Control / contrôle: comparing discourses of power and rebellion in hair care products

Thesis (M.A.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2017Since the Antiquity, female hair has been a powerful social semiotic, used to determine women's sexuality, mental states, and adherence to gender norms. As a result of this extensive signifying power, many disciplinary practices have evolved to regulate female hair. In this thesis, I use critical discourse analysis methods to determine what ideologies are present on consumer hair care products. I investigate a selection of products found within a Fairbanks, AK beauty store, analyzing the English and French text on the labels. The results of this analysis show that hair product labels directly address the disciplinary practices that circulate through our culture, often referencing control, aggression, and defensive relationships. The language to evoke control is modified slightly between Anglo-American and French and Franco-Canadian contexts, with the former more likely to use managerial terms in the discourse. Hair product labels also appropriate language of resistance, ultimately creating an adversarial relationship between the consumer and nature

Black hair politics : the representation of African women on True Love magazine front covers and hair advertisements

The literature about race and gender includes extensive research on the representation of black women. However, most of these studies have been conducted in the West; only a few have been done in Africa in general and in South Africa in particular. To address this gap, I use quantitative content and visual semiotic analysis to examine selected examples of South African True Love magazine?s front-page covers and hair advertisements and how these represent black African women. Paying particular attention to hair, this thesis examines the hair products, hair types, lengths, colours and hairstyles that feature prominently in the visual texts. By doing so, it seeks to uncover the myths and ideologies that are constructed and promoted. This study also employs focus group interviews to find out to what extent the images on the covers and advertisements influence the respondents? self-esteem and hair styling practices, while also exploring their own perceptions of black hair. The results of the semiotic analysis and quantitative content analysis showed that True Love has increased the visibility of black African women. Through a survey questionnaire and focus group interviews, this study found that respondents attached different meanings to hair. My study found that the intersectionality of race, gender and class impacted on the selected black African women?s notions of black hair. In terms of their hairstyling practices the study found that the respondents embraced both Westerncentric and Afrocentric styles. However, with respect to hair types and styles featured on True Love covers and advertisements, a quantitative content analysis suggests that the Westerncentric ideal of long, straight hair dominated. Additionally, hair altering and enhancement products featured prominently, as if to suggest that black hair is only beautiful when it is altered. The respondents? perceptions provided new insights on black hair and styling. My research suggests that hair styling among black African women is a complex issue. Black hair is a politically charged subject, and hairstyling and hair care routines are governed by social, cultural, religious, economic and political factors. For instance, it emerged that the reason for relaxing hair has little to do with emulating „white? standards or copying ideals promoted in True Love; it is mainly associated with maintenance as most respondents pointed out that they relaxed their hair to make it easier to comb and style. In addition, some wear long hair for professional reasons, while others adopt long weaves to attract men. Furthermore, True Love presents the different faces of black African women by portraying them as mothers, wives, married and single, and as glamorous, independent and successful career women. Nevertheless, the magazine still uses stereotypical tropes by objectifying, infantilising, and hyper-sexualising them in many cases. The findings support the claim that the dominant ideologies of patriarchy, capitalism and consumerism are a consistent pattern throughout the covers and advertisements. Additionally, from the above it is clear that the magazine presents contradictory messages about black femininities owing to its diverse readership and various factors such as global trends, commercial considerations and ownership structure, which influence the content that is published. These findings provide insights that have implications for hair brands that advertise in True Love.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2018.Visual ArtsPhDUnrestricte

A grammar of sentiment thinking about sentimental jewellery towards making new art about love and loss

This practice-led research project explores English and French sentimental jewellery of the Victorian period. ‘Sentimental jewellery’ or ‘message jewellery’ denotes jewellery created to function as a tangible expression of feeling between donor and recipient, mediated through complex narratives relating to its exchange. These artefacts codify emotion through use of complex visual languages, employing the symbolic and coded use of gems, human hair, emblems, words and wordplay. The research has expanded to encompass memorial garments known as ‘widows weeds’. The aims of the research have been threefold: firstly, to add to understanding and interpretation of aspects of Victorian sentimental jewellery and associated craft practices; secondly, to explore the metaphors and narratives inherent within them; thirdly, to test the visual and technical possibilities of knowledge thus gained to address human feeling through art. Outcomes take the form of a body of new artwork and a written thesis, which are designed to be mutually informing. Together, they articulate my response to the project’s central question: can consideration of the ‘grammar of sentiment’ at work in Victorian sentimental jewellery yield new possibilities, through fine art practice, for communicating love and loss in the 21st century? The four artworks that are a main output of the research take the forms of: REGARD:LOVEME, an artist’s book exploring gem codes and wordplay; Plocacosmos, a set of hairworking trials; The Cyanotypes, which reflect upon the materiality and aesthetic of the amatory locket; and Widows Weeds, a large format photographic installation, which considers the materiality and lineage of mourning cloth. Collectively, they explore the typology of the sentimental artefact through development of text/image vocabularies that are conceived as providing a ‘grammar of sentiment’ through which to articulate aspects of human feeling. It is this exploration that constitutes my main contribution to knowledge.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Hair representations among Black South African women : exploring identity and notions of beauty

