll, she showed no hesitation to hand the black doll to the interviewer. These children still conform with current cultural norms that white is more favored, beautiful, etc. This is because segregation of blacks in U.S history has had permanent, negative effects, and because of media discrimination. Media has constantly favored whites in TV shows, ads, cartoons, etc. Discrimination is still a staggering factor of prejudice. The United States still has a lasting impact that one's ethnicity is inferior. Racism will still stand if all we do is try to compare ourselves with one another.
ReplyDeleteI was not surprised by the outcome of the modern doll test because. It appeared to me that the kids taking the test were influenced by older relatives who lived in an era of 'white dominance.' I would be curios to see if the children would have a different opinion based off of their life experiences alone.
ReplyDeleteI was partly surprised by the outcome to the Kiri Davis's test. I feel that civil rights has come a long way, but is incomplete. Today there are many examples of people being discriminated against because of their race/religion/culture. Because of the increasingly diverse Parker community, I think that if someone from our school, and someone from a public school took that test, the results would be very different. I would like to know more about the backgrounds of these kids taking this test. I believe that racism is learned, and because these kids were so young, I feel like they decided based on others views and not their own. I think that if these kids take this test again when they are older, they will make a more educated decision between the two dolls.
ReplyDeleteThe doll test didn't surprise me because the stigma of "whites are better and prettier than blacks" has been around for such a long time and I'm not surprised they still think that. The stigma has been around, from when African Americans were being bought for slavery to the Civil Rights movement, and even now days. People are still affected by the feeling of white dominance because it's in the media and many toys and dolls. I wasn't surprised that the African American girls were using cream to bleach their skin and they were trying to keep their hair as straight as possible. Since social media is becoming a big part of many people's lives it isn't surprising even more people are becoming affected by discrimination.
ReplyDeleteThe results of the doll test didn't surprise me, because the constant discrimination against blacks would have infected the brains of the black children with the idea that they were lesser, just because of their skin color and race. The idea that a person can be superior to another because of their skin race has been around for a long time, and for the black children, they had grown up their entire lives thinking that they weren't as good.
ReplyDeleteThis video was hard for me to watch because I never knew that there was such harsh racial stereotypes. And I honestly didn't think that the children of our time would be as bad as the segregated times. I never knew how bad and dangerous it was for black kids to live up to who they're "supposed to be".
ReplyDeleteI was actually really surprised to see that still today African American children are still pressured by society to look at white Americans so similarly as they were in the 1940s. Well over half of the interviewed children were just taught to think white is better and African Americans are still ashamed of their dark skin. What really made me think was the girl whose aunt from Honduras was bleaching her and her children's skin
ReplyDeleteThis video, constructed by Kiri Davis, was beautifully made and did an excellent job of bringing awareness to some of the deep rooted problems in our society by interviewing a group of candid teenage girls. It also conducted an updated doll test, similar to the one done by Kenneth and Mamie Clark 60 years prior, which asked a group of children which of two dolls is better: a black one, or a white one?
ReplyDeleteI want to believe I was surprised that 71% of the children tested found the white dolls to be "better", yet I know in reality that the results were not a great shock. The concept that blacks are inferior to whites may have been legally removed, but it has stayed engrained into our culture. By watching this video, I have also gained more perspective on the concept of conformity. All of the girls in the video described the pressure felt to conform, whether it involves something as simple as a hairstyle, to feeling that a change of skin color is necessary.
I was not surprised about the outcome of Kiri Davis' doll test. There is definitely still a major racial bias now in this country and that is shown by recent events. African-Americans are more likely to be pulled over or incarcerated in America. If this has been proven, why are people expecting for African-American kids to pick the black doll as the good one when they are seeing this in their own community. These kids are being shown that being African-American is bad, and being white is better and nicer. Like conducted in the original test, many kids were upset by the fact they looked more like the African-American doll. To make themselves feel more 'likeable' they try to become more like the white dolls: straight hair and light skin.
ReplyDeleteThis video was extremely well made and it was very eye widening. The doll test did not surprise me. It didn't surprise me because even 50+years after the test things have not changed a whole lot. They have definitely gotten better but the are still not what they should be. Most of the stuff in the video I heard about before but not from the people who were being affected point of view. This new view made me realize how strong society can be on how someone views themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe data from Kiri Davis' test did not surprise me. While there has been an improvement since Kenneth Clark's original testing, it is remarkably small. Progress is being made, however it is slow. This is mainly due to modern society still holding a stigma (whether it be sub-concious or not) against most colored people, making them "inferior" to whites. This causes people of color to think less of themselves, and it is reflected in the testing, I can't really say I learned something new from the video regarding societal pressure, but it was nice to see some actual data backing up these statements. It is nonetheless interesting seeing how much societal pressure can change generation after generation to change their views about themselves.
