Monday, February 15, 2010
Sheila's Shop
I finished Sheila's Shop and it was an interesting read. The author's purpose was to give working class African-American women a voice. She conducted her interviews in a beauty shop, and led a variety of discussions ranging from racisim to faith. The author even proposed a new theory based on her findings, which I somewhat disagree with. Even though Battle-Waters study had a different focus than my own, the beauty shop setting and Battle-Water's findings provide an understanding of how beauty shops function in the African-American community to transmit ideas and as a supportive "sisterhood." Maybe the prevalence of beauty shops in the African-American community, and the perpetuation of eurocentric beauty standards through their use, causes the stigma associated with black hair to proceed. Battle-Waters racial and gender victorization theory reasserted my question, even though she did not address it, If black women realize stereotypes held about them and reject them, why does natural hair have negative connotations within the African-American community? I will explore Battle-Waters theory more in my lit review. Next, I'll be reading Style and Status Selling Beauty to African-American Women 1920-1975.
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Not clear what the author's theory is from this, but I'll be eager to hear more about it and why you disagree. Thinking critically, and not accepting whatever the author presents is one of your strengths Shea!
ReplyDeleteAlso an important point about marketing. Can spend considerable attention on that.
The way you pose the question of why natural is stigmatized begs a basic question in response: could stigmatizing images of being black have been internalized? in the same way that unhealthy slimness has? hmmm.