South Africa is a country of diversity, culture and various identities; and beneath this diversity, lays the complexity of defining and owning a space for oneself. This study was motivated with the intention to understand Black women’s representations in South Africa as well as the social interactions evident in the relationship between a Black woman and her hair. Literature elucidates on the historical richness of representation for Black people as well as the contemporary relevance of representation for Black women in particular. Furthermore, beauty discourse extends beyond the merely corporeal and finds meaning in historical, political, and circumstantial frames of thought. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with Black women. These interviews generated three discursive themes – hair and politics, hair and media and finally, circumstantial self-representation. Exploring these themes revealed that hair, as a projection of the self, is constantly redefining itself and its meaning in a progressive social culture. Furthermore, women assume agency and a degree of importance and identity from the hairstyles they choose to wear on a daily basis.PsychologyM.A. (Psychology-Research Consultation

From marginalization to empowerment: Depicting black women workers in Self Made miniseries - a feminist stylistic

ENGLISH: Physical appearance, especially beauty standards influenced by social constructs, plays an important role in shaping a woman's self-confidence and employment. Unfortunately, black women, especially African-American women, often face marginalization due to social beauty standards, race, and gender discrimination in patriarchal environments. Therefore, through the miniseries "Self Made", this research aims to analyze how the dialogue texts spoken by the characters in the miniseries represent black women workers. This research uses a qualitative descriptive research method with a feminist stylistic discourse analysis approach by Sara Mills. Through word, phrase, or sentence level analysis and discourse level analysis, it was found that black women were portrayed negatively and degraded in terms of their physical appearance, profession, and role as women and belonging to the Negro race. However, there are also findings when black women workers are positively identified through analysis of phrases or sentences in their transitivity choices, which show representations of women who are brave and empowered in challenging racial stereotypes and the domination of patriarchal power. By shedding light on the representation of black women in the context of their intersectional identities, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the challenges they face. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of addressing stereotypes and bias in media portrayals, ultimately advocating for a more inclusive and equitable society. INDONESIA: Penampilan fisik, terutama standar kecantikan yang dipengaruhi oleh konstruksi sosial, memainkan peran penting dalam membentuk rasa percaya diri seorang wanita dan perekrutan dalam pekerjaan. Sayangnya, wanita kulit hitam, khususnya wanita Afrika-Amerika, sering menghadapi marginalisasi akibat standar kecantikan sosial, ras dan juga diskriminasi gender dalam lingkungan patriarkis. Oleh karena itu, melalui miniseri “Self Made”, penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis bagaimana teks dialog yang diucapkan oleh tokoh-tokoh dalam miniseri tersebut secara lingiuistic merepresentasikan pekerja perempuan kulit hitam. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode penelitian deskriptif kualitatif dengan pendekatan analisis wacana feminist stylistics dari Sara Mills. Dengan analisis tingkat kata, frase atau kalimat, dan analisis tingkat wacana, ditemukan bahwa wanita kulit hitam digambarkan secara negatif dan direndahkan dari segi penampilan fisik, profesi, dan peran mereka sebagai wanita yang memiliki ras Negro. Namun, ada juga temuan ketika wanita pekerja kulit hitam digambarkan secara positif teridentifikasi melalui analisis frase atau kalimat pada pilihan transitivitasnya yang menunjukkan representasi perempuan yang tangguh dan berani berdaya dalam menentang stereotype ras dan dominasi kekuasaan patriarki. Dengan membahas representasi wanita kulit hitam dalam konteks identitas interseksional mereka, penelitian ini berkontribusi pada pemahaman yang lebih mendalam tentang tantangan yang mereka hadapi. Selain itu, penelitian ini menekankan pentingnya mengatasi stereotip dan bias dalam representasi media, yang pada akhirnya mendorong masyarakat yang lebih inklusif dan adil. ARABIC: المبدأ الجمال الذي يشكله بناء الإجتماعي له دور كبير في تشكيل ثقة نفسية النساء و تجنيد الأعمال ، مع الأسف، النساء السوداء من أفريقيا و أمريكا، يواجهن التغريب بسبب مبدأ جمال الإجتماعي وكذلك التفريق الجنسي من قبل الرجال.من أجل ذالك، بوسيلة فلم الْحَيَاةِ الْخَاصَّة ، يهدف هذا الإستقراء لتحليل كيف مقالة المكالمة التي نطقها الأشخاص لغويا في فلم يمثل عمال النساء التي لديها جلود السوداء .استخدم هذا الإستقراء طريقة تحليل التصوير القيمي مع نظر يةنسوية من "سارا ملس" بتحليل طبقة الكلمة و الجملة و تحليل طبقة المقال. وجد في هذا الإستقراء ان جلد الأسود شكل من جهة السلبية و محقور من ناحية الجسدية و الأعمال و دورهن كاالنساء الزنجية. وكذاك وجد عندما صورت اجابية من تحليل الجملة في اختيار الكلمة تدل على تمثيل المرأة القوية و الشجاعة و قادرة على تدمير نظرية الجنسية السوءة و قيادة الرجال .بتمثيل ألوان الجلود في سياق علاقة الأسباب من التفريق و التغريب .اعطي هذا الإستقراء المفهومات العميقة عن مشكلتهن. و يمنحنا وعاية عن أهمية تغليب النظرية السيئة في وسيلة الإجتماعية هدفا لجعل المجتمع الشامل مع العدالة