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thesis entitled

AFRICAN AMERICAN NATURAL HAIR
AS A SYMBOL OF SELF

presented by

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TAMEKA NICOLE FERGUSON

has been accepted towards fulfillment
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MASTER’S OF degree in APPAREL AND TEXTILE
ARTS DESIGN

 

 

 

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AFRICAN AMERICAN NATURAL HAIR
AS A SYMBOL OF SELF

By

Tameka Nicole Ferguson

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER’S OF ARTS
Department of Human Environment and Design

2003

we:

AFRICAN AMERICAN NATURAL HAIR
AS A SYMBOL OF SELF

By

Tameka Nicole Ferguson

The purpose of this research was to examine the self perception of African
Americans regarding their choice to wear “natural” hair as a symbol of their professional
and personal identities. Within this study, the ideas behind how those people perceive
themselves with natural hair and how they feel others perceive them was examined.
Natural African American hair was reviewed back to the recent history of the 1960s-
1970s Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, when African Americans began to
break free of the mainstream society’s definition of beauty. A purposive sample of 25
African Americans with natural hair was interviewed regarding their self perceptions of
natural hair. This study’s ultimate goal is to provide companies, organizations, and
individuals with information that can help increase cultural awareness. An additional goal
is to ultimately determine whether business practices restrict display of culture through
natural hair styles and personal appearance. Lastly, this research hopes to build
acceptance of African Americans wearing natural hair within their own communities as

well as among other racial and ethnic groups.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I want to give all praise and thanks to God, for the many thoughts and words that
went into this master’s thesis. I couldn’t have done it without Him.

I want to send a grand thanks to Dr. Sally Helvenston, Academic Program
Advisor, and thesis director, for the many editing sessions, suggestions and patience.
Thanks for spending the time to help me get this thesis done right.

Thanks are also due to my guidance committee, Dr. Linda Good and
Dr. Harriett McAdoo, for their guidance, support and suggestions.

A special appreciation is due to Dr. Ann Slocum; thank you for stimulating my
mind to bring about this topic. I really appreciate all of the rich information you shared
with me to help me complete this thesis.

Last, but not least, I want to thank my mother, Pamela Ann Ferguson and my
sister, LaTasha Lynette Ferguson. Thank you for the warmth, love and encouragement

throughout the completion of this degree.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
List of Photographic Images of Hairstyles .............................................. vi
List of Tables ............................................................................... vii
Introduction ...................................................................................... 1
Hair as a symbol ................................................................... 2
History of Processed/Strarghtened hair ......................................... 3
Are they rebelling against society? .............................................. 4
Statement of the problem .......................................................... 5
Operational Definitions ........................................................... 5
Rationale ..................................................................................... 12
Theoretical F ramework: The Self Perception .................................... . ...... 15
Review of the Literature ................................................................... 17
Theoretical views of hair and clothing as a symbol of self and culture. . .. 17
Theoretical views of clothing as a symbol of the professional self. ..... ...... 23
Methodology ................................................................................. 28
Description of sample ............................................................ 28
Pilot Study .......................................................................... 29
Procedures and Instrumentation ................................................. 30
Data Collection ..................................................................... 31
Data Analysis ....................................................................... 32
Results/Findings ............................................................................. 33
Consistency in Responses ......................................................... 33
Thematic Analysis ................................................................. 40
Summary and Conclusions ................................................................ 52
Problem Statement ................................................................. 52
Methodology ........................................................................ 52
Conclusions ......................................................................... 52
Limitations ................................................................................... 57
For Further Research ........................................................................ 57
Appendix A Pilot Study ................................................................. 60
Appendix B Invitation to participate in study ........................................ 65

iv

Appendix A Pilot Study .................................................................
Appendix B Invitation to participate in study ........................................
Appendix C Advertisements for study ................................................
Appendix D Contact sheet/sign-up sheet .............................................
Appendix E Consent form ...............................................................

Appendix F Rosenberg Self Esteem Questionnaire .................................
Appendix G Interviewing Guide .......................................................
Appendix H Demographics/Identification form .....................................

Bibliography ..............................................................................

60

65

66

67

68

7O

72

75

76

LIST OF PHOTGRAPHIC IMAGES OF HAIRSTYLES

Image

1.

2.

Mature Dreadlocks .................................................................

Mature Dreadlocks with Sterling Silver Rings as adornment ...............

. Baby/Immature Dreadlocks ......................................................

Two Strand Twist ..................................................................

. A Close Cut ...........................................................................

vi

Page

10

11

MAB—LES.
Table
1. Consistency in Responses ........................................................
2. Motivation for Wearing Natural Hair ...........................................
3. Responses to Hair Texture Terminology .......................................
4. Change from Processed Hair to Natural Hair ..................................
5. Tabular Representation of Themes 3, 4, and 5 .................................
6. Hair Texture Acceptance ..........................................................
7. The Amount of Time and Money spent of the Upkeep of Natural Hair

versus Processed Hair .........................................................

8. Their Perceptions of Themselves/Their Thoughts on Perceptions from
Others: Research Questions ................................................

vii

38

4O

47

50

50

51

51

56

MIME!

Is it about Black Pride? Is it about rebellion? Or, is it just about loving one’s self,
culture, and heritage? Hair: what is it about?

Dress and adornment [hair] play an important part in everyone’s life because they

reflect one’s social role, self concept, values and lifestyles. The dress of an

individual communicates information and is usually a basis on which impressions

are first formed.

(Wright, 1982, p. 1)
Since the 19603 Civil Rights Movement, African Americans have been more culturally
conscious about themselves and where they originated. An African American person is
any Black person of African descent who was born and raised in the United States
(Green, White, Whitten, 2000, p. 167). Emerging from a time when African Americans
had to adapt and conform to a prejudiced society in which they were forced to live, the
Civil Rights and Black Power Movements allowed African Americans to break free of
the mainstream images of the “good hair” and “bad hair” perceptions of society, by
letting their dress, hair, and way of life display their love for their heritage. “Good hair”
is a term adopted by African Americans from slavery times depicting African Americans
who have straight or wavy hair. “Bad hair” is interpreted to mean African American hair
that is kinky, curly or frizzy and puffy. In the sixties and currently, the way African
Americans choose to style their hair says much about that their Black consciousness,
social status or economic status, and even lifestyle (Russell, Wilson, Hall, 1992, p. 82).
Black women with shorter kinkier hair are often disparaged and devalued by both the
dominant culture and segments of the Black community as being less feminine and less

attractive than Black women with long straight hair (Greene, White, Whitten, 2000, p.

171).

Hair as a symbol

Hair has been identified as a symbol of socio-economic status, artistic expression,
religious beliefs and heritage. In Egyptian times, beards were a symbol of maturity and
authority. They were mainly worn by adult male rulers, young kings and even Queen
Hatshepsut, who ruled around 1500 BC, was known to have worn a beard (Tortora,
Eubank, 1995, p. 30). Hair also has been used as artistic material. In the fifteenth
century West African tribe, Qua-Qua, the men cut off locks of their wives hair, dyed
them red, plaited them, then affixed them to their own heads (Byrd, 2002, p. 4). This
behavior could be interpreted as a symbol of ownership. The adornment of hair can be a
symbol of religious beliefs and customs. Rastafarian beliefs require that the hair
(Dreadlocks) never be out. They believe that Dreadlocks are their strength and unity with
God. (Evans, 2001, p. 3-D). Also Muslim women observe hijab (the covering of the
head and body). The women do this because they feel that'Allah has told them to do so.
Also the men and women both have uncut hair covered by a turban (for men) or a
scarf/wrap (for women) because of the requirement to be modest and for religious
reasons. They believe that in doing so, they will be judged for intelligence and skill
rather than looks and sexuality. The Muslim women feel they are making a statement
about their identity by covering their hair. Anyone who sees them will know they are
Muslim and have a good moral character.

Hair has always been a major symbol of heritage and culture in the Black
community. It also has been a way of bonding for mother and daughter for years and still
is today. This also goes back to the early years when straightening the hair (taking a

warm metal comb and combing the hair straight with heat and oil) was only done on

holidays, picture day, or other special occasions. French braids or cornrows (narrow
rows of three-section braiding tight to the scalp), were the everyday school hair styles.
Mothers would spend hours washing, conditioning and then braiding or straightening
their daughters’ hair. Black hair has always required a process that takes time to manage
and keep “under control”. African Americans have since gone through lengthy processes
to persuade their hair to become a more mainstream (acceptable to society) symbol of

their outer selves.

History of Processed/Straightened Hair

In 1872, Marcel Grateau, a Parisian, was the first to ever use the concept of a
heated comb to straighten hair. Hot combs were then available in Sears and
Bloomingdale’s catalogues in the 18905. They were originally designed for white
women. Afiican American women who wanted to straighten their hair had to place it flat
on a surface and press it with a flat iron. Madame C. I. Walker was the first African
American woman to begin to help women with this process. Walker developed hair
tonics, straighteners, cleansers and conditioners that eventually brought her wealth.
(Byrd, 2002, p. 6). Simkins (1990) who writes about hair and headgear among African
American women, stated that “This process (straightening the hair) has been perceived as
a mechanism which aided African Americans in their efforts toward somatic
accommodation to the majority culture.” In writing about historical change in African
American hairstyles, Wright (1982) claims that, “By straightening their hair, blacks

adorned themselves to be acceptable to the majority. . . .”

Since the early 19005 African American men and women have been willing to sit in a
chair for hours and have their hair “fried, dyed and laid to the side” (a riddle African
Americans created to mock the rigorous efforts taken to manage their hair). Before his
Islamic transformation, even Malcolm X, one of the great leaders during the civil rights
era, wore his hair in a conk, a process used on men’s hair in which the hair is chemically
processed to obtain a straight effect.

When Shorty let me stand up and see in a mirror, my hair hung down in limp,

damp strings. . .. My first view in the mirror blotted out the hurting. I’d seen

some pretty conks, but when it’s the first time on your own head, the

transformation, after a lifetime of kinks, is staggering.
(Haley, Malcolm X, 1964, p. 54).

Are they rebelling against society?

What about those Afiican Americans who do not chose to conform to'the
mainstream? Are they rebelling against society and society’s definition of how beautiful
hair should look? Or are they just satisfied with their natural kinky roots that descended
from thousands of years ago in West Africa?

Many accounts of African American life testify to the fact that the Africans, and

later African Americans, never totally surrendered to Western values in matters of

personal adornment. As in certain areas of Afi'ica, traditions and customs
surrounding the manipulation of the hair have survived the pressure of New

World colonial influences. (Simkins, 1990, p. 167).