ReplyDeleteI think that this video definitely made me more aware of the specific racial issues that society still faces today. I was shocked to see that these African American women can't see themselves to be as beautiful as a white person. I think that this is because in almost every commercial about beauty or beauty products the majority use white people or people with lighter skin. So from a young age watching these commercials, having lighter skin symbolizes a more beautiful person. It was very interesting to see how the racial discrimination still continues on in our society even though it now takes a different, more modern form.
ReplyDelete1. Were you surprised by the outcome of Kiri Davis's updated doll test?
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by the outcome of the testing. I thought that we had made a lot of progress over the years ever since colored people received equal rights. It is very sad that we haven't been able to improve very much, including the fact that the "perfect image" of Americans has been stereotyped as having white skin. Colored people have been shown all their life that white people are better through media and their views have been changed because of this. Barbies and a lot of dolls are white, and they are considered to be really "pretty," so many colored children think of white as the best color. What really surprised me was that people would use bleach to make their skin lighter. I think that you should be happy with the way you look and never change yourself to try to be the perfect image of "beautiful." Young children wouldn't ever care about their skin color if it weren't for outside influences, including their parents and the media. Small children are actually colorblind, and if they weren't taught through media that colored people were inferior to whites, they wouldn't grow up to choose a white doll over a colored doll, or say that the white doll is "nicer" and "better" than the colored doll. It is terrible that white skin, instead of colored skin, has become associated with "beautiful" in today's society.
At first I was not surprised by the results of the doll test because I thought this test was being done in the 1930s. Once I realized this was being recorded after the time of segregation I was shocked. The test really showed that kids and maybe even some adults still think whites are the superior race. I learned that these kids were probably pressured into their "thoughts" of which doll is the "nice" or "beautiful" one. The kids in the video were never taught that they are just as beautiful as any other race. They must also have some knowledge of when segregation was a huge issue. I wonder if the results of this test would change based on who has asking the kids these questions.
ReplyDeleteWatching this video, I was surprised that young people like us still think that whites are superior over blacks. It astonishes me that we almost still have the same mind set as people did back during the Civil Rights movement. I also found it interesting when Kiri Davis asked which doll was the bad one. I was shocked to see the results. Almost all of the kids chose the darker skinned doll. Looking at the results that the kids made makes me worried about our future because we are growing up thinking that the whites are good and the blacks are not.
ReplyDeleteWhile watching this video, the data was not a complete surprise to me. I believe that this issue of racism/discrimination will never truly be solved. Social conflicts continue to become present in our daily life, without ever truly dissolving. Personally I believe this because of the stories of white supremacy and segregational beliefs from in the past that have been past down through each generation. Once someone had developed an idea or stereotype, it's hard to remove as its one's implicated opinions that can't be fought off like a war. Once these stereotypes are created, it's were the idea of inferiority comes into play. For example, when a company sells only white dolls and a black child has to walk through this store seeing just white dolls in their head, it shows them that a doll that has dark skin isn't "store material" or the "perfect doll." Barbie was created to be the perfect model of a human being, white, blonde, blue eyed. Without any variety, children won't understand that they are beautiful and that there is no model human. So by seeing this video and the results, I hope that other people will understand that different is good, and that we all have to be aware that there is no such thing as a "perfect doll."
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by the results of the doll test. I thought that over the years we people had stopped thinking that one race is superior to the other. 15/21 kids said that the white doll was the better dolll. This has proved that society still thinks that there is a race that is better than the other. People of color still have to grow up with the stereotypes just based on the color of someone's skin. This video also introduced me to how hard it is to get passed the stereotype. I didn't know that soem people dye their hair blonde and even bleach their skin just so that they can fit in with the superior race. In this video I learned that the parents and past generations had grown up with a society that thought the color of your skin determined your characteristics. When these ideas are passed on it is hard to make people think differently. When someone has been raised with a certain idea usually they think that it is right and that there is no other way of life. The recent doll test really surprised me because I thought that people didn't judge others without even meeting them, and only using their outer apperience.
