Articoli di riviste sul tema "Burn-out parental"

Abstract Objective The COVID-19 pandemic and associated quarantine measures highly impacted parental psychological well-being. Parents of children with chronic diseases might be specifically vulnerable as they already face multiple challenges to provide adequate care for their child. The research questions of the current study were twofold: (a) to examine whether parents of children with a chronic disease experienced more anxiety and depression compared to parents of healthy children and (b) to examine a series of risk factors for worsened well-being (i.e., depression, anxiety, and sleep problems), such as sociodemographic variables, COVID-19-specific variables (i.e., financial worries, living space, and perceived quality of health care), and parental psychological experiences (i.e., parental burn-out and less positive parenting experiences). Methods Parents of children with a chronic disease (i.e., the clinical sample; N = 599 and 507 for Research Questions 1 and 2, respectively) and parents of healthy children (i.e., the reference sample: N = 417) filled out an online survey. Results Findings demonstrated that the parents in the clinical sample reported higher levels of anxiety than parents in the reference sample. Analyses within the clinical sample indicated that COVID-19-specific stressors and parental psychological experiences were associated with higher levels of anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. Mediation analyses furthermore indicated that the association of COVID-19-specific stressors with all outcome measures was mediated by parental burn-out. Conclusions Parents of children with a chronic disease constitute a vulnerable group for worse well-being during the current pandemic. Findings suggest interventions directly targeting parental burn-out are warranted.

Background: Scald burns result from exposure to high-temperature fluids and are more common in the pediatric age group. They occur mainly by two mechanisms: (i) spill and (ii) immersion (hot cauldron) burns. These two patterns differ in clinical characteristics and outcomes. Scalds cause significant morbidity and mortality in children. The objective of this study was to compare accidental spill burns and hot cauldron burns in a hospital setting. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted by reviewing the secondary data of scald cases admitted during the years 2019 and 2020 in a burn-dedicated tertiary care center. Total population sampling was adopted. Data analysis was done partly using SPSS, version-23, and Stata-15. Mann Whitney U-test and Chi-square/Fisher's exact test were done appropriately to find associations between different variables. Regression analysis was performed taking mortality events as the outcome of interest. Results: Out of 108 scald cases, 43 (39.8%) had hot cauldron burns and 65 (60.2%) had accidental spill burns. Overall mortality was 16 (14.8%), out of which hot cauldron burns and accidental spill burns comprised 12 (75.0%) and 4 (25.0%), respectively. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed the type of scald, age, and Baux score found to be associated with mortality. Every one-year increment in age had a 29% lower odds of occurrence of mortality event (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.50-0.99, p=0.042). Likewise, every one-point increment in Baux score was associated with 19% higher odds of mortality (adjusted OR, 1.190; 95% CI, 1.08-1.32; p<0.001). Conclusions: Accidental spill burns were more common but mortality was significantly higher for hot cauldron burns. The majority of burn injuries occurred inside the kitchen emphasizing appropriate parental precautions. The risk of mortality was significantly higher in burn events occurring outside the house, and burns involving back, buttocks, perineum, and lower extremities.

Introduction. Sensory processing difficulties can pose a risk for the development of language and speech disorders in the earliest period and require professional intervention and intense involvement of parents in homework with children with developmental dysphasia, which might cause parental burnout and lower level of their self-esteem when parents are not able to help, not only the children, but themselves too. Aim. The aim of the research was to examine the relationship between the sensory sensitivity of children with developmental dysphasia and the characteristics of parents. Method. The sample consisted of 50 parents of children aged 3 to 6 years. The following questionnaires were used in the research to assess the characteristics of sensory processing: The Child Sensory Profile 2, Parental Burnout Inventory, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Measures of descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used in data processing. Results. The results of the research show that the level of parental burnout is relatively low (parents showed a high level of personal accomplishment (M = 4.16, SD = .67), mild level of emotional exhaustion (M = 2.34, SD = .78) and low level of emotional distancing (M = 1.72, SD = .72), but also that they are characterized by lower self-esteem (M = 3.11, SD = .34). Also, self-esteem and burn-out are not related. On the Sensory Profile, subscales of behavior elements are highly correlated, while the intensity of correlations in subscales of the basic system of processing oscillates. There is a weak correlation between the general self-esteem of parents with subscales of body posture and behavior. Conclusion. The obtained results were discussed in the context of practical pedagogical implications, considering that if the difficulties in the child's functioning are not eliminated in the preschool period, the child's departure to school may be delayed, or long-term difficulties in learning may appear.

Burn injuries cover a broad category of injuries to the health and life of victims. They can cause severe general illness caused by local damage to the body affecting all organs and systems of the body. Globally, more than 300,000 people die from fires each year alone, and the death toll from thermal, electrical and chemical burns is much higher [23]. Burning is one of the most serious traumas in the infant body, leaving lasting consequences in the life of the injured child and one of the most common causes of hospitalization of children [10]. According to statistics from the Red Cross Burning Unit of South Africa, 650-900 victims of different ages have been admitted to a specialized children's hospital in just one year [19]. It is stated that children under 5 are the most endangered age group, and 50% of all burns occur in children under 2 years. The main cause of burns in them is the burning of hot liquids. The fire causes only 13% of the burns but causes 83% of the deaths [23]. The purpose of this study is to investigate the need to increase parental awareness of the risk and severity of burns in adolescents. The sociological survey was conducted in the period May-June 2019, through its own anonymous poll among 91 parents of kindergarten children in Sofia. The survey found that a significant proportion (75.82%) of the respondents estimated the severity of the impact of trauma on the health and life of the victims and in the event of a burn incident, about half would seek assistance from the Emergency Medical Center and only 5.05 % of them to specialized structures for the treatment of burns. A significant proportion (95.60%) of the respondents confirm the need to provide information on the possible risks, and 95.60% of them expect this to reduce incidents in the social and school environment. Raising the awareness of the population regarding the risk factors for burning and carrying out health education on the topic among adolescents will influence the incidence of incidents in the social, industrial and school environment.