How are these people with “natural hair” (African American hair that has not been
processed, straightened or altered to appear to be something other than its original state)
looked upon in the workplace and other professional settings? Few in the Black
community wear natural hair (especially among women). Approximately 75 percent of

women still wear straightened hair (Russell, Wilson, Hall, 1992, p. 91). According to

Pantene, an international hair care brand owned by Proctor & Gamble, only 20-25% of

black women have natural hair ( Madden, 2003). Implying that 75-80% of African

American have processed hair

Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this research is to examine reasons why some African Americans
have chosen to “go natural”, wearing their hair in any natural state such as Afros, Close-
Cuts, Dreadlocks, and Braids or Comrows. How do they perceive themselves with
natural hair, and how do they feel they are being perceived by others (co-workers,
managers/bosses, friends/family and new acquaintances)? Lastly, in what way if any, do
people wearing natural hair, feel that they have been prohibited from certain

occupational/personal aspects of their lives because of the choice to wear natural hair?

Operational Definitions
1) A_frgs_ - the normal state of most African American’s hair. The hair is allowed to
curl tightly and form a smooth round shape around the face and head (Wright, 1982,
p. 6).
2) Close-Cut - the normal state of African American’s hair except it is cut close on
top of the head and extremely close on the sides (Wright, 1982, p. 6). This style, until
just the last 15-20 years, was worn by men mostly. Today many women wear this
style also (See Photographic Image 5, p. 11. Images in this thesis are presented in
color).
3) Dreadlocks - allowing the hair to create a natural twist and matte formation

growing into individual large or small sections on the head. This style was first worn

in the 19505 by the Kikuyu soldiers of Kenya as they fought British colonizers. Soon
after, Jamaican Rastafarians adopted this style because of spiritual/religious reasons,
which forbade them from cutting their hair. Dreadlocks were brought to the United
States by Jamaican musicians in the early 19705. (Byrd, 2002, p.6). There are some
theories of where the term Dreadlock came from. Some believe that Europeans felt
the locks were disgusting and “dreadful”. Others believe that the Rastafarians had a
dreadful fear of Jah (Jehovah). (www.geocities.com, retrieved 8/2/2003). The
gender association with Dreadlocks is unisex; women wear this hairstyle just as much
as men. Within the process of developing and growing Dreadlocks there are three
stages that the hair goes through:
1. Baby locks from the beginning to about one year of growth (See
Photographic Image 3, page 9)
2. Teenage/Adolescent locks from about 1 year to 2 V2 -3years of
growth
3. Adult/Mature locks after 3 years of growth (See Photographic
Image 1 and 2, pages 7-8)
4) m - individual 3 section plaits prepared in large (1”) to very small (2/ 16”)
sections.
5) Comrows - parting the hair in narrow rows and three-section-braiding it tightly to
the scalp.
6) Two-strand-twist - this is a new alternative to Dreadlocks and braids that emerged
and became popular about 10 years ago. The hair is prepared in individual 2 section

twists in large (1”) to very small (2/ 16”) sections (See Photographic Image, page 10).

 

Photographic Image 1. Mature Dreadlocks

Subject 021 (Male) has been natural for 3 years and has worn Dreadlocks the entire 3
years. He contested that going natural for him was commanded by a spiritual connection
with God. He works as a Habilitation Specialist (training mentally retarded adults).

 

 

Photographic Image 2. Mature Dreadlocks with Sterling Silver Rings as adornment.
Subject 003 (Female) has been natural for 4 years and wearing Dreadlocks for all 4 of
those years. She is a Real Estate Agent.

 

Photographic Image 3. Baby/Immature Dreadlocks

Subject 019 (Female) has been natural for over 20 years, but wearing Dreadlocks for
about one year. She wore an Afro in the summer and Braids in the winter tmtil she
decided to go with Dreadlocks. She works as a Nursing Aid Assistant.

 

Photographic Image 4. Two Strand Twist
Subject 004 (Female) has been natural for 3 years and 6 months and has worn either a
short Afro or the two strand twist the entire time. She is a Hospital Administrator and
does not plan on switching to Dreadlocks.

 

Photographic Image 5. A Close Cut
Subject 015 (Female) has been natural for 2 years and has worn a Close Cut the entire
time. She works as a Librarian.

Male

Hair has been a symbol of the African American culture for numerous years, and
still not many research studies have been conducted concerning hair as a symbol of the
personal and professional self. No studies have been conducted regarding natural
African American hair and the self perception of the people who wear it, or their thoughts
on how they are being perceived by others. Self perception can be a marvelous or wicked
thing. The way that African Americans’ perceive themselves results from years of
influence in society from other races, and from other African Americans. The results of
this study could help Afiican Americans and others comprehend symbols of heritage such
as natural hair, while enhancing their views of the African American community and
themselves.

Society has suggested that an African American woman or man whose hair grows

naturally straight, is usually thought to be from a “better” family than a person

whose hair is very nappy or kinky. (Russell, Wilson, Hall, 1992, p. 90)

Professional dress verses traditional African dress in the workplace has been
studied in depth (O‘Neal, 1998). Professional dress means men’s and women’s suits or
career-wear separates, while traditional African dress depicts such garments as Kente
cloth garments, dashikis or others. Traditionally, the term nappy has been used as a
derogatory term used to describe very tightly curled hair (Russell et a1, 1992). The
manner in which some people are affected by this attitude toward hair permeates into
both the professional and personal world of Afiican Americans.

Within this research, the ideas of how those wearing natural hair think they are

being perceived by others will be addressed. Results could be used to promote a better

understanding of each other in all interpersonal relationships. Some African Americans

are still not accepting of each other and the differences in their appearances. A Black
woman reports that while she was in the beginning stage of her dread locks, her Black
colleagues harassed her unmercifully about her “nappy-looking” hair. (Russell, et al.
1992,p.129)
While more and more Black women today are daring to go natural, they remain a
distinct minority. Straightened hair is standard for “respectable” Black women -
those with corporate careers as well as the wives of Black politicians and business
men. (1992, p. 91)
Lastly, another potential outcome for this study is to educate companies, organizations,
and individuals about those African Americans wearing natural hair. This could allow
them to see how certain aspects of the dress code may be affecting their African
American employees.
Many businesses have strict rules about makeup and hair, and some corporations,
including the major airlines, specifically prohibit employees in particular jobs
from wearing certain Black hairstyles. . .. Switching to an unprocessed style, like
a short and natural or cornrows, is not an option in many workplaces. (Russell,
Wright, Hall, 1992, pp132-3)
In 1981, a New York federal judge ruled against a female airline ramp attendant
who was barred from wearing her hair in cornrows on the job she held for ten
years. The judge made his ruling on the grounds that the hairstyle, similar to that
worn by Bo Derek in the film 10, was not a natural style but the result of
“artifice”. (Simkins, 1990, p.168)
A more recent example of African Americans being prohibited from job/career
opportunities because of their choice to wear natural hair was documented in the
September 5, 2001 issue of the Lansing State Journal.
Michael Escoffery and Nigel Loney (from the New York City area) were fired by

Federal Express for refusing to cut their dreadlocks along with five other
dreadlock employees. (Evans, 2001, p. 3-D).

The People Manual (the Federal Express Employee Handbook, November 2003) does not
suggest that there are any stipulations on types of hair styles that can be worn. The only
reference to hair is regarding beards. This manual states: “for men wanting to wear a
beard; the beard should be ‘neat and well groomed’.”

Helping employers and others understand and appreciate the meaning associated
with African American symbols (such as natural hair), will hopefully permit some
changes to be made in dress code policies if they are effecting some of the employees or

potential employees and their rights to express their heritage.

14

W

The Self Perception

Having a positive self identity or self perception can be defined as possessing
individuality through having self understanding and self acceptance. Building a self
identity through dress has been of great importance to the African American community
(Holloman, 1989). Possibly, this is because of the constant comparisons being made with
the majority culture in media, in professional environments and in other instances.
Humans can create their own identities, in part, by managing their appearances (Kaiser,
1990, Nagasawa, et al., 1993). Most individuals have two self identities: the
professional self and the personal self. The way in which individuals dress in these
different realms can have a major effect on how that person is being perceived by others.
In an investigation done by Lennon and Miller (1984-85), the combined effects of
specific physical appearance cues such as hairstyle, skirt length and shoe style were
examined to see what effect these things have on impression formation. The researchers
found that the impact of any one physical appearance cue decreased in the presence of
similar cues (either social or intellectual) but increased in the presence of dissimilar cues
(Lennon and Davis, 1989). Impressions through dress that one receives from others can
have an effect on one’s own self perception:

Self perception theory suggests that variables such as clothing [hair] that affect

pgrécgeftions of others may also affect perceptions of self. (Lennon and Davis,

Self perception is an important part of life for all human beings. It is also a way of

consistently evolving into a better self or a self that one may be proud of or accepts.

15

Within this self perception and evolution, one looks to find consistency and continuity in
his/her perceptions (Nagasawa, etal., 1993).

Among the African American community this concept of self perception, which
contributes to the evolution of self, demands much attention. The African American
community has overcome many obstacles concerning self perception in order to obtain a
better acceptance of self. An example is the name of the race being changed from
Colored, to Black, and then to African American which depicts that African Americans
are now able to proudly accept their African ancestry. This evolution also connects with
the symbolic interaction theory discussed by Sandrom, Martin and Fine which states:

...a variety of social factors, such as language, race, class and gender, constrain

people’s interpretations and behaviors. In light of this ...people’s actions

[and way of life] are influenced but not determined by prior events or social
and biological forces (Brissett and Edgley, 1990, Sandrom, etal., 2003).

Through dress within the two realms of self (the personal self and the professional self),
the self emerges, develops (evolves) and is sustained through processes of social
interaction (Lennon and Davis, 1989). In theory, as the name of the race changed, the
self perception within the African American community changed as well. This new self
perception allowed African Americans to take pride in themselves and their culture

exemplified through the wearing of natural hair.

16

Review of the Literature

Theoretical views of hair and clothing as a symbol of self and culture

O’Neal interprets African Americans’ way of dress as “style”. Style is
then defined as an aesthetic element found in African American dress that is described in
terms of its use as a tool in usurping unauthorized power (1999, p. 127). The particular
power she is referring to is the result of a history of slavery, servitude, racism and
discrimination, where this sense of power became necessary to survive as a people and as
a culture. O’Neal’s purpose was to explain her theory of dress (style) as power and to
consider the political use of dress in establishing cultural boundaries among African
Americans. The expressions .of style are shown through the creative, energetic use of
clothing, hairstyles, and accessories, along with various gestures and body movements
(O’Neal, 1999, p. 130). She conducted a study which included questioning forty-five
African American male and female adults, both old and young, educated, college students
and uneducated subjects to describe an African American aesthetic of dress. The
researcher discovered that style is definitely an expression of culture that is often a tool in
defining the self, redefining interpersonal relations, and exerting influence in a social
situation. Some of the subjects commented on the manner of style:

A female adult stated: The passion we (Afiican Americans) have for dress. Its
unique to us - style, you have to be an individual.