ReplyDeleteI found myself surprised that African American children would prefer a doll that was a different race than them. This test was only done ten years ago, but 15 out of the 21 children that were tested believe that whites are the superior race. Having lived in the South, this is far from the truth. Whites in Dallas, Texas are the most insensitive and racial people that I have come across. I am sure it is worse in other Southern states like Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi, but whites are not superior. When Kiri asked the children which was the bad doll and almost all said black I was very sad. Whites are contributing to this racial society and it will not get better under the Trump administration. The stigma that whites have been better has been around for a very long time, but it is simply not true and as a society we need to change these views. The South will not change their views for a very long time, you can feel the racial tension in the air even when you are at a supermarket. Whites and blacks are equal and everyone needs to realize it.
ReplyDeleteDuring the video, I could get a sense of the social pressure that the African American girls were describing within themselves, however I was still surprised by the outcome of Kiri Davis's doll test. Compared to modern day, as teenagers, it made sense for the girls to feel social pressure and for them to discriminated themselves, but those feelings should not relate to their skin color. Even at a very young age, the children still discriminated them selves. The kids described the Black doll as "bad" and the White doll as "good", aside from knowing that they had the same skin color to the "bad" doll. Therefore, I was surprised by the results of the doll test because it was a sign of social pressure due to race.
ReplyDeleteWhen I found out that 15/21 black children preferred the white doll because it was "white", I was very saddened. Even 50-60 years after the Civil Rights Movement, many black children feel as if they are "inferior" to white children, simply because they are not light skinned, and many black children believe among themselves that lighter skin is more beautiful than darker skin. I believe this is the case because, like the Supreme Court said in Plessy vs. Ferguson: "If one race be inferior to the other socially, the Constitution of the United States cannot put them upon the same plane." The US has since done its best to put all races, regardless of heritage or skin color on equal footing, but regardless, some whites in the South continue to discriminate against blacks, and this has led to the awful result of blacks again feeling as if they are inferior to whites. Unfortunately, this may well continue for many years, because regardless of what any government does to equalize everyone, it is nigh impossible to eradicate a mindset.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry that these kids had to go through thinking that they are not good, or kind, because of the color of their skin. The test is so sad to watch, and it was hard to see how this perception hasn't changed throughout the years. I was shocked that some of these kids own mothers told them that they should stop trying to be their real self and try to look more like who they are not.
ReplyDeleteFrom the video comparing the blacks and the whites I am amazed to see how whites think that they are superior than blacks. From the video I couldn't believe that 15/21 people like the white doll because of the color of its skin. That is crazy. Why do people today have to judge dolls by the color of their skin. In the northern part of the United States there is some racial discrimination between blacks and whites. If you go to the south there is so much discrimination. I am still amazed that after the civil rights movements and the 13th,14th and 15th amendments there is still discrimination between blacks and whites. It is insane that blacks didn't have equal facilities as the whites did. Blacks would be called names. Blacks had to sit in the back of buses. Blacks would be beaten up and made fun of. What would whites feel if they were slaves, they didn't have equal rights and they were discriminated by the color of their skin? They would not like it. Therefore whites and blacks are meant to be equal. This video made me learn that there is still discrimination between whites and blacks.
ReplyDeleteThis video really surprised me because it showed that little children in the generation only nine or ten years ago still believe that they were bad and there was something wrong with them. The doll test surprised me also because when the women behind the camera asked the which doll looked most like them one of the girls that was shown looked so ashamed of herself. The teenagers gave me insight to what it was like because they said that thy did not know what else to do about their own apperance other than to follow what society says for them to do. Te younger generations still followed what everyone told them to do because they didn't, as one girl said "know their own tradition and culture."
ReplyDeleteI was very surprised by the outcome of Kiri Davis's doll test. When I first learned about the original doll test, my thought was that this was a horrible thing, but I am glad that our society has changed. After watching the outcome of this new doll test, I am shocked that 15/21 African American children chose the white doll as being the "nice" doll, or the "better" doll. I feel that there are lots of people in America right now who also do not know how ignorant they are being about our society, after hundreds of years, still recognizing whites as superior. Many people would argue to this statement, but the evidence is that some black children want to be white, and feel inferior to whites. There is also a social understanding forming that white is more beautiful. I still hear people in our society today talk about fair women being beautiful, but never a dark woman being beautiful. These are the types of things leading up to African Americans feeling bad or insecure about their own race, and skin color. This video has opened my eyes to how important racial equality is, especially in our society today.
