Houghton, Murray, and O'Donoghue on Kenstituent Power: An Exploration of Feminist Constitutional Change in Greta Gerwig's Barbie @ruth_houghton @NCLLawSchool @aoifemod @BarbieFemCon @qubschooloflaw

Ruth Houghton and C. R. G. Murray, both of Newcastle Law School, and Aoife O'Donoghue, Queen's University, Belfast School of Law, are publishing Kenstituent Power: An Exploration of Feminist Constitutional Change in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie in Feminist Theory (2024). Here is the abstract.

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie explores the influence of childhood dream worlds and toys over adult life, and the singular importance of a toy which represents an empowered woman. But this story plays out against the backdrop of deep societal challenges. That the subject matter of the film is light does not detract from its cultural significance; it enhances its reach and thereby its influence. Constitutional change, property, dissent, inequality and revolution are not the B-plot of the film, they suffuse every scene and motivate its major characters. In this article we explore the significance of BarbieLand as a supposed embodiment of a feminist utopia and the extent to which Gerwig is confronting viewers with difficult questions about authority and just governance in the RealWorld.

Download the article from SSRN at the link.