1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«This thesis reviews the historical and contextual nature of beauty amongst women of African descent and the Diasporain the works of Patricia Hill Collins, bell hooks [Gloria Jean Watkins], Malcolm X, W.E.B DuBois and many others on such topics as skin color, hair texture, health, body image and racism.» The author wants to «[…] determine the continuing salience of these issues in the lives of Black women.» (p. iii)

Questions/Hypothèses :
The research question posed by the author is: «What individual social constructs of a ’Black’ identity have been acquired and integrated?» (p. 36)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
The sample of this study is composed of «[…] ten second generation African (Black) Canadians.» (p. iii)

Instruments :
-Questionnaire
-Guide d’entretien

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

«The concept of beauty is a prime value in North American culture yet the feminine beauty ideal has conventionally been associated with the White population, causing a dichotomy of norms between Whites and non-Whites. [...] The qualitative data is rich but the most striking finding is that the women do not express the dichotomy between Black and White aesthetics as strongly as the American and British data would suggest. The intersubjective nature of the Black Canadian female experience highlighted a fragmented awareness of interracial and intraracial discrimination that shaped their self-identity and position in society, additionally their definition of beauty, valuing internal qualities such as intelligence and undervaluing qualities related to physical appearance. The interview data indicated that there was minimal racialization of attitudes on health and body aesthetics, and minimal emphasis on Afrocentric traits. Discussions on phenotypes like hair texture and skin color demonstrated the confusion that exists in rationalizing the use of racialized terminology. The majority of respondents indicated mild concerns over their body based on the Body Shape Questionnaire and healthy self-esteem on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale.» (p. iii) In this research, family is an important dimension in the construction of identity and representation of the beauty.