Beauty differences in culture and race
How does intersectionality and positionality play into definitions of beauty?
A person's background and life experiences are significant to their approaches and views on aspects of life, beauty being one example. A person's relationship with their body and how they care for it is important to recognize, and it is necessary to acknowledge where these differences may come from. Perspective and positionality play meaningful roles in a person's engagement with the interactions between what society tells them and with what they personally believe.
"Indeed, the coarsest, most refractory, and snarly locks can be subdued, and made comparatively soft and glossy by the use of the brush alone. Constant brushing is the first rule to subdue coarse and brittle hair" (Montez 82-83).
Montez dedicates a few chapters in her text to conversations about hair. She outlines proper hair maintenance and hair care routines and practices, brushing being an important aspect. Montez emphasizes how brushing one's hair can be one of the best practices to incorporate into a woman's routine; however, I couldn't help but feel that this was only addressed to a specific group of women. Brushing isn't a practice implemented by all women, especially those with different hair types. The curlier, thicker, more textured one's hair is, the more different their hair care and processes may be from that of what Montez addresses. Beauty's definition varies between cultures and people. A person's identity may be expressed through their hair, it can tell a story of their culture and history, and it can create a sense of freedom and expression of their femininity and of one's self. Women of color often connect greatly with their hair, and topics of protective hairstyles and curl relaxing or straightening are important to recognize. Women, such as Madame CJ Walker challenged the norms Montez addresses in her work. Walker created a business dedicated to supporting women of color and their relationships with their hair, acknowledging them as important and allowing them to desire to look a certain way. Hair can be an expression of identity; therefore, there shouldn't be one standard or one way of fitting into definitions of beauty because of the immense diversity surrounding its intersectionality. Society's continuation of pushing forward the white or light-skinned ideal in beauty perpetuates the "anti-Black logics of beauty ideals in relation to everyday experiences of racial capitalism" (Havlin, 18). Our world is endlessly diverse and unique, and society shouldn't be trying to limit this fluidity. Montez, although she provides specific and limiting approaches to beauty, also acknowledges the diversity within it and doesn't seek to replace others' ideals or views on beauty with her own.