ReplyDeleteI was not surprised from the outcome of Kiri Davis's doll test because we learned in class that many people think light skins are better then dark skin. I personally don't believe in this I think both skin types are beautiful. I did learn something new. I learned that it's hard for African American people to love themselves when everyone is telling them to change. I think this is wrong and I can't imagine to pressure to change the way you look and bleach your skin to fit in. I don't have anything to add on but I have to say that no one should feel ugly in their own skin. This video really showed me how girls around my age feel just because of their skin color and heritage. I think it's very important to have racial equality.
ReplyDeleteI was very surprised by the results of the doll test. I thought that 50-60 years after the Civil Rights Movement, we people had stopped thinking that one race is superior to the other. 15/21 kids said that the white doll was the better doll. This proved that society still thinks that there is a superior race. People of color still have to grow up with the stereotypes, based on the color of their skin. This video explained how difficult it is to get passed the stereotype. I was very surprised to know that some people dye their hair blonde and even bleach their skin just so that they can fit in with the superior race. Past generations had grown up with a society that thought the color of your skin determined your characteristics. They are raising their kids to believe this as well. It was also really disappointing to hear how black women, because of their skin color, were judged based off their physical appearance.
ReplyDeleteI was not surprised at all by the doll test, and I actually thought the results today might be more racist than they were in the 1950s. Currently, our country is very divided because of the recent election and the current and former president. What the American people need to realize, is that we are all just people, no matter what differences we may have, be it religion, race, political ideology, or socioeconomic standpoint. There are plenty of minorities that are smarter and wealthier than whites, and there are plenty of whites that are smarter and richer than minorities. We all have our strengths and shortcomings, and we need to realize this now before the problem gets any worse.
ReplyDelete1. Were you surprised by the outcome of Kiri Davis's updated doll test?
ReplyDeleteI was not surprised by the outcome of the test because people wanted to be like the dolls that they had. And people did not want to be dark. So as a result of wanting to be lighter, many people chose the lighter doll that was nicer and prettier.
2. Did you learn something new about race and the pressure to conform?
I learned that oftentimes people aren't satisfied with the race given to them at birth, so they try and make themselves lighter by using bleach in baths or other creams that make you lighter skinned.
3. Do you have your own anecdote to add about the social pressure that people can feel because of identity differences?
No I've never seen or experienced that.
2. Did you learn something new about race and the pressure to conform?
ReplyDeleteYes, I definitely did learn something new about race and the pressure to conform. I have always learned about the past and thought of how awful blacks were being treated, but I was unaware of the extent of this today. Many blacks will try and bleach their skin or put their hair in such a way to not look African American, but rather white. I knew that blacks and whites still were not equal today, but what I didn't know was how much of a difference there still is. That many blacks feel so much of a difference that they feel the need to try and conform and not just be themselves. This realization also ties in with the doll test, my expectation was that there would still be some blacks that preferred the white doll, but I didn't anticipate 75% of them to feel that way. That is 3/4 African American children who at a young age already see the inequality between different races. It was extremely saddening and disappointing to hear that so many people still feel that there is inequality after so many years, and I hope that we all work together, regardless of race, to fix this issue.
1. I was not surprised by the results of this experiment at all. Since the 1950's and much before that, white and lighter skin has always been associated with wealth, goodness, purity, and being superior. Darker skin has been looked down upon for quite some time and children nowadays still have these stereotypes in their mind. Before they learn about how these stereotypes are false and should not be believed in, they feel this way and this was displayed in the experiment. I find it sad how African Americans in our country feel or felt bad at one point about the color of their skin. Also, they don't know much about the history of their family apart from the fact that they were originally from Africa. At a time of conflict and division in America, we need to recognize each other as unique people and not judge or categorize based on race or culture.
ReplyDeleteI was very surprised by the updated outcome of the doll test. The fact that similar outcomes are coming out now to the outcomes when segregation was legal is astonishing to me. It also surprised me in both tests that they don't have faith in themselves. This especially surprised me in the more recent test because their have been so many movements and efforts to keep or even fully gain equality, yet these kids have still been taught that they are inferior. I just can't believe their is still such a division that these kids think they are bad or evil just because of their skin color. This shows me that something has to be done, and fast because otherwise even if their is something closer to equality, the children will still not feel t hey are equal.
ReplyDelete1. Were you surprised by the outcome of Kiri Davis's updated doll test?
ReplyDeleteI was surprised and shocked by Davis's test because I would think people in 2007 would be more understanding to how people thought in the 1800 and early 1900's was wrong and irrelevant to how people live in modern time.
