Beauty Standards

From Theresah:

Growing up in Ghana, lots of schools did not allow girls to have their hair done. Whether it is up in a ponytail, braids, or down long, it was not allowed. It was expected for both male and female to have the same low-cut hairstyles. When it grows, it’s expected to be cut down before notified to do so. For guys, it was always expected for them to be bald or have very little hair on their heads but for girls, many did not understand why they had to shave their hair for school.

Till this day, many schools in Ghana still do not allow girls to have their hair done in any type of way. When school was out of session, I would notice my cousins and classmates would get their hair done all nice and pretty and when school resumes, it gets cut off again. I wondered why they would get them done knowing that when school resumes it would be all gone again. There is a saying that goes “if your hair doesn’t look good, everything else doesn’t”. I completely agree with that statement simply because since I came to the states, I started caring more about my hair because when I was in Ghana, it was always cut to the lowest point and the more years that come, the better hair gets. There are so many ways to get your hair done without actually getting it done through lace fronts, wigs, and extensions which is so painless and convenient.

 In the reading “X a fabulous child’s story”, the story was about trying to raise the child without following any specific gender roles. That is what the school system about girls having hair seemed like. Though there’s nothing wrong with the genderless idea, the choice was not optional. That’s what makes it wrong. It took years before girls could go to school; including them means they have to obey certain rules and regulations such as having low haircuts to blend in because “girls tend to avoid open competition or aggression. Girls more frequently in cooperative exchanges with each other, negotiate sharing arrangements and make turns without interrupting” (Maccoby, 1998; Serbin et al., 1984) which is why when it comes to being transparent, its so hard and they attack women where it hurts. Those who get diagnosed with cancer not only fear for their life and worry about the treatment and how to afford it, but they also fear about losing their hair because its symbolic in its own way and going without it is extremely hard.

In my photo, I am holding 2 wigs and on the top right corner, I tried to put pictures together to make it look like I was getting an incoming facetime call with a friend about hair choices. I chose to go with that idea because I always have braids, and when I don’t, I have a wig on simply because my hair shrinks supper fast. Especially when it gets wet. I don’t have an issue with my hair, it’s just a lot easier to manage with a wig. Though not a lot of girls actually facetime their friends to pick out hair, I just thought it would be fun to include more into the photo because in movies like “clueless” and “mean girls”, that was how the popular girls acted which doesn’t always happen.

I tried to emphasize creative techniques such as symbolism, gaze, color, and background. Hair is a form of symbolism in beauty. The one who wears it regardless of the type always feels some type of joy especially when its exactly how they want it. My background is a typical in the bedroom moment. Its my favorite and only hang out spot because there’s a lot of negative energy in the house so having my own space is a blessing. My gaze is towards the screen and the person calling me. The color is to emphasize joy and brightness. My photo emphasizes how everyone as a whole is branching away from social norms and embracing beauty standards in a way that they choose not because it is expected or required. The story of X to me was a very good reading because the child was raised in a way that was full of mystery and freedom. We don’t all have to follow the boy girl social norms so long as were comfortable with the state we are in whether it is choosing to cut your hair supper short or trying out a new type of wig or hair do. Beauty is within. How we express it should be optional. Girl culture or not, you could choose to wear colorful wigs or go natural. Not all beauty standards have to be followed.

 

Work cited

Gould, Lois. “X: A Fabulous Child's Story.” Ms., July 1972.

Rudman, Laurie A., et al. "The Two Cultures of Childhood." The Social Psychology of     Gender: How Power and Intimacy Shape Gender Relations. The Guilford Press,    2015, 59-63.