Adequate nutritional support may prevent weight loss following severe burn injury. However, persistently low levels of serum albumin, transferring and serum total protein in burn patients have suggested that a protein deficiency may continue to exist which is out of proportion to energy requirements. This interventional study cross sectional study was done in the Department of Biochemistry, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh during January 2008 to December 2008. A total of 40 acute burn injury (within 24 hours of burn) patients of 20-45 years age with 15%-30% burn were selected for this study as case. The study subjects were divided into two groups: Group I represent superficial burn & Group II represents deep burn. The mean age of 28.35±6.81 years and 30.85±7.32 years in group I and group II respectively. The number of male in Group-I was 08 and Group-II was 08 and male female ratio was 2:3. The mean serum total protein before infusion of amino acid in Group-I was 55.31±3.58 g/L and in Group-II was 52.01±2.26 g/L (p<0.001). The mean serum total protein after infusion of amino acid in Group-I was 68.02±2.04 g/L and in Group-II was 61.86±2.49g/L (p<0.001). The mean serum albumin before infusion of amino acid in Group-I was 27.6±2.88 g/L and in Group-II was 25.57±1.89 g/L (p<0.001). The mean serum albumin after infusion of amino acid in Group-I was 22.29±3.50 g/L and in Group-II was 19.83±2.86 g/L (p<0.001). In group-I, serum total protein was increased by 22.98% after infusion and in group-II, that was increased by 18.94% (p<0.01). In group-I, serum albumin was decreased by 19.24% after infusion and in group-II, that was decreased by 22.45% (p<0.05). Serum total protein significantly increased after infusion of amino acid but serum albumin significantly decreased after infusion of amino acid. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/medtoday.v24i1.14107 Medicine TODAY Vol.24(1) 2012 pp.12-15

bstract: Substance use among young people goes from experimentation to extreme substance use problems. All substance use, even test use, puts teenagers in danger of momentary issues, for example, mishaps, battles, undesirable sexual movement, and overdose. Substance use likewise meddles with young adult mental health. Teenagers are helpless against the impacts of substance use and are at expanded danger of growing long-haul outcomes, for example, emotional well-being messes, underachievement in school, a substance use issue, and higher paces of enslavement, if they routinely use liquor, cannabis, nicotine, or different medications during puberty. In present day Western culture, substance use is a simple path for young people to full-fill the typical formative need to face challenges and look for thrills. As anyone might expect, substance use is regular as young people get more seasoned, and about 70% of teenagers will attempt liquor before secondary school graduation. In any case, repeating or continuous substance utilize is considerably less normal. Indeed, even incidental substance use is dangerous and ought not be downplayed, overlooked, or permitted by grown-ups. Parental perspectives and the models that guardians set with respect to their own utilization of liquor, tobacco, professionally prescribed medications, and different substances are an incredible impact. As per public reviews, the extent of twelfth graders who report they have not utilized any substances during their life has been consistently expanding in the course of recent years. Be that as it may, simultaneously, an expansive scope of more strong and perilous items, (for example, solution narcotics, high-strength pot items, and fentanyl) has opened up. These items put youths who do begin utilizing substances at higher danger of creating both short-and long-haul results. The substances that are utilized most by youths are liquor, nicotine (in tobacco or vaping items), and pot. The aim was to study the effect substance abuse on the well- being of adolescence. Boles and miotto (2003) conducted a study on substance abuse and violence, studied that illegal medications are available in the two wrongdoers and casualties in numerous vicious occasions. The connections between psychoactive substances and savagery include expansive social and financial powers, the settings wherein individuals acquire and burn-through the substance, and the organic cycles that underlie all human conduct. On account of liquor, proof from lab and exact examinations uphold the chance of a causal part in fierce conduct. Additionally, the psychopharma-codynamics of energizers, for example, amphetamines and cocaine, likewise propose that these substances could assume a contributing part in vicious conduct. Overdose of liquor and different medications lead to extreme medical conditions and mental issues. Liquor utilizations are more pervasive in the present youth either to flaunt or to keep themselves standoffish from rest of the world. Individuals have issues identified with their work and expert life and even now and again face divisions from their friends and family. Substance misuse and substance reliance mess up mental, physical, mental, and enthusiastic prosperity of a person. The un-favourable impact of substance reliance drives Individual to carries out grievous wrongdoing, for example, assaults, murder, lewd behaviour, physical and aggressive behaviour at home, mishaps, battles and so on. Based on our findings, Emotional Intelligence was significantly correlated with Quality of Life in substance abusers. There was no major difference in the mean of the groups of Males and Females

COVID-19 pandemic has been context altering as it has and still alters the dimensions of social, economic, and intimate lives of people. With reference to this, parenting; an already tough task, in the disarray caused by COVID-19 pandemic, has elevated parental burnout and declined mental health of married individuals. In the present context, it is imperative to understand how parents are coping and managing their lives. The present research aimed to examine prevalence of both parental burnout and mental health and how parental burnout affects married individuals. For the present research, married individuals (N = 350) within an age range of 25 to 65 years (M = 35.42, SD = 9.29) were approached from different cities of Pakistan through purposive sampling. Parental burnout and mental health were measured using Parental Burn Out Scale (Roskam et al., 2018) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). Severe parental burnout symptoms prevailed in .6% parents. Females had moderate symptoms of declined mental health as compared to males (11.1 % depressed, 25.4 % anxiety, and 7.9 % stress). The findings indicated significant positive association between parental burnout and mental health, indicating declined mental health among married individuals. The prevalence of parental burnout and declined mental health among parents indicated the gravity of the situation for developing countries where most of the mothers are stay-at-home spouses and have limited resources to look after their mental health. The findings of the present study could provide a baseline for clinicians to design interventions for parents to cope with stress of parenting as well as taking care of their mental health not only in the on-going pandemic but in general stressful times.

COVID-19 pandemic has been context altering as it has and still alters the dimensions of social, economic, and intimate lives of people. With reference to this, parenting; an already tough task, in the disarray caused by COVID-19 pandemic, has elevated parental burnout and declined mental health of married individuals. In the present context, it is imperative to understand how parents are coping and managing their lives. The present research aimed to examine prevalence of both parental burnout and mental health and how parental burnout affects married individuals. For the present research, married individuals (N = 350) within an age range of 25 to 65 years (M = 35.42, SD = 9.29) were approached from different cities of Pakistan through purposive sampling. Parental burnout and mental health were measured using Parental Burn Out Scale (Roskam et al., 2018) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). Severe parental burnout symptoms prevailed in .6% parents. Females had moderate symptoms of declined mental health as compared to males (11.1 % depressed, 25.4 % anxiety, and 7.9 % stress). The findings indicated significant positive association between parental burnout and mental health, indicating declined mental health among married individuals. The prevalence of parental burnout and declined mental health among parents indicated the gravity of the situation for developing countries where most of the mothers are stay-at-home spouses and have limited resources to look after their mental health. The findings of the present study could provide a baseline for clinicians to design interventions for parents to cope with stress of parenting as well as taking care of their mental health not only in the on-going pandemic but in general stressful times.1

COVID-19 pandemic has been context altering as it has and still alters the dimensions of social, economic, and intimate lives of people. With reference to this, parenting; an already tough task, in the disarray caused by COVID-19 pandemic, has elevated parental burnout and declined mental health of married individuals. In the present context, it is imperative to understand how parents are coping and managing their lives. The present research aimed to examine prevalence of both parental burnout and mental health and how parental burnout affects married individuals. For the present research, married individuals (N = 350) within an age range of 25 to 65 years (M = 35.42, SD = 9.29) were approached from different cities of Pakistan through purposive sampling. Parental burnout and mental health were measured using Parental Burn Out Scale (Roskam et al., 2018) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). Severe parental burnout symptoms prevailed in .6% parents. Females had moderate symptoms of declined mental health as compared to males (11.1 % depressed, 25.4 % anxiety, and 7.9 % stress). The findings indicated significant positive association between parental burnout and mental health, indicating declined mental health among married individuals. The prevalence of parental burnout and declined mental health among parents indicated the gravity of the situation for developing countries where most of the mothers are stay-at-home spouses and have limited resources to look after their mental health. The findings of the present study could provide a baseline for clinicians to design interventions for parents to cope with stress of parenting as well as taking care of their mental health not only in the on-going pandemic but in general stressful times.1

COVID-19 pandemic has been context altering as it has and still alters the dimensions of social, economic, and intimate lives of people. With reference to this, parenting; an already tough task, in the disarray caused by COVID-19 pandemic, has elevated parental burnout and declined mental health of married individuals. In the present context, it is imperative to understand how parents are coping and managing their lives. The present research aimed to examine prevalence of both parental burnout and mental health and how parental burnout affects married individuals. For the present research, married individuals (N = 350) within an age range of 25 to 65 years (M = 35.42, SD = 9.29) were approached from different cities of Pakistan through purposive sampling. Parental burnout and mental health were measured using Parental Burn Out Scale (Roskam et al., 2018) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). Severe parental burnout symptoms prevailed in .6% parents. Females had moderate symptoms of declined mental health as compared to males (11.1 % depressed, 25.4 % anxiety, and 7.9 % stress). The findings indicated significant positive association between parental burnout and mental health, indicating declined mental health among married individuals. The prevalence of parental burnout and declined mental health among parents indicated the gravity of the situation for developing countries where most of the mothers are stay-at-home spouses and have limited resources to look after their mental health. The findings of the present study could provide a baseline for clinicians to design interventions for parents to cope with stress of parenting as well as taking care of their mental health not only in the on-going pandemic but in general stressful times.