A female college student stated: ....we express our concerns about political issues
through the way we dress.

A male adult stated: ....It’s not what you wear, its how you wear it.
In her research, O’Neal found that within African Americans, style dates back as early as

1838. With the finding of a diary written by a British woman who married a South

17

Carolina plantation owner, the woman wrote about her witnessing the “style” displayed
by some of the enslaved Africans:

The passion for dress is curiously strong in these people [enslaved Africans] and

seems as though it might be made an instrument in converting them outwardly, at

any rate, to something like civilization. . ..(pp. 93-4, O’Neal, 1999, p. 134).

This example certainly supports African Americans using dress (style) as a symbol of
themselves and their culture.

In another study done by O’Neal, a different aspect of dress is the focus. This
study continues her theory of dress as a symbol of self and culture in the Afiican
American community. The actual aesthetic of dress was researched for the purpose of
determining if the “aberrations” in dress (e. g., the combining of equal amounts of intense
colors), historically used to stereotype African Americans, constitutes an aesthetic of
dress that has its roots in West African culture (O’Neal, 1998, p. 168). The main concept
of this study was to allow African Americans to give their opinions of their own aesthetic
of dress. This concept parallels with the theory of self perception of people who have
natural hair and how they feel they are being perceived by working peers. O’Neal
observed fifteen African American women between the ages of 35-60 who wear
“cultural” attire. Cultural attire consists of garments imported from various African
countries, made of fabrics, constructed and finished in those countries, or replicas of such
garments (1998, p. 169). Data collection included observing African American women
at various cultural events and conducting interviews. O’Neal found that the participants
all agreed that there is definitely an African American aesthetic of dress that is

manifested in many different ways: the most common being the use of styles, colors, and

patterns worn on attire. She categorized the comments on manifestations into four

18

elements: The affinity for loud or high affect colors, the element of “style” or
individual’s expression, exotic features (off beat patterns and rhythms), and the tendency
to dress up. Her ultimate discovery was that the subjects believed that dress was a
symbol of one’s self and culture.

Hair is hair is hair? Not exactly. Hair is also a powerful symbol of the self.
Synnott describes hair as being our most powerful symbol of individual and group
identity (1987, p. 381). The purpose of his research was to describe developments in hair
symbolism in North America and Britain over the last forty years and to offer a new
theory of hair symbolism modifying and complimenting the symbols now and in the past
years. The researcher looked at hair as different symbols for one’s self: long hair as a
symbol of unrestrained sexuality; short hair as restricted sexuality; cutting the hair as
having social control; also hair as fashionable and political symbols in the African
American community. Through this research, Synnott continued the theories of hair as
being a political statement, cultural statement and a statement of one’s identity. He
concluded that hair is a social and physiological phenomenon; a symbol of the self and of
group identity. A recurring theme throughout the research is that hair continues to be a
symbol of self expression and communication.

Hair being a symbol of self pride and culture was researched in a thesis by Wright
(1982). She began by elaborating on the history of hair during the Civil Rights and
Black Power Movements as a symbol of socio-cultural changes in the African American
society. This study was conducted to document the change in black hairstyles from 1964
through 1977, to examine the meaning associated with the change in fOrm, and to

examine aspects of the pattern of adoption (Wright, 1982, p. 5). By looking at ads,

Wright wanted to discover when in the sequence of events the Afro was introduced and
when did modifications in its form occur. She also examined what meaning was
associated with black hairstyles, and looked for a discemable pattern of acceptance of the
Afro. A content analysis of Ebony magazine for the period 1964-1977 was conducted
using feature articles related to current events, achievements, and biographical sketches
of nationally known individuals. Wright learned that based on published images, the
Afro was first worn by men and women in 1965: about 5 percent worn by men and 2.8
percent worn by women. During the Black Power Movement, the appearance of the Afro
increased dramatically from 37 percent in 1968 to 95 percent in 1969 for men. With
women it increased from 14.8 percent to 57 percent from 1968 to 1969. Variations of the
Afro (braids and shags) began to be worn by women from 1970 to 1976, thus the
symbolic meaning of the Afro was established and individuals were free to follow
fashion in hairstyles. The shag is defined by Wright as a variation of the Afro in which
the hair is trimmed everywhere except the nape. The hair at the nape is longer and lies
flat on the neck (1982, p. 7).

Through the analysis of ads and the meanings associated with the hairstyles, it
was determined that racial pride and identity accounted for the largest share of the
increase in the number of people wearing the Afro. There was definitely a pattern in the
acceptance of the Afro. At the height of the Black Power Movement the appearance of
the Afro increased dramatically by both men and women. Toward the decline of the
movement, the numbers of people who wore the Afro dropped considerably. Some
people began to wear variations of the Afro and some people went back to straight hair.

Hair in the African American community became a fashion statement as well as a symbol

20

of pride. This study parallels with O’Neal’s study of “style” among African Americans.
The people took a political statement (the Afro) which demonstrated the unwillingness to
conform to the mainstream, and added some “style” to it by coming up with different
variations of the Afro, now symbolizing the self as a fashion entity.

Sensitivities about hair have many complex determinants and may be symbolic of
a woman’s feelings about other aspects of herself (Greene, White, Whitten, 2000,
p.166)

These authors believe not only that hair is a symbol of one’s outside self, but it may
determine how a woman feels about her inner self. This study focuses on the
metaphorical meaning and significance of hair pertaining to the relationship between
Afiican American mothers and their daughters. The significance of hair texture, length,
and style in the psyche of African American women is approached. The study showed
how beauty standards in society for women were based on idealized and non realistic
depictions of White women’s physical features (Greene, White, Whitten, 2000, p.167).
Observing that, any female face that had Caucasian features was judged to be more
attractive than “Negroid” features (dark skin and kinky hair). The view that hair, unlike
skin color, height, weight, body build and to some extent facial features (nose and lip
shape) is somewhat malleable and therefore easier to alter or control, was shared by these
authors and Synnott (2000, p. 175).

In a case study, the authors discovered how hair can be an inevitable source of
conflict between mothers and daughters. They examined a conversation between a
therapist and his patient, an African American woman, who was depressed ultimately
because the only attention she got from her mother was when her mother combed her hair

as a child. Throughout the study, instances of the patient’s life were evaluated, which

21

described her life with her mother. The conclusions showed that the patient’s overall
lack of animation was due to the fact that the most prolonged physical contact that she
experienced with her mother was whenever she got her hair braided. This research
displayed just how important hair and the sociology behind it is. In a very early study,
Berg’s research (1936) also agreed with these findings. He believed that a woman’s
feelings about her hair are often symbolic of her conscious and unconscious internalized
feelings about herself, her racial identity, and significant others. (Berg, 1936; Greene,
White, Whitten, 2000, p. 169). This statement supports the idea that hair can be and is a
symbol of self and culture, positively or negatively.

Wade’s research examined a different level of self and culture for African
Americans. His topic dealt with the different ranges (light/fair to dark) of skin color
among African Americans. The main issue centers on the bias whereby fair skinned
African Americans are said to be evaluated more favorably than dark skinned African
Americans (1996, p. 350). These interpretations parallel with the discovery made by
Russell, Wilson, and Hall:

The politics of hair parallels the politics of skin color. Among Black women,

straight hair and European hairstyles not only have been considered more

feminine but have sent a message about one’s standing in the social hierarchy.

“Good hair” has long been associated with the light-skinned middle class, “bad
hair” with Blacks who are less fortunate (1992, p.82).

Within Wade’s study, the ranking of attractiveness was conducted for African
American men and women. The hypotheses were that fair-skinned females ranked
themselves higher in physical, sexual attractiveness and self esteem than dark-skinned
females. With men, the opposite would occur; dark-skinned males rated themselves

higher because they can attract fair-skinned females as mates. The method here included

22

a sample of 91 African American students and alumni (51 males and 40 females). The
participants were between 18-38 years for the men; the women ranged in age from 19-38
years. Random students were approached on campus and asked to complete and return a
self-administered questionnaire, and a random sample of alumni subjects received a
questionnaire in the mail and were asked to complete and return it. Wade found that on a
two level scale of dark and fair skin, with male and female participants, the results were
as follows: more people considered themselves light compared to dark skinned. The
sexual attractiveness scale measure revealed a significant interaction of skin color and sex
of the participants. The fair-skinned females’ and dark-skinned females’ self rating of
sexual attractiveness was the same. Whereas the dark-skinned male rated themselves
higher in sexual attractiveness than the fair-skinned males rated themselves. This study
displayed the important role of skin color in the African American lifestyle. It depicts the

relationship between skin color and hair texture as a symbol of self.

Theoretical views of clothing as a symbol of the professional self

Jenkins and Atkins (1990) conducted a basic study of what the majority feels are
“appropriate” items to wear in the workplace. The main focus of this article was to help
prepare people getting ready for interviews through wardrobe selection. They wanted to
determine how important personal appearance during the initial interview is, if navy is
the most acceptable color to wear during an interview, which styles of suits are most
acceptable, if the most acceptable styles for men are more conservative than those for
women, and to determine which styles are unacceptable to interviewers (1990, p. 39).

The subjects were 54 campus recruiters, representing a variety of organizations. This

23

sample represented 90 percent of the potential employers who recruited on campus.
Questionnaires were designed in regards to garment styles, hairstyles, shoes, carry-ins,
and jewelry.

The authors found that the majority of the recruiters felt that appearance is very
important. Navy was the most preferred suit color and tailored 2-piece suits for both
women and men were the most acceptable. The hair style for women that was most
acceptable was the “softly waved” look. Punk was the least acceptable. This article is an
example of how many companies do not consider the need for African Americans to
display their heritage (through clothing and hair). This article discussed the fact that the
“soft waved” look was the most acceptable, and most African American hair is not soft
and waved. This was based on an appearance norm of the majority without considering
the minority.

