The Use of Dolls to Represent the Struggles of Black Women: A Qualitative Content Analysis
1. Introduction
Annie B. Henry is an African American woman who has become known for her amazing black doll collection. The collection includes dolls that represent famous African Americans such as Harriet Tubman, Dr. George Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holland, and Mathew Henson. Henry began collecting these dolls in order to create a historical record of the struggles that black women have had to endure in order to achieve self-representation.
2. Research design and methods
In order to examine how Annie B. Henry's black dolls are used to represent the struggles that women undergo to achieve self-representation, I conducted a qualitative content analysis of interviews with Henry and articles about her and her doll collection. I chose to use a qualitative content analysis because it is a method that allows for in-depth exploration of the meanings that people attach to the objects in their lives (Hollway, 2009).
I began my research by conducting an online search for articles about Annie B. Henry and her black doll collection. I then coded the articles using a thematic coding approach in order to identify key themes related to the use of dolls to represent the struggles of black women. After coding the articles, I interviewed Henry about her doll collection and her motivations for collecting them. I again used a thematic coding approach to code the interview data.
3. Results
The results of my content analysis revealed several key themes related to the use of dolls to represent the struggles of black women. These themes included: (1) the use of dolls as a way to remember and honor the struggles of black women throughout history; (2) the use of dolls as a way to educate others about the experiences of black women; and (3) the use of dolls as a way to promote positive self-image among black women and girls.
4. Discussion
The findings from this study suggest that Annie B. Henry's black doll collection is used as a way to remember and honor the struggles that black women have had to endure throughout history. The collection is also used as a way to educate others about the experiences of black women. Finally, the collection is used as a way to promote positive self-image among black women and girls. These findings are significant because they suggest that dolls can be used as powerful symbols of resistance against oppression.
5. Conclusion
In conclusion, this paper has reported on how Annie B. Henry's black dolls are used to represent the struggles that women undergo to achieve self-representation. The findings from this study suggest that dolls can be used as powerful symbols of resistance against oppression.