Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Readings and Considerations Regarding the "Pretty Patrol"

Greetings, Class Community.


We are taking a moment to consider how Appiah's theories pertaining to the ethics in identity. In The Ethics of Identity, he questions how does identity fit into our broader moral projects [as a society].  He also finds that identities have patterns and structures to them and that identity has a certain 'value' in society.

(from http://www.amazon.com/Ethics-Identity-Kwame-Anthony-Appiah-ebook/dp/B002WJM5BE)

Consider your identities.  Identify your primary identities and answer the following.

  • How would you define your identity?  
  • What are the  patterns or features associated with that identity?  
  • How do you express 'value' in that identity?  
  • How much of this identity is articulated in your personality based on that 'value'?
Also consider how this reading affirms, complicates or changes your ideas of the "pretty patrol" and the politics of physical appearances pertaining to Black women?

Yours truly, 

Dr. Hill 

5 comments:

  1. I would define my identity as an educated Black woman. The features associated with this identity are curves, full lips, "wild" hair, attitude, ghetto, loud, sexual, aggressive, etc. I express value in my identity through going against stereotype and present positive aspects of being a Black woman. Most of my identity is articualed through my personality based on my value. In the book "The Bluest Eye," by Toni Morrison many of the characters have their own identities, one being that many of them are Black women. All of them express their values differently and it doesn't follow through in their personality. For example, the character Pecola is a Black female, but through her personality she expresses her longing to be White with blue eyes, which is beautiful to her. The reading "The Ethics of Identity" in some way affirmed my ideas about "pretty patrol" pertaining to Black women. Appiah discussed different freedoms that are available to us, those that are obvious and those that are negotiated everyday. The freedoms that are negotiated related to "pretty patrol" in a sense that we are patrolled and judged of everything that we do, like within the institutions of education, beauty, religion, sexuality and much more.

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  2. I like much of what you have to say in this post, Jalyn. I do have a few questions. I am going to divide the different ideas in your argument and then post the questions.

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  3. Jalyn, you said "I would define my identity as an educated Black woman. The features associated with this identity are curves, full lips, "wild" hair, attitude, ghetto, loud, sexual, aggressive, etc. I express value in my identity through going against stereotype and present positive aspects of being a Black woman."

    What are some of the ways you challenge the negative stereotypes associated with the Black femininity? How do you choose to challenge these stereotypes in the ways you construct Black womanhood?

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  4. I would identify myself as an educated Black woman, as well. The features perceived to be associated with Black women are sexualized (i.e Jezebel someone who is oversexed and can't control her "wild" urges), aggressive, nappy hair, church goer, tough, independent, poor and loud. Add in the educated aspect then you would get bossy, demanding, bougie, arrogant, whitewashed and oreo. I express value in my identity as a educated Black woman by living my life regardless of these negative perceptions that are tied to it. I'm not necessarily going try to dispel the stereotypes by showing that I'm better or different from other black women who do, but I'm not playing into them either. I'm an individual regardless if I get loud or enunciate it isn't relative to my blackness or me being a woman, it's more of a personality characteristic. I see value in that as Black women we have a lot to go through and are consistently slept on but I take pride in the strength of having to go against the odds. "The Black woman is the most unprotected, unloved woman on earth…she is the only flower on earth…that grows unwatered." This quote by Kola Boof highlights the resilient nature and strength that are associated with Black women and I value that most about my identity. All of what I value in my identity articulates in my personality. In the "Ethics in Identity" reading affirms my ideas of the "pretty patrol" because it speaks on how social identities are important to solidarity and the "pretty patrol" can only be effective if you are a part of a social group in which you identify with.The pretty patrol is usually effective if it is someone that you identify as part of your social group.

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  5. I describe myself as a Black, woman, a mother, a student and I'm natural. I definitely wouldn't consider myself being this over sexualized woman, ghetto, uneducated, full lipped (even though I do have full lips) I just wouldn't use things that I feel are unimportant to describe me. I think because I am a single mother people can take that as me being promiscuous. I am natural and I know some people think I'm trying to stand against society by wearing my hair "nappy", I'm just choosing to be comfortable in my own skin and accept myself and especially my hair the way that it grows naturally.

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