The purpose of the article is to present results of the study of psychological factors of women`s parental burnout (PB), in particular it`s connection with features of parental attitude and nature of the family system. The study surveyed 120 women who had at least one (47.2%), two (37%) and three (11%) minor children living with them permanently. The age of mothers ranges from 18 to 48 years, and the age of children from 2 months to 17 years. The study of PB was performed using the following methods: Parental Burnout Assessment (M.Mikolajczak, I.Roskam), FACES 3 (D.Olson), Parental Attitudes Questionnaire (A. Varga, V. Stolin), Beck Depression Inventory (A.Beck), Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (M.Rosenberg). The survey was conducted using the open platform Google Forms, where the questionnaire was posted. The link was distributed via the Internet, including the social network Facebook, between April, 7 and November, 1, 2021. The results of statistical analyzes showed that the number of women with the syndrome does not exceed 10%, ie the total number of Ukrainian women with burnout is twice as high as in Europe and the United States (Roskam et al., 2018). 24% have an average level, almost 12% of respondents have a low level and more than 56% of surveyed women are characterized by a lack of PB. It is statistically established that there are significant links between parental burnout among women and the features of parental attitude towards the child, in particular, the dimensions of parental attitudes such as "symbiosis" and "infantilization" were found to be significant predictors of burnout according to regression analysis. The merger of mother and child, the absence of psychological boundaries and the promotion of infantilization of the child are defined as the factors of family upbringing, which are predictors of parental burnout of women. The results also show that the closer the relationship between family members, the lower the burnout level, as a woman in such a family receives much more support, help and understanding. The age of the mother does not play a significant role in the formation of the syndrome, but the younger the child, the higher the level of burn out in the mother, which corresponds to the results of similar cross-cultural studies (Roskam et al., 2021).

Abstract Background Parenting is both a complex and stressful endeavor, so parents sometimes experience parenting burnout. The main objective of this study was to provide an overview of factors related to general parental burnout (PB) among parents with at least one child based on the Ecological Systems Theory (EST). Methods PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, CNKI and WanFang were systematically searched for studies published from 2010 to July 2023 for peer-reviewed articles using keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings such as “parenting”, “parental”, “burnout”, “psychological burnout”, “burn-out syndrome”. Studies were included if they described associations between factors and PB among parents of children aged 0-18 years old in the general population, and published in an English or Chinese language peer-reviewed journal. The Quality Assessment Tool for Studies with Diverse Designs (QATSDD) was employed to assess the risk of bias of included studies. Results Of 2037 articles, 26 articles met the inclusion criteria. Based on the Ecological Systems Theory (EST), we found that microsystem-individual factors such as gender, educational level, income, parental personality, internalization of maternal parental motivation, unmitigated communion, self-compassion and concern for others, alexithymia, anxiety and depressive symptoms, parental perfectionism, resilience, low self-esteem and high need for control, mother's attachment style were identified as being associated with parenting burnout. Mesosystem-interpersonal factors involve parent-child relationship and marital satisfaction. The exosystem-organizational or community factors include the number of children in the household, neighborhood and the number of hours spent with children, child's illness, child's behavior problems and social support. The macrosystem-society/policy or culture factors are mainly personal values and cultural values. Conclusions This systematic review found several factors that have been investigated in relation to PB. However, the majority of the factors were reported by one or two studies often implementing a cross-sectional design. Nevertheless, we still recommend that health policymakers and administrators relieve parenting burnout among parents with children by adjusting these modifiable factors.

У статті висвітлюється досить малодосліджений у вітчизняній науці феномен батьківського вигорання. Зазвичай, феномен емоційного вигорання вивчається у професійній сфері, особливо в професіях, які належать до сфери «людина-людина», однак було виявлено, що він може розвиватися і в інших сферах, зокрема батьківстві. Хоча батьківство не розглядається як професійна діяльність, проте вимоги суспільства та виклики, які ставляться перед батьками щодо їх обов’язків, є вкрай високими, зростають кожного дня і до багатьох з них батьки не готові. Погіршується рівень життя населення, відсутня політична та економічна стабільність, зараз з’явився новий виклик – пандемія світового масштабу, все це зумовлює у батьків надмірний і тривалий стрес і може призвести до батьківського вигорання.Метою дослідження є теоретичний аналіз феномена батьківського вигорання та обґрунтування важливості його вивчення в українському суспільстві. Задля досягнення даної мети, у статті презентовано огляд зарубіжних наукових праць, присвячених вивченню цього феномена, його особливостей, чинників розвитку, особистісних і міжособистісних впливів у сім’ї. Відповідно до іноземних наукових джерел, батьківське вигорання є окремим, специфічним синдромом, який з’являється у матерів та батьків під впливом тривалого стресу, який зумовлюється батьківством. Цей феномен містить в собі такі параметри: надмірне виснаження, що пов’язане з виконанням батьківської ролі, емоційне дистанціювання від дитини та відчуття неефективності при виконанні своєї батьківської ролі. У викладеному матеріалі описані особливості та відмінності цього феномена від професійного або сімейного вигорання. Висвітлені та проаналізовані зарубіжні дослідження щодо історії вивчення феномена батьківського вигорання, чинників, що більшою або меншою мірою впливають на його розвиток (внутрішні та зовнішні) та наслідків, до яких призводить батьківське вигорання на особистісному та міжособистісному рівні (особливо, вплив на стосунки з дитиною, що виявляється через насилля або байдужість до неї). Презентовано огляд результатів дослідження можливих чинників батьківського вигорання для українських батьків на макро-, мезо- і мікрорівні, підкреслено необхідність і доцільність вивчення феномена батьківського вигорання в українському суспільстві. Література Базалева, Л.А. (2010). Личностные факторы эмоционального «выгорания» матерей в отношениях с детьми. (Автореф. дисс. канд. псих. Наук). Краснодар. Грубі, Т.В. (2012). Психологічні чинники професійного вигорання працівників державної податкової служби України. Актуальні проблеми психології: зб. наук. праць Інституту психології ім. Г.С Костюка, 42–45. 