More recently, Rucker, Anderson, and Kangas (1999) also examined the idea of
plain, dark, tailored suits being the most “appropriate” for the workplace. They wanted
to provide a historical perspective on clothing and power in the workplace and present
new data on views of work clothing, power and career advancement in the 1990’s, with a
focus on effects of minority status and relatively casual work environments (1999, p. 60).
This research found that dark or cool colors, jackets and overall plain tailored appearance
tend to garner higher ratings on work-related scales, and also that conservative dress had
a positive association with the number of promotions. Their study was designed to
determine the attitudes of working men and women from diverse ethnic backgrounds
about business attire and power; also to explore how appearance has managed to create a

powerful image under conditions of more and less formal business dress codes (Rucker,

24

Anderson, Kangas, 1999, p. 64). Data was collected via telephone interviews. The
researchers found that minority respondents rated clothing as more important than did the
non-minority respondents. Comments that helped explain the differences in how
individuals felt about clothing included references by minority respondents to being a
man or woman ‘of color’ and therefore having to be twice as good at everything to be
noticed in the workplace; therefore, they hardly ever wore casual clothing. The general
(non-minority) respondents expressed the need not to wear formal work attire when their
jobs did not involve much contact with outside audiences.

The research done by McLeod (1999) dealing with minorities needing to be twice
as good as other races, parallels with the study done by Rucker, et a1. Both studies
documented that many African Americans do not participate in dress down or casual
dress when working in a corporate environment. Referring back to the study about style,
by O’Neal (1999), this article shows how Afiican American males have had to use their
sense of style in order to adapt and be accepted in the workplace.

African American males have a dressier version of “corporate casual” attire

because of the possibility of negative perceptions by others (McLeod, 1999,

p.272)

In this study 15 African American male executives, managers, professionals, and
administrators in Des Moines, Iowa, were interviewed about their participation in casual
days at work. The author found that many of the men felt negatively about casual day.
Recent research has found that most African Americans feel that “. . .if you look sharp,
you’re more likely to act sharp” (1999, p. 20). Thus, suggesting that dress is a symbol of

one’s professional self.

25

Ethnicity is a major symbol of the self, and the choice to wear “cultural dress” is
also a symbol of one’s personal self and professional self. The purpose of O’Neal’s study
was to examine the use of “cultural dress” by some African American women. She felt it
important to study individuals and groups who use dress to create meaning and to
position themselves in society (1999, p. 388). She discussed the history of the Civil
Rights era when much media attention was given to the dress of African Americans.
Many men and women began to allow their hair to “go natural” and they began to wear
symbols of their West African heritage. These uses were associated with identity (self
perception) and heritage. Wearing symbols such as natural hair and cultural dress may
come with a consequence:

Wearing symbols representing an African heritage might elicit perceptions

ranging from eccentric to adversarial with the potential to impede positive

interactions, thus negatively affecting one’s career (O’Neal, 1999, p. 389).

The methods of this research were taken from the larger study done by O’Neal dealing
with the African American aesthetic of dress. Within this study she discovered that the
subjects felt that cultural dress is a symbol or expression of pride in one’s heritage. Some
women experienced wearing cultural dress as an opportunity to educate others about their
culture and heritage. Lastly, according to the women interviewed, they perceived cultural
dress as a symbol of their professional selves.

In conclusion, dress has been documented as a symbol of African American
culture and pride and has been studied in-depth. The “style” of dress that an African

American chooses and their aesthetic of dress have also been studied. Hair as a symbol

of sexuality and individual identity has been studied in-depth. Even hair as a symbol of

26

cultural pride within the African American community has been studied. Albeit, there
has not been any research found on the self-perception of those African Americans
wearing natural hair and their perceptions of how they feel they are being perceived by

society.

27

Methodology

Description of Sample

Using a purposive sample of 25 African Americans (men and women), interviews
were conducted. A purposive sample is defined by Frankel and Wallen as:

A nonrandom sample selected because prior knowledge suggests it is

representative, or because those selected have the needed information.

(2000,p.76)
Twenty of the subjects wore Dreadlocks, three subjects wore Two-strand-twist, and the
last two subjects wore the Close Cut hairstyle. Rather than asking about the subject’s
age, their age was estimated through observation by the researcher. The subjects ranged
in age from approximately 25 years to about 65 years of age. The estimated average age
was 45 years old and beyond. So that the measurements of self esteem would not be
disproportionate, a group consisting of professionals and non-professionals was utilized
for the interviewing process. Past research indicates that most professional people have
high to very high self esteem ratings, which results from their professional status. It is
claimed that high self-esteem or self-acceptance is a necessary prerequisite for successful
professionals/entrepreneurs, especially for women and minorities (Coleman and Grothus-

Magee, 1991). The prerequisites for selecting the subjects for this research were that the

subjects be African American with some form of natural hair.

Pilot Study
The purpose of the pilot study was to examine reasons why some African
Americans have chosen to wear their hair natural, and to find out how they perceive

themselves, and their thoughts on how they feel they are being perceived by others. The

28

pilot study was conducted as a project for a graduate class, Dress and Environmental

Settings as Nonverbal Communication. This pilot study was conducted to lay ground

work for this thesis research. The pilot study (located in Appendix A page 62) helped

produce the instrument to be used and the procedures necessary to complete this study.

The research questions produced as a result of the pilot study were divided into

categories:

RQl:

RQ2:

RQ3:

RQ4:

RQ5:

RQ6:

Their perceptions of themselves

Do people with natural hair have a higher level of self-esteem?
Do people with natural hair prefer natural compared to processed hair?
Do people with natural hair plan to keep it natural for a

lifetime?

Their thoughts on perceptions from others

Have people with natural hair had negative responses about

their hair?
Have people with natural hair had African Americans react

more negatively toward their hair compared to other races?
Have people with natural hair experienced situations where their choice

to wear natural hair prohibited them from occupational or

personal opportunities?

Procedures and Instrumentation

All subjects were solicited by advertising through the salon of Significant Change

in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Fliers (Appendix C, page 68) along with invitations (Appendix

29

B, page 67) were posted throughout the salon and a sign-up sheet (Appendix D, page 69)
was presented to interested clients. This salon caters to African Americans who wear
their hair natural. The stylist/owner of Significant Change specializes in educating others
about natural hair and caring for all types of natural African American hairstyles. All of
the interviewing done for this study took place at the Shaker Heights Library in Shaker
Heights, Ohio. After completing the interviewing process, the participants received a
$10.00 off discount coupon for their next visit to Significant Change.

The interviewing process took approximately 35-45 minutes as in the pilot study.
Each interview was held on a one-on-one basis to allow for privacy and openness of the
subjects’ answers. If the subject agreed, the interview was voice recorded on an audio
cassette to assist with accuracy of the subjects’ answers. After signing the consent form
(Appendix E, page 70), all subjects were given the same Rosenberg questionnaire (1965)
used in the pilot study to measure their self esteem (Appendix F, page 72). The
questionnaire created by Rosenberg consisted of 10 items that were measured using a 4-
point forced choice attitudinal scale (1=strongly agree, 2=agree, 3=disagree, and
4=strongly disagree). To retain consistency throughout the study with the higher
numbers representing higher scores and the lower numbers representing lower scores, the

‘61,,

scores were reversed so that “4” indicated strong agreement and indicated strong
disagreement (Holloman, 1989). According to past researchers the Rosenberg self esteem
questionnaire is claimed to have a reliability score of .85 (Jung et al., 2001; Silber and
Tippett, 1965). The next section of the objective portion of the questionnaire created by

the present researcher included items concerning the respondents’ thoughts about their

natural hair texture. The only modification to the pilot study questionnaire was to add an

30

item asking: “On a scale of l to 10 (10 being the highest), how important is your
appearance to you?”

After completing the objective questionnaire the subjects responded to the open-
ended interviewing guide (Appendix G, page 74). The final version of the interviewing
guide included added items that obtained more accurate data concerning the subjects’
opinions of how accepting others are of their natural hair. The final version also
questioned respondents on the time and money spent on the upkeep of their hair to
compare whether there was a difference in time and money spent for the upkeep of
natural hair versus processed hair. After revisions, approximately 95% of the items for
the interviewing guide were Open ended/discussion questions. During the interviewing
process a demographics form (Appendix H, page 77) was filled out by the researcher for
each subject detailing their approximate age, gender, and hairstyle. Lastly, if the subject
had agreed, a side view photograph was taken of them. These photographs were used as
examples of the different types of natural African American hairstyles in the operational

definitions section of this thesis.

Data Collection

A chart to determine the consistency of the subjects’ responses when answering
the questions was prepared. Within this chart three series of comparative questions were
evaluated. Within each series of questions, one question from the interviewing guide was
compared with a similar question from the questionnaire on hair texture. Once the two
questions were compared, the subject was tallied under either “yes” (their answers were

consistent or “no” (their answers were not consistent). Next the chart incorporating the

31

thematic analysis of the seven themes throughout the research was prepared. Each theme
had its own subcategories in which the subjects’ answers fell. Each subcategory was
tallied according to how the subject answered the question related to one of the seven
themes. Lastly, a chart was created to display how the six research questions were
answered. Each research question was broken down into categories of yes, no or unsure.
The research question concerning the subject’s level of self esteem was also broken down

into three categories: high, moderate, and low.

Data Analysis

This research was exploratory in nature, and thus, data were analyzed
qualitatively to determine themes in subject’s responses. The subjects’ answers were
tabulated by a tally method and then converted into percentages. Exact quotations were

used to support the answers given by the subjects.

32

Results/Findings

The purposes of this research were to: 1) determine how African Americans who
wear their hair natural perceive themselves with natural hair and 2) examine how these
African Americans feel they are being perceived by others. In the present chapter, data
are presented and discussed in relation to consistency in responses, themes throughout the

study and research questions.

Consistency in Responses

Since similar questions were answered on both the objective questionnaire and
open ended questionnaire, I looked for consistency in answers from one format to the
other. The similarities in each subject’s answers determine much about their true feelings
on the topic of their natural hair. There were three series of comparative questions used
to measure consistency. Each series had two responses that the subjects’ responses could
fall under; either “yes” the answers were consistent or “no” the answers were not
consistent, as seen in Table 1. Within each series, one question was taken from the
interviewing guide and one question was taken from the hair texture questionnaire and
these were compared with each other. When comparing the question “Why did you
decide to wear your hair natural/What motivated your choice?” (from the interviewing
guide) with “How would you describe the way you wear your hair?” (from the hair
texture questionnaire); 68% (17) of the subjects were consistent with their answers. For
example subject 009 provided consistent responses to these two questions:

When asked: Why did you decide to wear your hair natural/What motivated

your choice?
She answered: It was the time for me to be free.

33

Then, when asked: How would you describe the way you wear your hair?
She selected: (c) My hair demonstrates a way of self acceptance.

Subject 024 answered those same questions similarly.

When asked: Why did you decide to wear your hair natural/What motivated
your choice?

She answered: I loved the freedom that it gave me. . .. I love the way it
(dreadlocks) looks.

Then, when asked: How would you describe the way you wear your hair?
She selected: (c) My hair demonstrates a way of self acceptance.

