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Gazing into a Distorted Looking Glass: Masculinity, Femininity, Appearance Ideals, and the Black Body
Author(s) -
Ford Kristie A.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
sociology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1751-9020
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-9020.2008.00116.x
Subject(s) - femininity , masculinity , gender studies , sociology , black female , identity (music) , hegemony , white (mutation) , black women , hegemonic masculinity , field (mathematics) , gender identity , aesthetics , art , political science , biochemistry , chemistry , mathematics , politics , pure mathematics , law , gene
This article reviews socio‐psychological literature on racial identity development and feminist work on the body in an effort to better understand past and present constructions of the Black body. I begin by providing a brief overview of previous research on Black identity and self‐image, noting how these theories have been applied to appearance. I then historically trace the unique raced and gendered constructions of Black masculinity and femininity – showing how the experiences of Black men and women differ from the White hegemonic paradigm. Finally, I review current research on the Black body and highlight areas of inquiry where the field can be further expanded.