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Introduction Toys and games are important elements of child growth and development. When children play, they have fun. They also learn to perform and contest ideas making up their culture. The potential professional affiliations and skills offer an illustration of the roles that children learn about in the early years of their lives. Therefore, toys may serve as a site to research professional aspirations. In light of this, a question emerges: what do toys teach about professions and professionalism? As a feminist communication researcher, I study toys primarily intended for girls – the dolls in the American Girl collection. Even though the doll sets demand an excessively high price, this brand has a cultural significance for the girls and women growing up in the United States because of the historical and contemporary connections found in deeply researched stories and intricately designed accessories (Solly). The American Girl brand started in 1986. Mattel, the American toy conglomerate, has owned the American Girl brand since 1998 and describes the brand as helping "generations of girls find courage, build confidence, and spread kindness" ("American Girl"). The original American Girl dolls represented historical figures: for example, Melody Ellison from the era of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and Kit Kittredge from the time of the Great Depression in 1934. In addition to historical personalities, the American Girl depicts contemporary girls, including the Girl of the Year line introduced annually. These dolls portray modern girls who have special talents or hobbies and who navigate their lives and experience adventures through the prism of their talents. For example, Joss Kendrick’s passion is surfing, Gabriela McBride loves dancing and poetry, and Grace Thomas is interested in baking. As a rule, the talents of the Girls of the Year align with professional work and can inspire future generations to choose specific professions or develop professional qualities. To narrow the subject, this essay examines the professional aspirations presented in the stories and media associated with the American Girl doll, Luciana Vega, released in 2018. Luciana is an aspiring 10-year-old astronaut and scientist who dreams to be the first person to walk on Mars. Luciana is unique because she is the first doll among contemporary characters to exclusively engage in science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM (Strickland). This doll marks an attempt to address the high barrier for women and underrepresented groups to enter and remain in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. The former NASA chief scientist Ellen Stofan reflects on the importance of Luciana, saying that "a lot of girls are sometimes intimidated by STEM careers" and that characters like Luciana can let "girls of color around the world know they can be astronauts" (Strickland). Therefore, Luciana Vega contributes to the discourse about professions for contemporary girls and women. The focus on professional aspirations represented in toys stems from the research about professionalism, which implies a set of assumptions that are taken for granted yet ambiguous, conflicted – and rarely questioned (Cheney and Ashcraft). The criticism of neoliberalism from the feminist perspective helps examine professionalism critically. Neoliberal feminism celebrates the achievements of individual women in the format of corporate and personal enterprises at the expense of confirming privileges based on race, class, and sexuality (Rottenberg). The essay argues that the lessons about professions and professionalism offered by the American Girl focus on establishing only a symbolic association with professional engagement. The emphasis on personal development through teamwork, leadership, and creativity promotes gendered professional capital that has limited resources to address potential imposter phenomenon and workplace harassment. Dolls and Professional Aspirations Scholars who study toys and playthings associate them with opportunities to display and obtain social rules and cultural values. Gender, race, and class norms are part of cultural production in toys (Foss; Rosner, Playing). As a product of culture, toys and texts associated with them represent professional futures and offer lessons about organisational life, professional identities, and work relations. Kuhn and Wolter report that young people tend to follow gender stereotypes in professional planning even in progressive locations, yet this connection between professional aspirations, career choices, and existing expectations is rather weak, suggesting that parental influence, regional or local specificities, educational programming, and other social factors, such as toys and games, may impact individual choices. The American Girl brand promotes an active lifestyle, teaching children to understand who they are and to bring positive changes to their communities. The company does not explicitly mention preparation for careers and professional education. The company emphasises holistic development for girls, where professionalism and career aspirations may serve as implied targets. Barbour, Rolison, and Jensen argue that “individuals construct professional selves that originate in the early socialisation phases of professional training and are further developed as they are immersed in the rules, language, skills, and work of the profession” (137). As such, playing with dolls and engaging with the issues suggested by the toy brand may have an impact on future generations as they explore potential professions and careers and learn what it means to be a professional. The academic research about the American Girl has not discussed professionalism yet. Scholars focus on exploring historic representations to argue that the company romanticises nostalgia to foster consumerism (Rosner, “The American Girl”) or presents a simplified and whitewashed version of history (Marcus; Valdivia). Marshall argues that the American Girl version of girlhood “reflects a gendered pedagogy of consumption rather than any lessons about empowerment or US history” (95). Scholars nevertheless have already noted the affiliations of the American Girl doll characters with neoliberalism. Neoliberalism refers to an approach to political economy that favours free market, economic growth, and capital accumulation. In feminist research, neoliberalism can be understood as “a sensibility or set of themes that privilege market-friendly notions of individualism, responsibility, and capitalization” (Thornton 273). The American Girl brand strives to empower girls, yet the empowerment offered by the brand is wrapped in a neoliberal frame of thinking, calling for girl power, self-determination, and femininity without changing the system that supports gender and other forms of discrimination and inequality (Rybas and Rybas; Zaslow). The criticism of neoliberal feminism provides a framework to examine professional belonging projected for future iterations of work, professions, and talents. Reading Professions in the American Girl Texts If Luciana Vega’s character offers lessons about professions and professionalism for the fans who play with the doll and engage with her story, it is important to explore these texts. The texts associated with the American Girl brand range from books that have traditionally defined the brand to mobile apps, short videos, feature or animated movies, and social media snippets that have appeared in recent years. The books create narratives about the characters, while multimedia texts offer alternative formats for the narratives as well as promote activities and engagements inspired by the characters. These texts offer rich data to examine the implications of the character for professionalism and being a professional. Further analysis draws from the content created for the 2018 Doll of the Year: the book Luciana by Erin Teagan and videos on the official American Girl YouTube channel and collected into a playlist. Material objects and discursive constructions of practices associated with work produce professional identification and belonging. Being a professional relies on demonstrating special skills and knowledge in work contexts and maintaining professional identities (Caza and Creary; Caza, Vough, and Puranik). As with other professionals, the character experiences contradictions and dilemmas embedded in the tasks (Ahuja). She evokes professional skills and grows her professional potential through the problems and struggles that she deals with. Based on how the character and spokespersons address situations associated with work and how they communicate about their experiences, the analysis identifies lessons about professions and professionalism. Lessons about Professions and Professionalism First, the discussion of lessons about professionalism focusses on the material markers of being a scientist. How do the professionally defined objects, places, and activities signify Luciana’s belonging to the STEM sphere? At the Space Camp, the kids wear space and science clothes, and Luciana receives an official Space Camp flight suit upon check-in. The camp participants move from their habitats, with bunk beds for six campers, to the habitat common area, with screens streaming news from the international space station, and to the mission floor, with spacecrafts, greenhouses, and training equipment. Luciana finds her sense of belonging to the Space Camp through items signifying connections to space