Within this series of comparative questions, the inconsistencies of respondents’ answers
were looked at also. Subject 016 was one example from 32% (8) of subjects who
answered inconsistently to the following questions:

When asked: Why did you decide to wear your hair natural/What motivated

your choice?

She answered: An option to get away from weaves (synthetic hair) and relaxers
(processed hair).

Then, when asked: How would you describe the way you wear your hair?
She selected: (c) My hair demonstrates a way of self acceptance.

This subject’s answers clearly suggests that her true feelings about the way in which she
would have described how she wore her hair was not shown within the objective portion
of the interview. In order for her answers to have been consistent, she would have had to
answer the questions as such:

When asked: Why did you decide to wear your hair natural/What motivated

your choice?

She answered: An option to get away from weaves (synthetic hair) and relaxers
(processed hair).

Then, when asked: How would you describe the way you wear your hair?
A consistent selection: (a) My hair makes a fashion statement

The options the subjects had to choose from when answering the question “How

would you describe the way you wear your hair” were as follows: (a) My hair makes a

34

fashion statement, (b) My hair serves as a means of not conforming to society, (c) My
hair demonstrates a way of self acceptance, and (d) Other. Eighty-four percent (21) of all
subjects chose answer (c) My hair demonstrates a way of self acceptance to describe the
way they wore their hair. This high rate supports the importance to African Americans of
self perception as discussed earlier in the theoretical framework section (pg. 15).

Secondly, the consistency in responses for the questions: “Have you ever gotten
any positive/negative responses about your natural hair?” (from the interviewing guide)
was compared with, “How do you feel others would describe your hair texture in the state
it is in now?” (from hair texture questionnaire). Each subject was asked to give their
understanding of the following terms (Worsted wool, Extremely nappy, Matted masses,
and Kinky curly) using the options: (a) positive, (b) neutral, (c) negative and (d) unsure.
Positive/negative associations with hair textures were compared to positive/negative
responses received from others regarding hair texture. How the subject ranked each term,
and how they felt others would describe their hair texture, determined if the response they
received was positive or negative. Lastly, that positive or negative answer was compared
with what the subject said during the interview. Seventy-six percent (19) of subjects
were consistent in their answers.

The response to, “How do you feel others would describe your hair texture in the
state it is in now?” using the answer choices: (a) Worsted wool, (b) Extremely nappy, (c)
Matted masses, (d) Kinky curly and (e) Other was compared. If the subject answered this
question in a positive manner, then the actual answer for the positive response the
subjects received from others regarding their hair was compared with this. If the subject

answered this question in a negative manner, then the actual answer for the negative

35

response the subjects received from others regarding their hair was compared with this.
For example, subject 002 responded to the following questions consistently:
When asked: What is your understanding of the following terms below?
She answered: Extremely nappy is (a) positive
Then, when asked: How do you feel others would describe your hair texture in
the state it is in now?
She selected: (b) Extremely nappy
Finally, when asked: Have you ever gotten any positive responses about your
natural hair?

She answered: Yes, I have. Strangers would stop me on the streets and simply
say ‘I love your hair’.

An inconsistent example in this series is from subject 004:

When asked: What is your understanding of the following terms below?

She answered: Extremely nappy is (c) negative

Then, when asked: How do you feel others would describe your hair texture in

the state it is in now?

She answered: (b) Extremely nappy

Finally, when asked: Have you ever gotten any negative responses about your

natural hair?

She answered: No
How would this subject know that others perceived her hair negatively if she had never
gotten any negative responses about her hair? Instead of saying that she felt others would
be negative toward it, to be consistent in her answers, she could have responded
(e) Other, she was unsure how others felt.

The third and last series of questions concerned how the subject themselves felt
about their hair and their hair texture. Subjects were asked, “Do you feel comfortable or
uncomfortable about your hair in the natural state it is in now?” (from interviewing
guide), compared with, “How would you describe the texture of your hair in the state it is

in now?” using the options: (a) Worsted wool, (b) Extremely nappy, (c) Matted masses,

(d) Kinky curly and (e) Other (from the hair texture questionnaire). Seventy-two percent

36

(18) of subjects were consistent in their answers. These questions were evaluated in the
same manner as the second series of questions. Depending on how the subject answered
the question and how they felt about the terms used to describe natural hair, determined
how those two questions would be evaluated. Subject 021 was one of two males that
participated in the study, and he had a very unique way of answering these questions
while staying consistent in his answers.

When asked: Do you feel comfortable or uncomfortable about your hair in the

natural state it is in now?

He answered: Very comfortable

Then, when asked: How would you describe the texture of your hair in the state

it is in now?
He answered: (e) Other, and responded: ‘Not as nappy as I’d like it’.

With such consistent answers as these, this suggests that this subject’s true feelings about
his hair were really revealed. An inconsistent example would be with subject 022:
When asked: Do you feel comfortable or uncomfortable about your hair in the
natural state it is in now?
She answered: Very comfortable
Then, when asked: What is your understanding of the following terms below?

She answered: Matted Masses is (b) neutral
Finally when asked: How would you describe the texture of your hair in the

state it is in now?

She answered: (c) Matted masses
If this respondent was truly comfortable with her hair texture, she would have chosen a
positive term instead of a term that she considered to be neutral. This example suggests

that not all subjects were completely comfortable about their choice to wear natural hair.

All consistency percentages can be viewed in Table 1, page 38.

37

Consistency in Responses

 

  

 

 

,5 that; i mafia tr in»: w r J . tr. ., ..... z;
Why did you decide to wear your hair 17 8
natural/What motivated your choice?

(Subjective - Interview) 68%
{compared with} Consistency
How would you describe the way you wear
your hair?
(Objective — Questionnaire)
Have you ever gotten any positive/negative 19 ' 6
responses about your hair?
(Subjective - Interview) 76%
{compared with} Consistency
How do you feel others would describe your
hair texture in the natural state it is in now?
(Objective - Questionnaire)
Do you feel comfortable or uncomfortable 18 7
about your hair in the natural state it is in
now? 72%
(Subjective - Interview) Consistency

{compared with}
How would you describe the texture of your
hair in the natural state it is in now?
(Objective - Questionnaire)

Table 1

Thematic Analysis

This portion of the study includes the seven themes that emerged throughout the
research. Each theme has been broken down into subcategories in which the subjects’
answers fell. Each theme was tallied according to how the subject answered each

question. The seven themes are listed below:

1. Motivation for going natural/Why did you go natural
2. The change from processed hair to natural hair

3. Responses toward hair

4. Occupational/Personal limitations

5. Self-Esteem level

6. Hair texture acceptance

7. The amount of money and time spent on upkeep of hair

Within the theme of Motivation for going natural/WhitI did you 20 mil, the
data was broken down into seven different subcategories: 1) Wanted a different look, 2)
Family and friends, 3) For healthier hair, 4) Less Maintenance, 5) Self acceptance, 6)
Something I’ve always wanted to do and 7) Other or Miscellaneous responses. Out of

these seven subcategories, the subjects responded to each as follows:

39

Motivation for wearing natural hair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why n %
Self acceptance 8 32
Less Maintenance 8 32
For Healthier Hair 8 32
Family and Friends 5 20
Always wanted natural hair 5 20
Other Responses 5 20
Wanted a difl'erent look 3 12

Table 2

A subject may have selected several responses to answer this question; therefore
that subject could have been categorized into several areas, as seen in Table 4 pg. 52.
Subject 009 was an example of this concept. She answered the question of “What
motivated your choice?” under two themes: self acceptance and wanting healthier hair.

It (natural hair) was the time for me to be free. . .. And those chemicals (in
processed hair) broke my hair off.

Subject 014 (age range 45 and up) was another example of the subject responding to the
theme of motivation with more than one response. Her answer can be categorized into at '
least three of these subcategories.

I had been thinking about it for a while and I was tired of the “hair thing” in
regards to being an African American female and with being a female period. I
was tired of the money, waiting around for people to .. . the cosmetologist to serve
me, and I’m the one who is waiting and paying my money. I was tired of it (the
processed hair style) not staying the way it was done when I left the beauty shop;
sometimes right after I walked out the door. I got tired of the high maintenance

40

and I just really admired the locks. Years ago, I think it was in the early 705, in
the 605 and 705, I did wear an Afro. Plus, I had really been out of wearing my
hair relaxed for some time. What I was doing is... it (my hair) was some what
relaxed, mildly, but I was wearing it in braids. You know, the extensions, you
know, this braided hair into my hair. And then after a while I got tired of even
that, even though it lasted maybe three months. I was tired of having to service it
and the maintenance. It was just an evolutionary process. This was just the way I
wanted my hair. This is the way I wanted it. And I really had reflected on it for a
while before, because I didn’t want to make a decision about something which is
quite permanent. When I decided to do it (go natural) I was very comfortable
because I felt. ‘Well this is me’.

Within the subcategory of “Other”, for the theme of motivation or why, subject 012 gave
a response that did not correlate with any response given by most subjects. Her response
was as follows:

I became a vegetarian about five years ago. I felt like it was time for a change. I

wanted to get the locks when I was working, but I didn’t have the strength to do it
until I was retired.

Lastly, on the theme of motivation, subject 021 answered this on his own terms also:
It (going natural) was a religious choice for me. I was at a time in my life where

some statements had to be made and I felt that the Lord had wanted me to make
those statements with my hair.

The second theme (flange from processed h_air to natural hair) concerned the
subject’s preference for natural hair over processed hair. Eighty percent (20) of the
subjects preferred natural hair over processed hair. This theme did not apply to sixteen
percent (4) of the 25 subjects because they had never had processed hair. One of the
subjects was unsure if she preferred natural hair over processed hair. This is what subject

004 said:

When asked: How did you feel about your processed hair?
She answered: Positively, I felt good about it.

41

When asked: Do you like your natural hair better than the processed hair you
had?
She answered: I’m undecided. I just love hair.
Of the subjects who had processed hair before, all preferred their natural hair over the
processed hair they had. Here are some examples:

Subject 003 said: Processed hair is lifeless and natural hair has more life

Subject 005 said: It’s (natural hair) beautiful! Relaxed hair is just imitating
another group of people.

Subject 010 said: This is me! This is how it (my hair) was made and I like it.
Subject 014 said: (She preferred natural hair over processed hair.) Less
maintenance, and because it’s (my hair) in it’s natural state and like it. I wish I

would have done it sooner.

Lastly, Subject 023 said: This is the natural way people should feel about
themselves. You should not have to feel like you have to conform to be equal.

The third theme involved the Types of responses that subjects received about their
natural hair. One hundred percent (25) of the subjects had gotten a positive response
about their hair at one point. Within all 100% of those subjects, 80% (20) of them had
also received negative responses about their hair; therefore these subjects fell under more
than one subcategory of this theme. A few of the positive responses that subjects
received are listed below:

When subject 003 was asked: Have you ever gotten any positive responses
about your

natural hair?