2. Did you learn something new about race and the pressure to conform?
Yes, I learned that people aren't always happy whit the color of skin they are and try to alter that.
3. Do you have your own anecdote to add about the social pressure that people can feel because of identity differences?
Personally, No, just because I have never really been exposed or heard of this kind of thing before history this year.
I can't say that i was surprised because we all have the steriotypical person. Tall, buisness savvy, wealthy and WHITE. With those steriotypes we don't exactly feel bad but we are nore resigned than ever. The are some places where you do feel like you fit in like when you are surrounded with people of the same race, but if you are the minority and the people around you explicitly express their feelings about that, then you feel the effects of being the odd one out.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the outcome was strange because nowadays, people should like themselves, and it's confusing when results from the 1800s are similar to today's.
ReplyDeleteI learned that people just want to be what they see as the best, but their version of the best isn't always what they really think it is, just what people make them think it is.
I just think that people should like whatever they want to like, and the they shouldn't think it's bad to be themselves.
I wasn't very surprised from the outcome of the doll test. Unfortunately, racism hasn't completely gone away and clearly, these little kids were affected by it. I think the kids chose the dolls they did because in society, they just chose what they've learned in their lives so far. I don't think they really thought about their decisions until they chose because the look on some of their faces when they were asked "which doll is the most like you" looked flustered and a little uncomfortable. I think growing up nowadays some kids still get the thought in their mind that a stereotypical successful person is white. Overall, I cannot say I was surprised by the outcome. I hope this outcome will change soon.
ReplyDeleteI was a little bit surprised by the outcome. I know that racism still exists, but I never thought it would effect these young children. I thought since the 1800's this would have gotten better. I thought that maybe one or two of the children would pick the white doll, but 70% of the children did. I had never thought that people would try to whiten their skin, especially by bleaching it. I honestly do not have an anecdote or know how to fix this. I hope that in the future all the kids will think that both dolls are nice and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI was definitely not aware of the pressure to be light-skinned. Hearing that children were using a form of skin bleach at the young age of six was shocking, since the parents of these kids wanted their children to have lighter skin so they could be "beautiful". Children are learning from such a young age that light skin is preferred to dark skin, which only perpetuates racism here in America.
ReplyDeleteI personally was not expecting the outcome of the doll test. Over the past fifty years or so, our world has really made an effort to decrease racism and discrimination. Whether through song, media, protests, or speaking out, the efforts many have made are visible. Thankfully the majority of our society has begun to accept racial differences. However I did not expect to hear that these girls are ashamed of their own race. For centuries our country battled anger and hate towards other races, but never specifically our own. The desire some of these girls had to be white or to be "normal" shows that as hard as our society has worked, we haven't worked hard enough. We may have attempted at accepting other races, but what about our own? I was by far the most surprised at the doll test. The test shows that these children have been taught to fear and blame their very own race. These children at such a young age, have seen how our society treats different races despite our efforts towards equality. They have not been taught to accept their own race and background. Seeing this video and more things like it, are inspiring to those who believe a difference needs to be made.
ReplyDeleteI was a little surprised about the severity of the outcomes, but I knew that there still is a racial divide which is taught to many kids when they are very young.
ReplyDeleteI learned a little bit about the specific reasons that black people are said to be "inferior", but like I said above I did know that the outcomes were going to be that because of the pressure to conform as a kid when you are a minority race.
I was surprised by the outcome of the doll test. I understand that we still have major racial divides today, but children, of all people should not be taught that anyone is better than anyone else. The fact that these 5, 6, 7, etc. year olds can percive such a type of divide means that we still have a lot of work to do in society today. Despite these racial divides, I still thought that through all the changes we've made that the results would've been better. We need to get to a place where 100% of the children and all the people in the world say, "These two dolls are completely equal in each and every way.". That's what society needs to strive for, because it is simply the truth. A person is a person, no matter your heritage, appearance, feelings, choices, etc.
ReplyDeleteAs well as that, I was surprised that the girls in the video felt ashamed of themselves, or felt that they were ugly. That should never be the case. We need to start teaching everyone that you don't need to conform to everyone else, and you don't need to change yourselves or be different to be beautiful in every way. They felt like there were stereotypes placed on them, that their race was "inferior" or "less beautiful". Those stereotypes need to go away. They are just not realistic or true at all.