explorations. She wears a dress of “the colors of the nighttime sky—blue, red, purple, orange” (Teagan 4) and the star-shaped necklace. She also packs her “favorite pajamas from the planetarium” (Teagan 11) and “a pillow with the solar-system pillowcase” (Teagan 2). The items make her feel comfortable upon her arrival at the camp. The STEM-style objects can stimulate desires to purchase the toys and outfits, such as the lunar habitat, space suit, galaxy-patterned dress for the doll, or science kit, available from the American Girl brand. In addition to the merchandise and branded items, the projects completed by the camp participants are indicative of their professional belonging: The campers perform soil experiments and design robots. The narrative refers to specialised terms (types of rocks and rockets), equipment (goggles, beakers), and scientific routines (wearing safety goggles, labelling samples) to create a world focussed on science. These details show Luciana’s familiarity with the camp space and speak to her abilities needed to complete the activities. The videos posted on YouTube provide additional illustration to the narrative. The spokespersons in the promotional videos as well as guests and hosts in the TV studio during the reveal wear blue overalls and walk through the NASA Centre (“A Day in the Life of Luciana”; “Meet American Girl’s 2018”). These descriptions and demonstrations create excitement about space exploration and make the STEM fields seem attractive and available. However, the price tag of almost $1,500 in 2023 (“Space Camp”) for camp participation keeps the dream of flying to Mars a distant reality for families. The financial barrier, obviously, does not appear in the texts promoted by the American Doll brand. Such silence indicates that each family needs to decide for themselves to what extent they can participate in the world of STEM, and such considerations reinforce class-based stratifications. Further, the discussion focusses on the ways of thinking associated with professionalism. Adams argues that professionalism offers epistemologies that define "what is sayable, what is knowable, what is included, and what is excluded" (332). In other words, professionalism implies a system knowledge necessary for success in the neoliberal economy (Adams; Cheney and Ashcraft). What skills and epistemologies emerge in the texts associated with Luciana Vega? The set-up of Luciana’s story establishes her responsibility for the success. She participates in a week-long space camp without her parents and friends. Even though she has an opportunity to develop her interests and meet new friends, the narrative suggests that Luciana must push back her longing for her family and her worries about the adoption of her new sister to emphasise the camp projects and her dream to be an astronaut. The discourse about work and life balance is significant for the neoliberal feminist analysis because those who are successful can do it all (Rottberg; Thornton). Luciana takes responsibility for adapting to the camp environment and controlling her own development. Luciana’s competitive record illustrates her drive. She obtains an acceptance to join the camp after two rejections, and this achievement communicates her resilience and perseverance necessary for a neoliberal subject (Rottberg). Teamwork, leadership, and creativity are core skills expected from workers in the contemporary economy. Creativity defines neoliberal femininity as it aligns with passion, energy, and stamina (Rottberg; Thornton). Creativity is Luciana’s quality. Alex, one of the trainers, confirms her reputation by saying, "we need creative future astronauts just like you" (Teagan 6). Luciana’s ideas, however, may cause mistakes, as it happens during the building of a rover because she ignores the expectations about the rover’s weight. As the narrative develops, the team needs Luciana’s ideas, especially in designing a robot from junk parts, and the team acknowledges Luciana’s contributions. They note that Luciana has pretty good ideas and that making mistakes is normal. Ella, one of the teammates, concludes that "it’s the person who thinks a little differently from the rest who has the greatest chance of making a difference in this world" (Teagan 133). Even though Luciana’s creativity leads to various results, it is essential for her success as a professional. In addition to creativity, Luciana develops her teamwork and leadership skills. These qualities are required for the success of the camp mission and future professional endeavours. Alex, the camp trainer, says that "for an astronaut team is everything" (Teagan 118). To compete in the robotics challenge, Luciana becomes the captain of one of the teams, and she encourages her team to work in a cohesive and productive manner. The team chooses the name Red Rover by brainstorming and voting, yet the team fails to collaborate in the rover-building challenge because Luciana does not rely on the knowledge of her teammates. Red Rovers get disqualified from the competition, but Luciana leads her team in continuing their experiment, building a successful robot, and even helping the team whose project the girls have damaged. As a result, the team members develop a strong friendship bond and receive an award for building a unique robot. Luciana’s leadership is meaningful for professional aspirations in the neoliberal style because it juxtaposes her character against the other participants of the camp, which promotes the emphasis on taking responsibility for mistakes. Creativity, teamwork, and leadership permeate the simple activities inspired by the 2018 Doll of the Year: making star-shaped cookies, creating a purple hair streak, and organising a space-themed party (AG Life). The short episodes follow the style of videoblogs or reality TV shows created by and for teens and tweens. The five hosts are girls of Luciana’s age who perform activities and share knowledge in an easy-going manner imitating a conversation. Faber and Coulter critique girls’ digital production as an embodiment of neoliberal ideologies built on playful authenticity and the affective glamourisation of entrepreneurial logics. Making star-shaped cookies, creating a purple hair streak, and organising a space-themed party represent science and space exploration only by association, similar to the pyjamas from the planetarium or the star-shaped necklace. Together with the claims for expertise in the STEM sphere and the emerging skills required for success in professional spheres, Luciana experiences difficulties, such as the imposter phenomenon and work harassment. Imposters exhibit doubt in their achievements, think of their success as fraud, and diminish their success (Parkman). In the story, Luciana completes a difficult docking manoeuvre with her team successfully, yet she concludes that the task has been “barely” (Teagan 151) completed. She compares herself to other kids: “my belly was starting to turn. I hadn’t expected there to be so many genius kids here. Did they all want to be astronauts like I did?” (Teagan 29). Luciana doubts her leadership abilities and questions her creativity, suggesting that her existing skills are not enough. In one of the episodes, she almost gives up her captain role, hinting at a potential burn-out situation. She particularly struggles to build connections with Ella, one of her team members, yet she develops a relationship with her after a few trials. These experiences illustrate the challenging process of finding self and connecting with others in a professional context. The creators of Luciana Vega attempt to send a positive message to future experts in the field by welcoming diverse individuals. Luciana states that “astronauts come with hair in all shades and sizes and colors” (Teagan 32). However, the positive message is muffled because it serves as a reaction to a comment by another camp participant, James, who shares that he never saw astronauts with purple hair. The focus on the signature purple hair streak as a sign of diversity exemplifies a simplistic approach to intersectionality and diversity, a common criticism of the American Girl dolls (Marcus; Valdivia; Zaslow). In addition, the exchange about the purple streak in the girl’s hair highlights gender dynamics in the contemporary workplace, pointing at the possibility of workplace harassment. James adds that “it’s the like mom law” (Teagan 32), thus offending