In “Africans Consuming Hair, Africans Consumed by Hair” (2014), Francis Nyamnjoh and Divine Fuh argue that hair is a powerful symbol of identity for many – especially women of African descent whose complex relationships with hair challenge stereotypes and dichotomies inherited from the colonial past.
Draw from Nyamnjoh and Fuh’s article, lectures, and tutorials to explain this argument. Your explanation should address the following questions:
What stereotypes are associated with the hair of people of African descent and where do these stereotypes originate? (2)
What is a dichotomy? What specific dichotomy do the authors analyse in the latter half of the article (57-65)? And why from the authors’ standpoint is this dichotomy problematic? (3)
In what sense do people perform identity when they style their hair? Describe and analyse an example from the text, noting how both racial and gender identities are performed. (3)
Stereotypes associated with the hair of people of African descent often stem from colonial and Eurocentric perspectives. These stereotypes include the belief that natural African hair is unkempt, unprofessional, or unattractive, while straightened or European-style hair is seen as more acceptable and attractive. These stereotypes have been perpetuated through media, beauty standards, and societal norms.
A dichotomy is a division between two contrasting or opposing things. Nyamnjoh and Fuh analyze the dichotomy between natural and relaxed hair within the context of African identity. They argue that this dichotomy is problematic because it perpetuates colonial legacies of inferiority associated with natural African hair. The authors suggest that this dichotomy is not reflective of African women's diverse relationships with their hair and reinforces a false binary that limits self-expression and perpetuates Eurocentric beauty standards.
People perform identity through styling their hair by choosing hairstyles that reflect their sense of self and cultural identity. In the text, the authors discuss the practice of African women using hair extensions to achieve a more European look, highlighting how this reflects internalized beliefs about beauty and acceptability. By conforming to Eurocentric beauty standards, individuals may be performing a specific racial and gender identity that aligns with dominant societal norms. This example demonstrates how hair can be a powerful symbol of identity and how choices in hair styling can reflect complex relationships with race, gender, and culture.