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Anthropology And African American Studies: A Summary And Analysis

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In order to explore the implications of black and white standards of beauty (Eurocentric) that influence Black female hairstyles in modern day United States, I will utilize concepts and theories from Anthropology and African American studies. According to Robert H. Lavenda, Anthropology is the study of human beings that is holistic, comparative, field-based, and evolutionary. Anthropologists gather a wide range of information from multiple cultures, compare cultural practices, incorporate other disciplines, and join in cultural practices to determine “who they [the people being studied] are and why they do what they do” (Lavenda 2012). Cultural anthropology specifically assumes that the culture has the biggest impact on human life than any …show more content…

In my research I will be examining four major concepts of anthropology: culture, acculturation, social beliefs, and the traits of culture -culture is Learned; shared; patterned; and symbolic. According to Repko, culture is sets of learned behavior and ideas the individual gathered from society (Repko 2012); Acculturation is cultural groups adapting to another culture and taking on traits of that culture; and social beliefs are behaviors, beliefs, and actions common to members of a particular group. Therefore, African American female hair practices are influenced by Eurocentric cultural standards of beauty -beauty standards that equate beauty with desirable European features- and Afrocentric cultural standards of beauty – beauty standards that equate African features to beauty. Examining Human agency, culture, social beliefs, acculturation, and the traits of culture; will highlight black and white beauty standards, establish African American culture, and further emphasizes the influence of Eurocentric and Afrocentric beauty standards on black female hairstyles in the modern united …show more content…

Karanja Keita Carroll, Ph. D defines Africana studies as “…the critical analysis of the Africana experience, people, and culture, through the usage of the Afrikan worldview, with the ultimate goal of changing the life chances of Afrikan descended peoples” (Carroll 2008). Therefore, African American studies examines the past and present culture, characteristics, and issues of African Americans; establishes an “intellectual and academic space for Black people to tell their own story” (Alkalimat 1986), and seeks to better the lives of African Americans. African American studies focuses on concepts such as black consciousness and cultural self-definition, and knowledge production in addition to theories such as the race identity stages and Afrocentrism. Black consciousness is the awareness of one’s identity as a black person. According to Bantu Stephen Biko, being black is not just skin color it is also a “reflection of mental attitude” (Biko 1971. Biko argues that choosing to describe oneself as black is committing to fight against forces that “seek to use your blackness as a stamp that marks you out as a subservient being” (Biko 1971). Therefore, black consciousness is the acknowledgement of one’s blackness and dedication to fighting for political and social equality. Cultural self-definition is the definition of one's individuality and one's role in life; such placement of

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