Luciana. In organisational contexts, harassers make offensive jokes and engage in insults, making the workplace environment hostile (Griffin), and Luciana encounters this experience. James clashes with Luciana and her team members throughout the narrative. What is important here is not only the professional rivalry that emerges in the narrative and is normalised in competitions, but the reactions that Luciana practices. She ignores the hurtful comments made by James during the spacewalk simulation exercise, yet she shares her resources to help him complete the task. Luciana’s team supports James’s team in the robot design task and transfers sponsorship to the boys’ team. Even though the story line introduces diversity to the workforce, it falls short of addressing instances of potential workplace harassment with force. Luciana seems not yet equipped to address the hostility exhibited by the fellow camp participant. She prioritises teamwork and camp mission at the expense of her own well-being. These emphases contributing to the gendered professional capital (Rottberg) essential for neoliberal progress. Conclusion The lessons about professions and professionalism offered by the American Girl are complex, if not contradictory. The presence of Luciana Vega in the competitively selected camp is promising, yet the STEM field remains difficult to access. The character experiences the imposter phenomenon even if she has extensive knowledge of science. Science-themed clothes, books, and accessories as well as science-inspired activities may promote an interest in the field. Teamwork, leadership, and creativity establish markers of professionalism and provide resources for cultivating professional epistemology. The current generation of girls and the future generations of women receive exposure to difficulties in developing leadership and teamwork skills and potential work harassment but may learn to address them through self-improvement or individual development. These lessons emphasise empowerment in the neoliberal frame of reference typical of the American Girl dolls. References “A Day in the Life of Luciana at Space Camp | Luciana Vega: Girl of the Year 2018.” American Girl. 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This article investigates the prosthesis of identity through the process of branding. It examines cross-cultural manifestations of this phenomena from sixth millennium BCE Syria to twelfth century Japan and Britain. From the Neolithic Era, humanity has sort to extend their identities using pictorial signs that were characteristically simple. Designed to be distinctive and instantly recognisable, the totemic symbols served to signal the origin of the bearer. Subsequently, the development of branding coincided with periods of increased in mobility both in respect to geography and social strata. This includes fifth millennium Mesopotamia, nineteenth century Britain, and America during the 1920s.There are fewer articles of greater influence on contemporary culture than A Theory of Human Motivation written by Abraham Maslow in 1943. Nearly seventy-five years later, his theories about the societal need for “belongingness” and “esteem” remain a mainstay of advertising campaigns (Maslow). Although the principles are used to sell a broad range of products from shampoo to breakfast cereal they are epitomised by apparel. This is with refence to garments and accessories bearing corporation logos. Whereas other purchased items, imbued with abstract products, are intended for personal consumption the public display of these symbols may be interpreted as a form of signalling. The intention of the wearers is to literally seek the fulfilment of the aforementioned social needs. This article investigates the use of brands as prosthesis.Coats and Crests: Identity Garnered on Garments in the Middle Ages and the Muromachi PeriodA logo, at its most basic, is a pictorial sign. In his essay, The Visual Language, Ernest Gombrich described the principle as reducing images to “distinctive features” (Gombrich 46). They represent a “simplification of code,” the meaning of which we are conditioned to recognise (Gombrich 46). Logos may also be interpreted as a manifestation of totemism. According to anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss, the principle exists in all civilisations and reflects an effort to evoke the power of nature (71-127). Totemism is also a method of population distribution (Levi-Strauss 166).This principle, in a form garnered on garments, is manifested in Mon Kiri. The practice of cutting out family crests evolved into a form of corporate branding in Japan during the Meiji Period (1868-1912) (Christensen 14). During the Muromachi period (1336-1573) the crests provided an integral means of identification on the battlefield (Christensen 13). The adorning of crests on armour was also exercised in Europe during the twelfth century, when the faces of knights were similarly obscured by helmets (Family Crests of Japan 8). Both Mon Kiri and “Coat[s] of Arms” utilised totemic symbols (Family Crests of Japan 8; Elven 14; Christensen 13). The mon for the imperial family (figs. 1 & 2) during the Muromachi Period featured chrysanthemum and paulownia flowers (Goin’ Japaneque). “Coat[s] of Arms” in Britain featured a menagerie of animals including lions (fig. 3), horses and eagles (Elven).The prothesis of identity through garnering symbols on the battlefield provided “safety” through demonstrating “belongingness”. This constituted a conflation of two separate “needs” in the “hierarchy of prepotency” propositioned by Maslow. Fig. 1. The mon symbolising the Imperial Family during the Muromachi Period featured chrysanthemum and paulownia. "Kamon (Japanese Family Crests): Ancient Key to Samurai Culture." Goin' Japaneque! 15 Nov. 2015. 27 July 2019 <http://goinjapanesque.com/05983/>.Fig. 2. An example of the crest being utilised on a garment can be found in this portrait of samurai Oda Nobunaga. "Japan's 12 Most Famous Samurai." All About Japan. 27 Aug. 2018. 27 July 2019 <https://allabout-japan.com/en/article/5818/>.Fig. 3. A detail from the “Index of Subjects of Crests.” Elven, John Peter. The Book of Family Crests: Comprising Nearly Every Family Bearing, Properly Blazoned and Explained, Accompanied by Upwards of Four Thousand Engravings. Henry Washbourne, 1847.The Pursuit of Prestige: Prosthetic Pedigree from the Late Georgian to the Victorian Eras In 1817, the seal engraver to Prince Regent, Alexander Deuchar, described the function of family crests in British Crests: Containing The Crest and Mottos of The Families of Great Britain and Ireland; Together with Those of The Principal Cities and Heraldic Terms as follows: The first approach to civilization is the distinction of ranks. So necessary is this to the welfare and existence of society, that, without it, anarchy and confusion must prevail… In an early stage, heraldic emblems were characteristic of the bearer… Certain ordinances were made, regulating the mode of bearing arms, and who were entitled to bear them. (i-v)The partitioning of social classes in Britain had deteriorated by the time this compendium was published, with displays of “conspicuous consumption” displacing “heraldic emblems” as a primary method of status signalling (Deuchar 2; Han et al. 18). A consumerism born of newfound affluence, and the desire to signify this wealth through luxury goods, was as integral to the Industrial Revolution as technological development. In Rebels against the Future, published in 1996, Kirkpatrick Sale described the phenomenon:A substantial part of the new population, though still a distinct minority, was made modestly affluent, in some places quite wealthy, by privatization of of the countryside and the industrialization of the cities, and by the sorts of commercial and other services that this called forth. The new money stimulated the consumer demand… that allowed a market economy of a scope not known before. (40)This also reflected improvements in the provision of “health, food [and] education” (Maslow; Snow 25-28). With their “physiological needs” accommodated, this ”substantial part” of the population were able to prioritised their “esteem needs” including the pursuit for prestige (Sale 40; Maslow).In Britain during the Middle Ages laws “specified in minute detail” what each class was permitted to wear (Han et al. 15). A groom, for example, was not able to wear clothing that