She answered: Yes, some people says it [my hair] looks cool!

When asked: From whom did the response come?

She answered: More mature men and women who are more positive toward it
(natural hair).

42

When subject 015 was asked: Have you ever gotten any positive responses
about your

natural hair?

She answered: Yes, everybody complements me on my hair. People stop me on
the streets and say that my hair looks good.

When asked: From whom did the response come?

She answered: Family, coworkers, strangers.

Then, when subject 020 was asked: Have you ever gotten any positive
responses about your natural hair?

She answered: Yes, people would say, ‘Your hair is beautiful’ and ‘I didn’t
know it [dreadlocks] was so versatile’.

When asked: From whom did the response come?

She answered: Coworkers, males and females, some white colleagues.

On the other side of that concept comes the question of whether subjects received any
negative responses about their hair. Conversely, these same subjects: 003, 015, and 020,
all received some negative responses about their hair.

When subject 003 was asked: Have you ever gotten any negative responses
about your

natural hair?

She answered: Yes, but not verbal. I’ve gotten negative looks from people.
When asked: From whom did the response come?

She answered: Younger women or older women who just don’t understand why
I would lock my hair.

When subject 015 was asked: Have you ever gotten any negative responses
about your

natural hair?

She answered: Yes, some people just asked why I cut my hair. (This subject
was wearing the close out hair style).

When asked: From whom did the response come?

She answered: Two older men, one black and one white.

Finally, when subject 020 was asked: Have you ever gotten any negative
responses about your natural hair?

She answered: Yes, I got negative responses from beauty salons.

When asked: From whom did the response come?

She answered: From hair stylist and from my grandparents. They [her
grandparents] told me I look like a picanini.

43

Occupational/personal limitations was the fourth theme. The subcategory was
whether that subject had been prohibited or limited because of their choice to wear
natural hair or not. Seventy-two percent (18) of the subjects had not been prohibited
from occupational/personal opportunities. Sixteen percent (4) of the subjects were
prohibited or limited and 12% (3) of the subjects were unsure if they had been prohibited
or limited. Of the subjects that said they were unsure if they had been limited, all of them
said they went natural much later in life or they had been at their jobs for some years and
had not been in the process of looking for a job or a relationship. The subjects that felt
they were or had been prohibited made these comments:

Subject 010 said: Well, once I was in Texas, I wasn’t prohibited or anything.

It’s just I was told, well my boss was told, that my hair was intimidating to white

men and women alike because I wore my hair braided. And they were French

braids, they were natural.

Subject 013 said: My husband doesn’t like it [my hair].

Subject 014 said that she was unsure if she herself had been limited but she had a friend
whom she knew was being limited by the choice to wear natural hair. This is what she
had to say:

I do have a friend who is a teacher and she just finished up school and when
she was going for her interview for her teaching position, at the time she
was wearing braids, and it wasn’t extensions. Her hair is just thick and long
and black and she’s African American. And the person who interviewed her
was an African American female, asked her, ‘Well are you going to change
your hair aren’t you’. So she started wearing these ugly wigs, and
everything, and now she has a teaching position. And she is waiting until
she gets her final contract before she goes to locks.

Three of the subjects that had not felt as though they had been prohibited or limited

because of their choice to wear natural hair made the statements below:

Subject 019 said: You know, I’m in nursing so, it really doesn’t I
guess if I was in the corporate world, I would be more prominent as far as
anything like that [natural hair]. But I’m in the nursing and as long as you
basically show up and you basically neat and clean, I don’t think they. . ..
You are there to do what you supposed to do; they [her supervisors] really
don’t care what’s happening.

Subject 009 said: I’m my own boss. [This subject is a private duty nurse]
Subject 008 said: If it have, I wasn’t aware of it or I didn’t let it hinder me.

I am a skilled person and I bring good technical skills to the company I
work for.

The subjects’ Level of self esteem was measured within the fifth theme.
The subjects’ self esteem was measured using the Rosenberg Self Esteem Test
(1965). In order to determine if someone had a high/low self esteem, the scores were
reversed allowing the highest level of self esteem to equal “4” and the lowest level of

66193

self esteem to equal . Subjects that were seen to have a moderate level of self

esteem had scores that were either a “2” or a “3” for the responses. With this

instrument, 68% (17) of the subjects were measured as having a high level of self

esteem. Thirty-two percent (8) of the subjects were considered to have moderate

levels of self esteem. No one had a low level of self esteem. A few subjects

displayed this aspect with certain comments they made during the interview.
Subject 011 stated: I’m doing my own thing

Subject 014 stated: This is naturally me.

Subject 015 stated: I don’t care how others describe it [my hair].

The sixth theme dealt with Hair texture acceptance, and how the subject felt
about their hair texture, or how they felt others perceived their hair texture. Within

this theme there will be some inconsistencies in the answers given because each

45

subject had the opportunity to give their opinion on the terms applied to natural hair.
The subjects were evaluated on descriptors which they considered to be positive or
negative. As stated earlier, there were four terms describing hair texture within this
portion of the study. These terms were evaluated by the subjects in the hair texture
questionnaire portion (see Appendix F). Worsted wool was considered to be positive
by 40% (10) of the subjects. Twelve percent (3) felt worsted wool was a negative
term; 24% (6) felt it had a neutral connotation; and 24% (6) were unsure what the
term meant. The term Extremely nappy was said to be positive by 40% (10) of the
subjects. It was considered negative by 28% (7) of the subjects; and neutral by 32%
(8) of the subjects. Matted masses was considered positive by one subject; 52% (13)
felt this term was negative. Thirty-two percent (8) felt matted masses was a neutral
term and 12% (3) were unsure about the term. Of all of the four terms, it seems as if
Kinky curly was a term that most subjects recognized and could relate to. Kinky curly
was rated by 72% (18) of the subjects as having a positive connotation. Eight percent
(2) of subjects felt it was a negative term and 20 % (5) felt it was a neutral term.

Please see Table 3 on page 47 for hair texture terms and response percentages.

46

Responses to hair texture terminology

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Worsted Extremely Matted Kinky
Wool Nappy Masses Curly
Positive 40% 40% 14% 72%
Neutral 24% 32% 32% 20%
Negative 12% 28% 52% 8%
Unsure 24% 0% 12% 0%
Table 3

The terms the subjects evaluated to have a positive connotation determined
if they felt positively about their hair and how others perceived their hair. Seventy-
six percent (14) of subjects felt positive about their hair texture; and out of those, 80%
of them used the term Kinky curly to describe their hair. Twenty-eight percent (7) felt
that others perceived their hair texture in a positive way. No subject felt negatively
about their hair, but 24% (6) of subjects felt others perceived their hair negatively.
Twelve percent (3) felt neutrally about their hair and 16% (4) felt others were neutral
as well. There were 32% (8) of subjects who gave their own description of how they

felt about their hair texture.

When asked: How would you describe your hair texture in the state it is in
now?
Subject 024 said: Strong/Great

Subject 019 said: Not as nappy as I’d like it

47

Also 32% (8) of subjects gave their own Opinion about how they felt others would
describe their texture.
When asked: How do you feel others would describe your hair texture in
the state it is in now?

Subject 014 said: Lovely, strange

Subject 005 said: Braided (My hair is not braided. I have locks).

This section of the thematic analysis supports the evolution of a new
acceptance of natural hair among the African American community. Forty percent of
the subjects evaluating the term Extremely nappy as positive, along with the 32% that
felt it had a neutral connotation, are examples of this evolution. In the last 50 years,
the term to describe this race of people elevated from Colored, to Black, and now to
African American; so have the terms which describe the natural hair of African
Americans. Until the late 19605 and early 19705, the term “nappy” was considered
by most African Americans to be the most negative term you could use to describe
, the texture of their hair. “Nappy” was even a term that would start fights or
confrontations within the Afiican American community (Russell, et al, 1992). After
the fall of the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement, the term
“nappy”, once again was left with a negative connotation. Beginning in the 19805,
when celebrities and other public figures were being seen with Close cuts, Dread
Locks and other natural hair styles, many African Americans have joined this
evolution. Today there are websites such as nappturalitycom and nappyhair.com,
both displaying different styles of natural hair and promoting this term we call “nappy
hair”. Many African Americans today are wearing their hair natural and will let

anyone know that they are “Happy to be Nappy”.

48

The seventh and final theme concerned the Amount of time and money
spent on the uplfip of natural hair versus processed hair. This theme had been taken
as a subset from the theme of why did you go natural or what motivated your choice
to go natural. The concept of maintenance was a recurring reason subjects wanted to
go natural. Eighty percent (20) of the subjects said that the time in the upkeep of
natural hair was less than the time to keep up processed hair. One person felt that she
spent the same amount of time on the upkeep of her natural hair as she did with the
processed hair she previously had. On the concept of cost or money it takes for the
upkeep of natural hair versus processed hair, 68% (17) of the subjects said they spend
less money on their natural hair upkeep. Twelve percent (3) of subjects said that they
spent about the same amount of money on their natural hair as they did with their
processed hair.

Subject 011 stated: The cost was equal because of the cost for products.

[Natural, chemical free products are what this subject and most subjects

used for their hair. Since these products are all natural they tend to be more

expensive]
There were subjects that had statements that contradicted or disagreed with this
statement of cost being equal. Subject 020 and 016 explained that they spent less

time and money on their hair and this is what they had to say:

Subject 020: If your hair is natural, you don’t have to use as many products
because your hair is healthier.

Subject 016: With my hair natural, I only go to the salon every two weeks
and with a processed hair style, I went almost every week.

All thematic analysis scores may be viewed within Tables 4, 5, 6, and 7 below.
The scoring for the theme of motivation for natural hair was shown in Table 2 on

page 40.

49

Change from Processed Hair to
Natural Hair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preferred Natural hair 20

Preferred Processed hair 0

Unsure 1

Not applicable 4
Table 4

Tabular Representation for

 

 

 

 

 

Themes 3, 4, and 5
3 Negative Positive
*Responses received
toward hair 20 25
4 Limited Np; Unsure
Occupational/personal Limited
limitations 4 3
18
5 Egg Moderate _L_o_vy
Self-esteem Level
17 8 0

 

* Subjects fell under more than one category

Table 5

50

 

Hair Texture Acceptance

 

 

 

 

 

 

Positive Neutral Negative Mis
c.
Self-Perception 14 3 0 8
from subjects
Perception from 7 4 6 8
others
Table 6

The Amount of Time and Money Spent on the Upkeep of
Natural Hair versus Processed Hair

 

 

 

 

Natural Natural Processed Processed

hair: hair: hair: time hair:

time money ' money
More 0 1 20 l 7
Same 1 3 1 3
Less 20 17 0 1

 

 

 

* Four subjects were not applicable because they had never had processed hair

Table 7

51

Summagy and Conclusions

Problem Statement
The purpose of this research was to examine reasons why some African

Americans have chosen to “go natural”, wearing their hair in any natural state such as
Afro, Close cuts, Dread Locks, and Braids or Comrows; and to see how they perceive
themselves with natural hair, and how they feel they are being perceived by others
(co-workers, managers/bosses, friends/family and acquaintances). Lastly, in what
way, if any, do the people wearing natural hair feel that they have been prohibited
from certain occupational/personal aspects of their lives because of the choice to wear

natural hair?

