Offer a detailed example of the shaping and/or reshaping of African identities by summarising the central argument of one text that we discussed this semester. [10]

Question

n “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)

Answer 1

Stereotypes associated with the hair of people of African descent often originate from Eurocentric standards of beauty and cultural norms. For example, natural African hair is often seen as unkempt, unprofessional, or unattractive in comparison to straight, sleek hair. These stereotypes have been reinforced through media representation and historical narratives that have devalued African features.

A dichotomy refers to a division or contrast between two things that are represented as being entirely different. Nyamnjoh and Fuh analyze the dichotomy between natural hair and relaxed hair in the latter half of their article. They argue that this binary categorization is problematic as it oversimplifies the complex relationship that individuals, especially African women, have with their hair. By categorizing hair into strict dichotomies, people are limited in their expression of identity and are often forced to conform to narrow beauty standards.

People perform identity through styling their hair by choosing how they want to present themselves to the world. Nyamnjoh and Fuh provide the example of Nigerian women who braid their hair in different styles as a way to express their cultural heritage and personal identity. By braiding their hair, these women are not only asserting their African identity but also challenging dominant beauty standards that prioritize Eurocentric features. In this way, both racial and gender identities are performed through hair styling as individuals navigate the complexities of identity within a society that often imposes narrow definitions of beauty and acceptability.