exceeded two marks in value (Han et al. 15). In a distinct departure during the Industrial Era, it was common for the “middling and lower classes” to “ape” the “fashionable vices of their superiors” (Sale 41). Although mon-like labels that were “simplified so as to be conspicuous and instantly recognisable” emerged in Europe during the nineteenth century their application on garments remained discrete up until the early twentieth century (Christensen 13-14; Moore and Reid 24). During the 1920s, the French companies Hermes and Coco Chanel were amongst the clothing manufacturers to pioneer this principle (Chaney; Icon).During the 1860s, Lincolnshire-born Charles Frederick Worth affixed gold stamped labels to the insides of his garments (Polan et al. 9; Press). Operating from Paris, the innovation was consistent with the introduction of trademark laws in France in 1857 (Lopes et al.). He would become known as the “Father of Haute Couture”, creating dresses for royalty and celebrities including Empress Eugene from Constantinople, French actress Sarah Bernhardt and Australian Opera Singer Nellie Melba (Lopes et al.; Krick). The clothing labels proved and ineffective deterrent to counterfeit, and by the 1890s the House of Worth implemented other measures to authenticate their products (Press). The legitimisation of the origin of a product is, arguably, the primary function of branding. This principle is also applicable to subjects. The prothesis of brands, as totemic symbols, assisted consumers to relocate themselves within a new system of population distribution (Levi-Strauss 166). It was one born of commerce as opposed to heraldry.Selling of Self: Conferring Identity from the Neolithic to Modern ErasIn his 1817 compendium on family crests, Deuchar elaborated on heraldry by writing:Ignoble birth was considered as a stain almost indelible… Illustrious parentage, on the other hand, constituted the very basis of honour: it communicated peculiar rights and privileges, to which the meaner born man might not aspire. (v-vi)The Twinings Logo (fig. 4) has remained unchanged since the design was commissioned by the grandson of the company founder Richard Twining in 1787 (Twining). In addition to reflecting the heritage of the family-owned company, the brand indicated the origin of the tea. This became pertinent during the nineteenth century. Plantations began to operate from Assam to Ceylon (Jones 267-269). Amidst the rampant diversification of tea sources in the Victorian era, concerns about the “unhygienic practices” of Chinese producers were proliferated (Wengrow 11). Subsequently, the brand also offered consumers assurance in quality. Fig. 4. The Twinings Logo reproduced from "History of Twinings." Twinings. 24 July 2019 <https://www.twinings.co.uk/about-twinings/history-of-twinings>.The term ‘brand’, adapted from the Norse “brandr”, was introduced into the English language during the sixteenth century (Starcevic 179). At its most literal, it translates as to “burn down” (Starcevic 179). Using hot elements to singe markings onto animals been recorded as early as 2700 BCE in Egypt (Starcevic 182). However, archaeologists concur that the modern principle of branding predates this practice. The implementation of carved seals or stamps to make indelible impressions of handcrafted objects dates back to Prehistoric Mesopotamia (Starcevic 183; Wengrow 13). Similar traditions developed during the Bronze Age in both China and the Indus Valley (Starcevic 185). In all three civilisations branding facilitated both commerce and aspects of Totemism. In the sixth millennium BCE in “Prehistoric” Mesopotamia, referred to as the Halaf period, stone seals were carved to emulate organic form such as animal teeth (Wengrow 13-14). They were used to safeguard objects by “confer[ring] part of the bearer’s personality” (Wengrow 14). They were concurrently applied to secure the contents of vessels containing “exotic goods” used in transactions (Wengrow 15). Worn as amulets (figs. 5 & 6) the seals, and the symbols they produced, were a physical extension of their owners (Wengrow 14).Fig. 5. Recreation of stamp seal amulets from Neolithic Mesopotamia during the sixth millennium BCE. Wengrow, David. "Prehistories of Commodity Branding." Current Anthropology 49.1 (2008): 14.Fig. 6. “Lot 25Y: Rare Syrian Steatite Amulet – Fertility God 5000 BCE.” The Salesroom. 27 July 2019 <https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/artemis-gallery-ancient-art/catalogue-id-srartem10006/lot-a850d229-a303-4bae-b68c-a6130005c48a>. Fig. 7. Recreation of stamp seal designs from Mesopotamia from the late fifth to fourth millennium BCE. Wengrow, David. "Prehistories of Commodity Branding." Current Anthropology 49. 1 (2008): 16.In the following millennia, the seals would increase exponentially in application and aesthetic complexity (fig. 7) to support the development of household cum cottage industries (Wengrow 15). In addition to handcrafts, sealed vessels would transport consumables such as wine, aromatic oils and animal fats (Wengrow 18). The illustrations on the seals included depictions of rituals undertaken by human figures and/or allegories using animals. It can be ascertained that the transition in the Victorian Era from heraldry to commerce, from family to corporation, had precedence. By extension, consumers were able to participate in this process of value attribution using brands as signifiers. The principle remained prevalent during the modern and post-modern eras and can be respectively interpreted using structuralist and post-structuralist theory.Totemism to Simulacrum: The Evolution of Advertising from the Modern to Post-Modern Eras In 2011, Lisa Chaney wrote of the inception of the Coco Chanel logo (fig. 8) in her biography Chanel: An Intimate Life: A crucial element in the signature design of the Chanel No.5 bottle is the small black ‘C’ within a black circle set as the seal at the neck. On the top of the lid are two more ‘C’s, intertwined back to back… from at least 1924, the No5 bottles sported the unmistakable logo… these two ‘C’s referred to Gabrielle, – in other words Coco Chanel herself, and would become the logo for the House of Chanel. Chaney continued by describing Chanel’s fascination of totemic symbols as expressed through her use of tarot cards. She also “surrounded herself with objects ripe with meaning” such as representations of wheat and lions in reference prosperity and to her zodiac symbol ‘Leo’ respectively. Fig. 8. No5 Chanel Perfume, released in 1924, featured a seal-like logo attached to the bottle neck. “No5.” Chanel. 25 July 2019 <https://www.chanel.com/us/fragrance/p/120450/n5-parfum-grand-extrait/>.Fig. 9. This illustration of the bottle by Georges Goursat was published in a women’s magazine circa 1920s. “1921 Chanel No5.” Inside Chanel. 26 July 2019 <http://inside.chanel.com/en/timeline/1921_no5>; “La 4éme Fête de l’Histoire Samedi 16 et dimache 17 juin.” Ville de Perigueux. Musée d’art et d’archéologie du Périgord. 28 Mar. 2018. 26 July 2019 <https://www.perigueux-maap.fr/category/archives/page/5/>. This product was considered the “financial basis” of the Chanel “empire” which emerged during the second and third decades of the twentieth century (Tikkanen). Chanel is credited for revolutionising Haute Couture by introducing chic modern designs that emphasised “simplicity and comfort.” This was as opposed to the corseted highly embellished fashion that characterised the Victorian Era (Tikkanen). The lavish designs released by the House of Worth were, in and of themselves, “conspicuous” displays of “consumption” (Veblen 17). In contrast, the prestige and status associated with the “poor girl” look introduced by Chanel was invested in the story of the designer (Tikkanen). A primary example is her marinière or sailor’s blouse with a Breton stripe that epitomised her ascension from café singer to couturier (Tikkanen; Burstein 8). This signifier might have gone unobserved by less discerning consumers of fashion if it were not for branding. Not unlike the Prehistoric Mesopotamians, this iteration of branding is a process which “confer[s]” the “personality” of the designer into the garment (Wengrow 13 -14). The wearer of the garment is, in turn, is imbued by extension. Advertisers in the post-structuralist era embraced Levi-Strauss’s structuralist anthropological theories (Williamson 50). This is with particular reference to “bricolage” or the “preconditioning” of totemic symbols (Williamson 173; Pool 50). Subsequently, advertising creatives cum “bricoleur” employed his principles to imbue the brands with symbolic power. This symbolic capital was, arguably, transferable to the product and, ultimately, to its consumer (Williamson 173).Post-structuralist and semiotician Jean Baudrillard “exhaustively” critiqued brands and the advertising, or simulacrum, that embellished them between the late 1960s and early 1980s (Wengrow 10-11). In Simulacra and Simulation he wrote,it is the reflection of a profound reality; it masks and denatures a profound reality; it masks the absence of a profound reality; it has no relation to any reality whatsoever: it is its own pure simulacrum. (6)The symbolic power of the Chanel brand resonates in the ‘profound reality’ of her story. It is efficiently ‘denatured’ through becoming simplified, conspicuous and instantly recognisable. It is, as a logo, physically juxtaposed as simulacra onto apparel. This simulacrum, in turn, effects the ‘profound reality’ of the consumer. In 1899, economist Thorstein Veblen wrote in The Theory of the Leisure Class:Conspicuous consumption of valuable goods it the means of reputability to the gentleman of leisure… costly entertainments, such as potlatch or the ball, are peculiarly adapted to serve this end… he consumes vicariously for his host at the same time that he is witness to the consumption… he is also made to witness his host’s facility in etiquette. (47)Therefore, according to Veblen, it was the witnessing of “wasteful” consumption that “confers status” as opposed the primary conspicuous act (Han et al. 18). Despite television being in its experimental infancy advertising was at “the height of its powers” during the 1920s (Clark et al. 18; Hill 30). Post-World War I consumers, in America, experienced an unaccustomed level of prosperity and were unsuspecting of the motives of the newly formed advertising agencies (Clark et al. 18). Subsequently, the ‘witnessing’ of consumption could be constructed across a plethora of media from the newly emerged commercial radio to billboards (Hill viii–25). The resulting ‘status’ was ‘conferred’ onto brand logos. Women’s magazines, with a legacy dating back to 1828, were a primary locus (Hill 10).Belonging in a Post-Structuralist WorldIt is significant to note that, in a post-structuralist world, consumers do not exclusively seek upward mobility in their selection of brands. The establishment of counter-culture icon Levi-Strauss and Co. was concurrent to the emergence of both The House of Worth and Coco Chanel. The Bavarian-born Levi Strauss commenced selling apparel in San Francisco in 1853 (Levi’s). Two decades later, in partnership with Nevada born tailor Jacob Davis, he patented the “riveted-for-strength” workwear using blue denim (Levi’s). Although the ontology of ‘jeans’ is contested, references to “Jene Fustyan” date back the sixteenth century (Snyder 139). It involved the combining cotton, wool and linen to create “vestments” for Geonese sailors (Snyder 138). The Two Horse Logo (fig. 10), depicting them unable to pull apart a pair of jeans to symbolise strength, has been in continuous use by Levi Strauss & Co. company since its design in 1886 (Levi’s). Fig. 10. The Two Horse Logo by Levi Strauss & Co. has been in continuous use since 1886. Staff Unzipped. "Two Horses. One Message." Heritage. Levi Strauss & Co. 1 July 2011. 25 July 2019 <https://www.levistrauss.com/2011/07/01/two-horses-many-versions-one-message/>.The “rugged wear” would become the favoured apparel amongst miners at American Gold Rush (Muthu 6). Subsequently, between the 1930s – 1960s Hollywood films cultivated jeans as a symbol of “defiance” from Stage Coach staring John Wayne in 1939 to Rebel without A Cause staring James Dean in 1955 (Muthu 6; Edgar). Consequently, during the 1960s college students protesting in America (fig. 11) against the draft chose the attire to symbolise their solidarity with the working class (Hedarty). Notwithstanding a 1990s fashion revision of denim into a diversity of garments ranging from jackets to skirts, jeans have remained a wardrobe mainstay for the past half century (Hedarty; Muthu 10). Fig. 11. Although the brand label is not visible, jeans as initially introduced to the American Goldfields in the nineteenth century by Levi Strauss & Co. were cultivated as a symbol of defiance from the 1930s – 1960s. It documents an anti-war protest that occurred at the Pentagon in 1967. Cox, Savannah. "The Anti-Vietnam War Movement." ATI. 14 Dec. 2016. 16 July 2019 <https://allthatsinteresting.com/vietnam-war-protests#7>.In 2003, the journal Science published an article “Does Rejection Hurt? An Fmri Study of Social Exclusion” (Eisenberger et al.). The cross-institutional study demonstrated that the neurological reaction to rejection is indistinguishable to physical pain. Whereas during the 1940s Maslow classified the desire for “belonging” as secondary to “physiological needs,” early twenty-first century psychologists would suggest “[social] acceptance is a mechanism for survival” (Weir 50). In Simulacra and Simulation, Jean Baudrillard wrote: Today abstraction is no longer that of the map, the double, the mirror or the concept. Simulation is no longer that of a territory, a referential being or a substance. It is the generation by models of a real without origin or reality: a hyperreal… (1)In the intervening thirty-eight years since this document was published the artifice of our interactions has increased exponentially. In order to locate ‘belongness’ in this hyperreality, the identities of the seekers require a level of encoding. Brands, as signifiers, provide a vehicle.Whereas in Prehistoric Mesopotamia carved seals, worn as amulets, were used to extend the identity of a person, in post-digital China WeChat QR codes (fig. 12), stored in mobile phones, are used to facilitate transactions from exchanging contact details to commerce. Like other totems, they provide access to information such as locations, preferences, beliefs, marital status and financial circumstances. These individualised brands are the most recent incarnation of a technology that has developed over the past eight thousand years. The intermediary iteration, emblems affixed to garments, has remained prevalent since the twelfth century. Their continued salience is due to their visibility and, subsequent, accessibility as signifiers. Fig. 12. It may be posited that Wechat QR codes are a form individualised branding. Like other totems, they store information pertaining to the owner’s location, beliefs, preferences, marital status and financial circumstances. “Join Wechat groups using QR code on 2019.” Techwebsites. 26 July 2019 <https://techwebsites.net/join-wechat-group-qr-code/>.Fig. 13. Brands function effectively as signifiers is due to the international distribution of multinational corporations. This is the shopfront of Chanel in Dubai, which offers customers apparel bearing consistent insignia as the Parisian outlet at on Rue Cambon. Customers of Chanel can signify to each other with the confidence that their products will be recognised. “Chanel.” The Dubai Mall. 26 July 2019 <https://thedubaimall.com/en/shop/chanel>.Navigating a post-structuralist world of increasing mobility necessitates a rudimental understanding of these symbols. Whereas in the nineteenth century status was conveyed through consumption and witnessing consumption, from the twentieth century onwards the garnering of brands made this transaction immediate (Veblen 47; Han et al. 18). The bricolage of the brands is constructed by bricoleurs working in any number of contemporary creative fields such as advertising, filmmaking or song writing. They provide a system by which individuals can convey and recognise identities at prima facie. They enable the prosthesis of identity.ReferencesBaudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and Simulation. Trans. Sheila Faria Glaser. United States: University of Michigan Press, 1994.Burstein, Jessica. Cold Modernism: Literature, Fashion, Art. United States: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2012.Chaney, Lisa. Chanel: An Intimate Life. United Kingdom: Penguin Books Limited, 2011.Christensen, J.A. Cut-Art: An Introduction to Chung-Hua and Kiri-E. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1989. Clark, Eddie M., Timothy C. 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