Identity Negotiation and Perception of Hair Essay -- African American

A fair sexs blur is often referred to as her crown and glory. Hair is a salient physical characteristic of ones ego fancy and how others view their level of attractiveness. One of the major intra-prejudice amongst African Americans is hair caryopsis. This stain is especially prevalent among African American women. For African American women, hair carries an even greater psychological complexity. Starting from slavery, African Americans were judged by the texture and curl pattern of their hair. For example, down(p)s with lighter skin color and straight/ wavy hair had certain advantages oppose to those Blacks who possessed much afro-centric features, such as darker skin and kinky hair (Myrdal, 1962 Neal & Wilson, 1989 Parrish 1944 Poussaint, 1975 Reuter, 1917). While a plethora of commentaries remove been written on black hair, few empirical studies exist that keep examined the reverberating consequences of slavery, as it relates to the western indoctrination of hair and its impact on racial identity/self-concept among African American women.History of the Complexity of Hair among Black Women The origin of the controversy surrounding African American hair dates butt to slavery. It was a major phenotypic characteristic used to classify African Americans racial identity, intelligence and attractiveness (Guthrie, 1998). European culture was used as the reference group of comparison. Whiteness became identified with all that is civilized, virtuous and beautiful, whereas black was deemed as inferior, rebellious, and inadequate. Guthrie (1998) reported that the hair of the black man was wool, not hair. Subsequently, this racial ideology was internalized by many African Americans, which resulted in what Jones and Shorter-G... ...al, political and stinting strides African Americans have made in society, are African American women still psychologically enslaved to their hair? The purpose of this study is to examine rate of flow perceptions of hair and its importance to racial identity and self concept among African American female college students. More specifically, this investigation addresses the following research capitulum Are perceptions of African American hair related to perceived attractiveness, self-concept, racial identity, and overall happiness? It is hypothesized that 1) African American women are more in all likelihood to perceive mainstream hair texture, such as straight, permed hair, as more attractive than natural/ kinky hair 2) An interactive effect is expect between skin-tone and hair texture on the dependent variables attractiveness, racial identity, self concept, and happiness.