It was also surprising to me that these girls did not even know what country they are from. They are simply told they are from "Africa". That is horrible! We all know mostly where we come from, and yet people have not taken the time to try to help many people in our population who do not know their history. This just proves that actions have consequences. When African-Americans were brought over to be slaves, they were probably not "important enough" to have their individual countries listed. Now, our bad choices with slavery have led to people that will never know their true heritage. That furthermore proves that we must make sure that something like this NEVER happens again. Ever. Also, because their own specific culture is unknown, these girls are taught our culture. A culture in which, historically, their race is feared and hated, which never should have happened. They should be able to cherish and live their own culture.
In conclusion, I was surprised at what the girls in the video said, and I was surprised at what the outcome of the doll test was.
I was very shocked at this video. When we were learning about the first time this experiment was tested I was think how happy I was that the sort of views I has seen had changed, but seeing this video I realized that some people of color still think of themselves as the "bad doll". This realization was very sad because I thought that the USA was more evolved when in reality it hasn't. I learned that people who are even of color would prefer to be white or to have a white doll. I think that people need to know for sure that everyone is beautiful no matter what color of skin you have. I also think that message should be further pushed.
ReplyDeleteI was very surprised by the outcome of the tests. It’s a really interesting project to recreate the test that made such an impact so long ago. It’s also really sad that although we have come so far and so much has improved since the original test, but so much is still the same. Although it is not always obvious or visible, the ideas from that time are still everywhere. And to have such a strong impact on even the youngest of children shows a lot about the modern views on this. It was also interesting to listen to the young girls and women talk about their perspective on issues relating to this. They all gave very similar responses, and it was clear that stereotypes and prejudices have a strong impact on their everyday life. This is something that everyone can help. Even the smallest things can begin to change this problem, from standing up for others to refusing to laugh at a mean joke. We all have a responsibility to change this, one person at a time.
ReplyDeleteWhile these results were not very unexpected to me, I still think that the kids' reasoning was more blatant than I thought they would be. I think that so much is taught to kids at a very young age about racism, that it can have a bad effect in the long run. Although this video was made over a decade ago and would almost certainly not be replicated now on the West coast, especially in a school as accepting as Francis Parker, it is sad to think about. I was also surprised at the idea of skin bleaching and the pressure young children are out under by society and their parents. I think that if there are people who are forced to not love their bodies, then society needs to change. Every person should be able to love how they look, especially how their own skin looks. The fact that there are young children who think that they are inherently not as beautiful or nice as another child just because of the color of their skin is a sad idea and needs to be fixed. I am glad that this video was made ten years ago.
ReplyDeleteWere you surprised by the outcome of Kiri Davis's updated doll test?
ReplyDeleteNo, Even in 2017 social media and celebrities have perpetuated stereotypes and unfathomable expactations for young girls to meet. The most suprising part of the video to me was that most of the girls has no idea where they came from other that Africa. It is extremely unfortunate and unfair to teh families that don't know what to tell their young kids where their ancestors came from. The other part of teh video that surprised me was when one of the woman mentioned that her mom was forcing her to conform to common stereotypes. I know how it feels to be oppressed by your family, but I couldn't imaging being beaten up about something that you can't fix.
I was very surprised by the outcome of the doll test. It was sad to see them choose what they look like as the bad doll. They aren't bad and neither is their race. I thought it was interesting that they thought the white doll was nice because in history the whites were very mean to the blacks, and they disregarded history and chose the white doll. Overall, I felt sad watching this video because they overcome stereotypes and their community standards every day.
ReplyDeleteI found the video very interesting, in many different respects. Hearing people talk about discrimination from experience is always very eye opening for me, no matter how many people I hear talk. In this video specifically, I was very surprised to learn that people used skin bleach. It makes sense to me that people might use makeup to lighten skin color, but to go as far as bleaching the skin, especially from an age of 6, shows how truly oppressed ans mistreated the people must've been. It's hard to believe people were convinced that it was better endanger their lives than have dark skin.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't entirely surprised by the redo of the experiment. I had expected that many children would have chosen similarly to the first test, but for the children to so openly admit that they had chosen because of race shows that they were taught racism from an extremely young age, and told that they were worse than others simply because the color of their skin. This proves that although some might feel like we have become more accepting, we haven't changed all that much. Kiri Davis's doll test is proof that the fight for equality is not over, and although people might be legally equal, they are still forced to live at lower standards, and to think less of themselves based on the color of their skin.
During the video I was not surprised by the outcome at all. Before I made my opinion about the video and whether I was surprised or not I thought about the fact that most kids nowadays still have parents and or grandparents that were born during the 1900's. During the 1900's racism was still a very strong idea and so these kids in the video might have a grandparent or a parent that still thinks about the two race's being separated. Thats why I wasn't surprised. I think that once all existing humans from the early to mid 1900's pass on that there will be little racism in the world.
