Cultural Activism in Miniature: Exploring the Role of Dolls in the Kenyan Context

Sara Mehrgut

doi:10.21814/rlec.5772

Authors

Sara Mehrgut Escuela Internacional de Doctorado, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6405-2497

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21814/rlec.5772

Keywords:

dolls, Kenya, colonialism, women, identities

Abstract

This article examines the role of dolls in the history of Kenya, from before colonization to the contemporary era. Dolls, female figures molded by what society dictates as being a woman, are powerful symbols handed down to girls, reflecting cultural and identity values. In pre-colonial societies, dolls were playmates that prepared the girl for societal care or fertility amulets, indicating to the adolescent her responsibility for the community's survival. With colonization came the uprooting and death of many traditions. The few dolls that survived became symbols of resistance against British cultural hegemony, and nowadays, they can be seen as forms of mnemonic activism. Additionally, the arrival of the white doll in the hands of local girls helped many grow trapped in an intricate paradox: they wanted to be seen as beautiful and valuable according to Eurocentric standards while also wishing to celebrate their unique cultural identities. In response to this situation, several Kenyan women entrepreneurs have created modern dolls representing the diversity of the country, but their challenge is to compete in a market where the white doll is always cheaper.

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Author Biography

Sara Mehrgut, Escuela Internacional de Doctorado, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain

Sara Mehrgut is a Spanish researcher passionate about art, cultural anthropology, and African studies. She is currently the head of the Languages Department at Strathmore University in Nairobi, Kenya, and serves as the director of the Africa Anthropology section of the ARIES journal. Sara graduated in Fine Arts from the University of Salamanca, where she also received a Séneca scholarship to study at the University of Seville and an Erasmus scholarship to the Kunsthochschule in Kassel, Germany. She later completed a master’s degree in Philosophy at the University of Navarra. Soon, she will defend her doctoral thesis in Philosophy, specializing in Aesthetics and Art Theory at Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, focusing on the anthropological study of toys, specifically dolls, in Kenya.

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