Beauty differences in culture and race
How does intersectionality and positionality play into definitions of beauty?
A person's background and experiences significantly influence their approaches to and views on life. Beauty is one area in which these personal biases have great weight. A person's relationship with their body and how they care for it is important to recognize, and it is necessary to acknowledge from where these differences may come. Perspective and positionality play meaningful roles in what information a person values. which is influenced by the interaction between what society tells them and 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 only addresses a specific group of women. Brushing isn't a practice implemented by all women, especially those with different hair types. The curlier, thicker, and more textured one's hair is, the more different their hair care may be from what Montez dictates. 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 emphasizes in her work. Walker created a business dedicated to supporting women of color and their relationships with their hair, acknowledging the importance of their individuality and giving them a pathway to expressing themselves in the specific ways they desired. 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). 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. Instead, just as Montez embraced her own individuality and the controversy of not living entirely to the standards expected of women in her time, everyone should be allowed to live as they want and express themselves through their appearance, or otherwise, as they see fit. Our world is endlessly diverse and unique, and society shouldn't be trying to limit this fluidity.