ReplyDeleteThe outcome of this video surprised me, mainly because this video was made 53 years after the original doll test was conducted. I thought that in 53 years, people's perceptions of race would have changed. I would imagine that in the present day, African Americans would not see themselves as inferior, mainly because they are not inferior to begin with, people's attitudes towards them have changed and because they should not look down upon themselves. I was shocked to see the children choose the darker skinned doll as the "bad doll". Seeing the look on the girl's face when asked what doll looked the most like her made me upset, because it made me realize that some people have to live their lives thinking they are inferior, even though they are not. This video really opened my eyes and showed that there is still much progress to be made in order to achieve equality.
ReplyDeleteI was not surprised about the outcome of this video. When the first doll test was conducted, racism was very strong. People's views on racism from that time could have been passed down from generation to generation. I also wasn't surprised by the outcome of this video because social media shows people what is "good" and "bad" and what is "pretty" and "ugly".
ReplyDeleteI was a little surprised after watching the video for a couple reasons. First, I thought that it was wrong for the African American kids and the white kids to both pick the white doll. This proves that even the African Americans see themselves as lesser than the whites. I think this is wrong because everybody should be treated equal.
ReplyDeleteI was not supprised by the video's outcome. Although this was made 53 years after the original, it is clear that racism still exists. I thought that the idea of all of the kids choosing the white doll was very dissapionting, although I predicted that would happen.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to an extent of the doll experiment. I did not think that 15/21 was going to be the number who saw the black doll as inferior or "bad" and the white doll as better. It really speaks to the fact that African Americans (children in this case) are still affected by racism and their own image of themself is skewed based on societies standers.
ReplyDeleteI am not entirely surprised by the outcome of this video. Although segregation has mostly disappeared for our society, it still exists, with this video as evidence. Although this experiment was conducted decades ago, in a different time period the issue still remains, discrimination against black people. From this video, I also learned the pressure that many blacks felt to look "pretty" or "white" . Many of them had the stereotype of whites in their head, and would even try to bleach their own skin. I didn't realize how certain stereotypes could pressure someone to try to change themselves, when they really can't.
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ReplyDeleteI wasn't very surprised by the outcome of the doll test. Societal conditioning is what caused theses kids to think about race in that way. It would be nice if our society didn't have this kind of impact on young kids, but that is unrealistic. The thing that kids pay the most attention to is what adults do. Even though the test wasn't surprising, it was still upsetting to see how the kids thought about themselves compared to other races.
I wasn't entirely surprised by the video. Even now people are still pressured to conform to be society's idea of "beautiful." Although segregation is illegal, society still has been unable to treat all people with equal respect. This includes not only African Americans but also Muslims, Mexicans, and other immigrants.
ReplyDeleteI had hoped that there would be more of a difference, but I'm not suprised that not much has changed. I would hope that less than fifteen out of twenty-one children would think that that the black baby doll was inferior or "bad". This shows me that we still have a long ways to go in ending racism and discrimination.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I was surprised about was that the majority of the kids chose the white doll. We have come a long way since the early 1900s, and I was surprised that there was still a significant amount of white dolls chosen. I was hoping that they would be aware that they are not white and be proud, but instead I learned that we still have racism and discrimination in the United States.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised because I thought we would have moved on from the 1900's in these racial views. Being white was seen as better than being dark skinned and I thought parents would have been teaching their kids this.
ReplyDeleteI was a little bit surprised by the outcome of the video because based on past events, the same thing would have been likely to occur because it seems that colored parents don't really teach their kids that they are equal to whites. I thought that more black children would pick the black doll because I thought that over time, this sort of racism would wear off, but I was wrong. Surprisingly, more children picked the white doll and said it was better than the black doll. I learned that the pressure the young black women live with to change and look perfect is a lot of pressure! What surprised me the most was how they use skin bleach to look lighter and how they can't wear their hair naturally because it's not perfect. That really surprised me and kind of angered me because they shouldn't try to look like someone they're not. They need to just be themselves. You could almost compare this to Adolf Hitler's perfect Arian race. The black women want to be the blonde hair, blue eyed people when they are never going to be that. I feel that these people need to live life in their own skin and don't live life based on other races features. Be proud of who you are.