Methodology

The data for this study were collected using an instrument that
consisted of two parts: 1) self esteem questionnaire (Rosenberg, 1965), and 2) a hair
texture questionnaire in which subjects gave their opinions on terms describing
natural hair. Then, one-on-One interviews were conducted with each subject which
recorded their Opinions of experiences with natural hair. The data were tabulated by a
tally method and then converted into percentages. The research questions and their
conclusions are explained below, along with their comparison to previous research

results.

52

Conclusions

The research questions were separated into two categories: T_h_ei_r
perceptions of themselves which relate to research questions 1-3, and Their thoughts
on perceptions from others which relate to research questions 4-6 (See Table 8, page
56).

The first research question was “DO people with natural hair have a high
level Of self esteem?” This question was answered “yes” by 68% (17) of the subjects.
Self concept, self identity as well as self esteem plays a major part in how one
chooses to wear and style their hair. The data showed that African Americans who
went natural had some sense of self acceptance and pride in one’s self. This supports
Synott’s (1987) statement that hair is a social and physiological phenomenon, a
symbol of self and Of group identity.

“Do people with natural hair prefer natural compared to processed hair?”
was the second research question. This question was not applicable to 16% (4) of the
subjects because they had never experienced wearing processed hair. Eighty-four
percent (21) Of the subjects had processed hair before, and from those, 95% (20) of
those subjects prefer their natural hair over the processed hair they had. This
indicates another means of self acceptance in wearing natural hair.

The third research question was, “Do people with natural hair plan to keep it
natural for a lifetime?” Ninety-two percent (23) of the subjects answered this
question with a “yes”. One person said that she would probably go back to a
processed hair style and one of the other subjects said that she was unsure if she was

going to be natural for a lifetime. Subjects making comments such as “This is me

53

now” and "‘I love the way my hair looks” further suggests the new evolution Of self
acceptance among the African American culture.

Research question four was as follows: “Have people with natural hair had
negative responses about their hair?” Twenty percent (5) Of the subjects had never
gotten negative responses about their hair, while 80% (20) of the subjects had
received some kind Of negative response toward their hair. Of the subjects that
received negative responses, 72% (18) received verbal responses and 8% (2) received
non-verbal responses.

Research question five explored the demographics of those individuals who
expressed negative responses to natural hair. The research question was as follows:
“Have people with natural hair had other Afiican Americans react more negatively
compared to other races?” Eight percent (2) felt that Caucasians were the least
accepting of their natural hair, while 52% (13) felt that neither Afiican Americans nor
Caucasians were more likely to perceive their hair negatively. Forty percent (10) of
the subjects felt that other African Americans were more negative towards their
natural hair. They made comments such as: “Muslim African American men don’t
like my hair”; “Older generations of Blacks don’t like my hair”; and “Some African
American women don’t want to commit to being natural”. Wade’s study (1996)
suggested that many African Americans rated themselves or other African Americans
positively or negatively according to how straight their hair is or how light their skin
is. This shows that African Americans can be critical of their own race; therefore, the
African Americans who have natural hair can be considered a minority within a

minority.

54

The sixth and last research question was, “Have people with natural hair had
situations where their choice for natural hair has prohibited them from
occupational/personal opportunities?” Twelve percent (3) of the sample were unsure
if they had ever been prohibited, while 72% (18) Of the sample felt as if they had
never been prohibited. Sixteen percent (4) of the subjects felt that they had been
prohibited from occupational/personal Opportunities. According to Russell, et al.,
“good hair” (straight or wavy hair) has long been associated with the light-skinned
middle class, “bad hair” (kinky curly/tightly curled hair) with Blacks who are less
fortunate (1992, p. 82). For many years African Americans had been prohibited from
occupational/personal Opportunities because of their appearance. This concept
relates with the study done by Wade (1996). Wade’s theory was that the color Of
one’s skin and the texture Of one’s hair would predict who one would choose as a
mate. The prohibition of personal relationships falls into play here. The small
percentage of 16% (4) having felt as though they had been restricted in forming
relationships because Of their choice to wear natural hair, suggests that society as a

whole has made an evolution toward accepting natural hair.

55

Their Perceptions Of Themselves

       

Research? uestron __ w . , . _ . _ ’ és‘ults ,
RQl: DO people with natural hair have a high Answered yes by 68% Of
level of self-esteem? subjects
RQ2: Do people with natural hair prefer Answered yes by 80% of
natural compared to processed hair? subjects
RQ3: DO people with natural hair plan to Answered yes by 92% of
keep it natural for a lifetime? subjects

Their Thoughts On Perceptions from Others

 

 

Research 0 uestions Results
RQ4: Have people with natural hair had Answered yes by 80% Of
negative responses about their hair? subjects
RQ5: Have people with natural hair had Answered yes by 40% Of
other Afiican Americans react more subjects
negatively compared to other races?
RQ6: Have people with natural hair Answered yes by 16% of

experienced situations where their choice for subjects
natural hair prohibited them from
occupational/personal Opportunities?

Table 8

56

The present study was strictly an exploratory case study. Taking this research to
the next level and using a larger sample would heighten the possibilities for richer more
in-depth information. Similar to the study done by Wade (1996), discussing skin color
and mate selection, this present study did not discuss the level of black awareness or
black consciousness the subjects’ may have had. Asking questions such as, “How
important is your African American heritage to you?” and “How greatly does your
African American descent have an affect on the decisions you make on a day to day
basis?” could have accomplished this aspect of the study. These types Of questions
related to the level of black consciousness one has, could further explain why subjects
chose to go natural and why 92% of them plan on remaining natural for a life time. The
level Of self-esteem could then be correlated to the dimension of black consciousness,
comparing to see whether a high level Of self-esteem in an individual could predict a high
level of black consciousness and vice versa. Finally, there were geographic limitations.
Results can not be generally applied in that the study took place in one city and with one

salon.

57

22W

This study touched on the idea Of an evolution in attitude toward natural African
American hair among the African American community. This evolution in attitude could
be studied in depth beginning at the fall of the Civil Rights/Black Power Movement until
currently. Along with attitudes, self-esteem of women wearing natural hair could be
further studied. The difference in the level of self-esteem among women who wear
natural hair could be compared with those women wearing processed hair or synthetic
hair. Noticing that some Caucasian males and females are simulating the style Of
dreadlock, how these Caucasians are being perceived by the African American
population wearing dreadlocks could be examined. Lastly, approximately 80% of the
subjects studied in this present research were wearing dreadlocks. A study could be
conducted surveying the number of African Americans wearing natural hair and of those
how many are wearing dreadlocks and why (fashion, trendy, political, religion, etc.)

The purposes of this study were to 1) interview and record the perceptions of
African Americans about their natural hair and 2) to record their thoughts on how others
perceived them with natural hair. This research hopes to inform Afiican Americans and
others about the situations and responses some people have experienced because of their
choice to wear natural hair. The ultimate goal Of this research is to provide literature that
companies, organizations and individuals can read to help communicate that being an
African American who has pride in their culture and who displays it through hair should
not dictate whether one will be prohibited from a career (job) or personal relationship

because Of the choice to wear natural hair.

58

APPENDICES

59

Appendix A
Pilot Study

Description of Sample

A sample of 6 Michigan State University students (4 females and 2 males), all
from different majors participated along with 3 professional women working in the fields
of retail, education, and Episcopal ministry. Ages ranged from 18 years to approximately
40 years Old. Subjects hair styles varied as follows: 2(males) wearing cornrows,
3(females) wearing dreadlocks, 1 (female) wearing a close cut, and 3(females) wearing
an Afro.
Methodology

Subjects were solicited by attending the Black Poet Society (a Michigan State
University student organization) meeting and inviting members to participate. Others
were seen in passing on campus or other public places and asked to be a part of a natural
hair study. All subjects were given a short questionnaire to fill out, then were
interviewed concerning their thoughts about their natural hair. The one-on-one meetings
were arranged to suit the subject’s need or preference. All meetings were held in a quiet
environment either a library, dorm room or the subject’s home.
Instrumentation

The interviewing process took approximately 45 minutes for each subject. All
were given the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale questionnaire (1965). This questionnaire
was slightly modified by adding two questions concerning Opinions of the way one looks.
Questions such as “I take a positive attitude toward myself” and “I am happy with the

way I look” were used as measures to determine self acceptance among the subjects.

60

Also three items were developed to evaluate the opinions of how the subjects’ felt about
their hair texture. Phrases such as “Matted Masses” and “Worsted Wool”, were
adjectives used to describe hair texture. The second instrument was an interview guide
developed to obtain the subjects’ perceptions Of their hair and how they feel others
perceive their hair. A few of the questions were not applicable to the two males who had
never had processed hair; still all information given by the male and female subjects was
collected in the same manner. The list Of twelve interview questions such as “Why did
you decide to wear your hair natural?” and “How do people you’ve just met respond to
your hair?” were Open-ended questions that gave the subjects Opportunity to express their
opinions and tell their stories. The questions were developed depending on theme.
Data Collection

A thematic analysis was used to record the data collected. The Rosenberg Self-
Esteem Scale (1965) was measured on a scale of 1 to 4 (1 being strongly agreed and 4
being strongly disagree). The items concerning hair texture were measured by the
selection of phrases chosen to describe the hair. “Worsted Wool” and “Extremely
Nappy” were considered the negative responses toward natural hair and “Matted Masses”
and Kinky Curly” were considered positive/neutral responses to natural hair. Next, the
interviewing questions were broken down into four of the six themes: (1)
Why/Motivation for natural hair, (2) The change from processed hair to natural hair, (3)
The response from others, and (4) Occupational/Personal relationships being effected by
natural hair. Each item was tallied and analyzed by comparing answers recorded in the
interview to those filled out on the questionnaire to determine if there was a pattern in

responses. Questions such as “How do you feel about your hair in the natural state it is in

61

now?”, taken from the interview and “How would you describe the texture Of your hair in
the natural state it is in now?”, taken from the questionnaire on hair texture; were
compared and contrasted to determine if the responses were consistent. Then these data
were recorded on a chart. Lastly, the research questions were divided into two themes:
Their Perceptions of themselves and Their thoghts on perceptions fi‘om others. Each
response related to the research questions were tabulated and recorded on a chart.
Results/Findings

The purposes of this study were to find out how African Americans who wear
their hair natural perceive themselves, and if these people display a high level of self
esteem. Their perceptions on how they feel others perceive them in a work environment,
school and other person-tO-person meetings were studied also. In this section of the
paper, the results and findings are discussed.

