38th Annual Student Research Conference
An Examination of the American Toy Market
Jae Cauldwell
Dr. Amber Johnson, Faculty Mentor
The American toy market is a multibillion dollar industry. From traditional brick-and-mortar stores to the world wide web, the options available for consumers appear to be endless. However, prior to what is now known as the dot-com boom of the late 1990s most children created their wish-lists using catalogs that, at one point, could be found in nearly every home across the country: Wishbooks. Previous research has delved into how children have shaped toys and the toy industry, as well as how toys have shaped children. However, there is a gap in existing literature when it comes to how much the toy industry is impacted by factors such as political tension, which this study aimed to cover. I found that the amount of political turmoil in a year did have effects on the final composition of toys and toy advertisements at a level that can be considered statistically significant.
Keywords: Political Turmoil, Toy Industry
Topic(s):Sociology
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: 306-2
Location: SUB Georgian C
Time: 1:15