ReplyDeleteI found it not really suprising as nowdays while there is no racism in the law there is still a lot of racism in people minds. While people do try to fight racim people it still is a strong problem.
ReplyDelete1. Were you surprised by the outcome of Kiri Davis's updated doll test?
ReplyDeleteI was a very surprised by the updated doll test because nowadays young children do not see much or any segregation at all in public, which makes the fact that they already know about black oppression more unexpected
2. Did you learn something new about race and the pressure to conform?
I did, because even though I knew that many people who looked different tried to manipulate their appearance, I did not realize how far they were going and how much of a big deal it was to them. Especially when that one girl's mother even questioned her about her natural appearance.
3. Do you have your own anecdote to add about the social pressure that people can feel because of identity differences?
I am a minority in our community, but I do not feel pressured to look like the majority and I feel like we are all different in our own ways but still equal and we should accept it.
2. Did you learn something new about race and the pressure to conform?
ReplyDeleteI had never thought about the cultural deprivation that one experiences when they lack the knowledge of their roots. During the video, one of the girls explains her feeling of uncompletion because she is unaware of what country, tribe, part, etc. of Africa that her ancestors were from. There is a need to belong to something for our society is systematic and attracts to classifying people, traits, etc. The girl explained that because she does not know her culture, she is forced to act like a magnet that accepts the generic stereotypes that have been established over time. She then continues to wonder who she could have been had she known more than just the conventional images associated with the African-American race. I now understand that conforming is not always forced but chosen due to societal preassures.
1. The age of these young children is what surprised me the most. Many of the children, who were black themselves, decided that the white doll was "good" and the black doll was "bad." In my opinion, racial bias is associated with older generations. These children are part of a much younger generation, yet still are exposed to such volatile social standards, maybe even at their houses. It's unfortunate that people must demean themselves and be demeaned in society based on their color at all, nonetheless at such a young age.
ReplyDelete1. This video was a big surprise for me. I found this video really fascinating. It was interesting to learn about what goes on inside of a little Childs head back when there was segregation. These Children are so young, and these children weren't born mean. They learn all through the Environment that they are exposed too. It really moves your heart to see these young children judging people based on their race.
ReplyDeleteI was really surprised when the children chose the white dolls as good and the black dolls bad, even though the original test was conducted a long time ago. But after thinking about it, I realised that children today are given images and biases of themselves and others. It is really sad to realise there is horrible black and white biases even nowadays.
ReplyDeleteI was partially surprised by the choices of the children, because it showed that there is still racial profiling. The reason why I am only partially surpriesed is because when I was younger. I too believed that the white race was better. I would draw white characters in my pictures when I was asked to draw. I guess the U.S still has natural desire of the white race. I have only know begun to pay attention, and care about my culture and people. It has taken time, but after growing up a little, and realizing who I am. I have changed. And hope the children in the video will do the same, because we are all beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI was very surprised by the children's choices seeing as though they were the same as the doll they didn't choose as the one they would play with. I knew that that was what happened when the experiment was performed many years ago, but I didn't think that there was as much pressure to change now as there was then. I was also very surprised when I heard that one of the girls aunts started using bleaching cream on herself and on her children which were both very young. I was especially surprised that she started on her younger child when she was six years old. Seeing this made me realize that there is even pressure on the parents to try and change their children because they think their children are going to get bullied or excluded etc., just because of the color of their skin.
ReplyDeleteI was a little bit surprised by the outcome of the video, because I feel that in my society we've mostly overcome the barrier of race. I realize this isn't the same in most societies, though, and I still have seen how different people have been judged based on their race and how there are many communities where race can be an obstacle. I do think the issue of class, where a person lives, and parental views can make their ways into a child's viewpoint. One thing that surprised me was when one of the girls talked about how younger blacks face the hardship of not knowing family heiritage or where they came from in Africa. Before this video, I knew many of the blacks in America are descensants of slaves, but I never thought about the fact that they didn't know whether or not they were different from their fellow black. It also surprised me that because many of the blacks didn't know the differences between each other, because they didn't know what country they came from, stereotypes were easier to accept.
ReplyDeleteI was very surprised by the outcome of the test. I knew about the 1950's test, but it is so sad to see that so little has changed since then. This video really opened my eyes to the way that society treats African- American children. They are taught to not value theirselves or their race even by their own parents. In this video I learned the pressures to conform to our society like bleaching skin and straitening hair. I as well can relate to not knowing where my ancestors came from. Although I have more information than many African American families, I still have many equations about where I came from that leave me very curious.
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