The consistency in the responses of the subjects’ was accounted for first. This
was an important aspect to measure because the similarities in each subject’s answers
determined much about their true feelings on the topic of natural hair. When comparing
questions concerning how subjects’ feel about their hair/hair texture, 88% of the subjects
were consistent throughout the interviewing process. The question about how the
subjects’ feel others respond to their hair/hair texture, was compared with whether they
had ever received any positive or negative responses about their hair, 66% of the subjects
remained consistent in their answers. When responding to the questions asked
concerning the motivation or choice to wear natural hair, again, 88% of the participants
remained consistent. One example is from one female student whose answers were

parallel throughout all of her interviewing process. When asked: “How would you

62

 

describe your choice to wear natural?” (from the hair texture questionnaire) she answered
with choice (C) “A way of self acceptance”. Then she was asked “Why did you
decide to wear your hair natural?/What motivated your choice?”, (during the interview)

she answered:

“I just figured that God made my hair like that (kinky) for a reason.”

Figure 2 displays the thematic analysis Of the six main themes of this research. When
asked “Why or what was their motivation for wearing natural hair?” 6 Of the 9
participants explained that maintenance of natural hair was easier than processed hair.
“DO you prefer natural hair over processed hair?” was then asked, and 2 subjects (both
male) who had never had processed hair, were not applicable for this question. All of the
7 (females) in this study who had processed hair at one time, all preferred natural over
processed hair.

“Have people with natural hair had negative responses?” was answered “yes” by
77% of subjects. Yet, all 9 of the participants also discussed having had positive
responses toward their hair.

Within the theme discussing whether occupational/personal aspects of their lives
had been negatively affected as a result of their natural hair choice, 5 of the 9 participants
had been affected negatively by their choice to wear natural hair. One Of the female
subjects explained how some of her friendships had been diminished because of her

choice to wear natural hair. She stated:

“. . .some people feel you (I) are out to convert them. . . .”

63

 

A male student talked about being singled out at a youth group geared toward
professional black men. The student wears his hair in braids and was told he would have
to change his hair style in order to participate in the group. Another male student
explained:

“Some people that I meet don’t like my nappy hair, so I’m a loner.”

Out of these negative occurrences, 6 of the 9 students discussed how other African
Americans who were not wearing their hair natural, gave more negative responses than
any other race. Even though some subjects have felt restricted in certain aspects Of their
lives and labeled as a minority within a minority, 7 out of 9 (77%) participants said they
would be natural for the rest Of their lives. Therefore, research question 3 was answered,
which stated: “DO people with natural hair plan to keep in natural for a lifetime.”

Lastly, the issue Of self-esteem was evaluated in this study. Six of 9 of the
subjects were regarded at having a high self-esteem. Three of the 9 were considered to
have a moderate self-esteem and no one was considered to have a low self-esteem. This
suggests that a personal self image goes hand in hand with the choice to wear natural

hair.

64

 

Appendix B

Invitation to Participate in a study on
The Perceptions of African Americans
On their Natural Hair

You were invited to participate in a study of African Americans and their perceptions of
their natural hair, because you have chosen to wear your hair in a natural state.

You will be interviewed and asked to fill out a small questionnaire concerning your
thoughts about your hair and how you feel others perceive your natural hair in your work
environment, school, and other person to person meetings. Your time is very valuable;
therefore this study will only take a short 45-55 minutes of your day. Your time and
efforts are greatly appreciated for this voluntary research. Every aspect Of this study will
be kept completely confidential.

If you are interested in participating, or have friends who wear their hair natural and
would like to participate, please contact Tameka Ferguson at:
(517) 882-0447
Or e-mail: fergul62@msu.edu

** You must be 18 years or older to participate

65

 

Appendix C

Advertisement for
The Perceptions of African Americans
On their Natural Hair

How would gou like to get a $ 1 O
discount on your next haircut or

grooming?

Tameka Ferguson, a fellow client of Significant Change is
conducting a research study concerning
African Americans who wear their hair

natural

><><><><><><><><><

Ea Farticipating in this studtj gou will he assisting a fellow client
reach the goal of finishing her Master’s of Arts Degree at

Michigan State University.
><><><><><><><><><

Just sign up, Participate and receive $ IO offgour next visit
See Earhara for details

66

 

 

Appendix D

Contact Sheet for Volunteers for the study on
The Perceptions of African Americans on
Their Natural Hair

If you are interested in participating in this research study, please fill out this form and drop it into the
locked box by the entry way. Thank you for your interest, and I look forward to meeting with you.

Tameka Ferguson
Email: fergul62@msu.edu

Name
Phone

Email

 

 

 

67

Appendix E

Subject Consent for the study Of
The Perceptions ofAfrican-Americans on their
Natural Hair

You are invited to participate in a study of natural African-American hair styles.
The study conducted will serve as my Master’s Thesis Research. The purpose Of this
study is to determine how African-Americans who wear their hair natural, feel about their
hair and how they feel others perceive them. The end result Of this study will hopefully
provide literature that others can read to learn more about the positive and negative
aspects of going natural. You were chosen for this study because you previously made
the choice to go natural.

If you agree to participate, I will meet with you for a one on one interview that
will take approximately 45 minutes. There will be a $10.00 discount coupon given to
you for you completion of this interviewing process. Before the interview, a short
questionnaire will be given to you. I am interested in knowing why you haven chosen to
go natural. The interview will be voice recorded on a tape cassette. You may choose to
have your voice recorded or not, this will not eliminate you from the study. In addition,
you may also elect to have a side view picture taken Of your hair for my records. You
may participate in the study without having your picture taken. All cassette tapes and
photographs will be destroyed after the study is complete.

Your privacy will be protected to the maximum extent allowable by law. All
information you provide in the questionnaire and interview will remain completely
confidential. Your name will not be associated with any comments you make. The
questionnaire, answers to the interview questions and your audio taped responses will be
recorded using an identification number instead Of your name. Also all of your
information will be kept in a locked file cabinet in which I am the only person with
access. Any saved information will be securely kept on a computer that will be accessed
by my password only. Again, all of your information will be shredded and destroyed
after the study is complete.

All portions Of this study are completely voluntary. While I hope you will
complete the whole study, you may choose to Omit questions or end your participation at
any time.

If you have any questions or concerns about this study please feel free to contact
me, Tameka Ferguson, at (517) 882-0447, email: fergul 62@msu.edu. My advisor,
Dr. Sally Helvenston will also be available to answer any questions you have about this
study or your rights. Contact her at (517) 355-7716 or email: helvenst@msu.edu. If you
have any further questions or concerns regarding your rights as a study participant, or are
dissatisfied at any time with any aspect of this study, you may contact — anonymously, if
you wish —Ashir Kumar, M.D., Chair of the University Committee on Research Involving
Human subjects (UCRIHS) by phone: (517) 355-2180, fax: (517)432-4503, email:

68

 

ucrihs@msu.edu, or regular mail: 202 Olds Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824.
I will provide you with a signed copy of this form at your request.

Your signature below indicates you have read all parts of this consent and you
have voluntarily decided to participate in this study. I greatly appreciate your interest and
participation.

I voluntarily agree to participate in this study.

 

 

Signature of the Participant Date

Optional: do you agree to have your voice recorded on a cassette tape?

Yes or No

Optional: do you agree to have a side view photograph taken?

Yes or No

 

 

Signature of the Participant Date

 

 

Signature of the Researcher Date

69

Appendix F
Questionnaire
The Perceptions of African-Americans on their
Natural Hair

Subject ID #

All questions are voluntary. Please answer as you see fit. Respond to each question with
a l-strongly agree, 2-agree, 3-disagree, or 4-strongly disagree.

1. On the whole I am satisfied with myself .............. l 2 3 4
2. At times I think I am no good at all ..................... 1 2 3 4
3. I feel that I have a number of good qualities .......... l 2 3 4
4. I certainly feel useless at times .......................... l 2 3 4
5. I am able to do things as well as most people.........l 2 3 4
6. I feel that I am a person of worth, at least

on an equal plane with others ........................... 1
7. I feel that I don’t have much to be proud Of .......... '.l
8. I wish I could have more respect for myself .......... 1

9. All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a failure. ...1

NNNNN
quuw
ksaaaa

 

10. I take a positive attitude toward myself ............... 1
l 1. I wish I could change the way I look ................... 1 2 3 4
12. I am happy with the way I look ......................... l 2 3 4

70

 

1. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest), how important is your appearance tO
you?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2. How would you describe the way you wear your hair?
a) My hair makes a fashion statement

b) My hair serves as a means of not conforming to society
'c) My hair demonstrates a way of self acceptance

d) Other '

 

3. What is your understanding of the following terms below?

Worsted wool Extremely nappy Matted masses Kinky curly
a) positive a) positive a) positive a) positive
b) neutral b) neutral b) neutral b) neutral

c) negative c) negative c) negative c) negative
(1) unsure d) unsure d) unsure d) unsure

4. How would you describe the texture Of your hair in the state it is in now?
a) Worsted wool

b) Extremely nappy

c) Matted masses

d) Kinky curly

e) Other

 

5. How do you feel others would describe your hair texture in the state it is in now?
a) Worsted wool

b) Extremely nappy

c) Matted masses

d) Kinky curly

e) Other

71

 

 

Case #

Appendix G
Interviewing questionnaire for
The Perceptions of African-Americans
On their Natural hair

Subject ID #

 

1.

Why did you decide to wear your hair natural/What motivated your

choice?

 

 

 

 

 

 

How much time and money per month do you spend on the upkeep of your hair?

 

How long have you had your hair natural? months years

How long do you plan to keep it natural?

 

Do you feel comfortable or uncomfortable about your hair in the natural state it is

in now? Explain.

 

 

 

 

 

Did you ever have any kind of processed hair? If so, what kind?
Yes No What kind?

 

 

a. Compare the time and expense of maintaining processed hair verses

natural hair.
Natural Hair Processed Hair
More time Less time More time Less time

72

 

More costly Less costly More costly Less costly

Comments

 

 

b. How did you feel about your processed hair?

Positively Negatively

 

 

Comments

 

 

c. DO you like your natural hair better than the processed hair you had?
Yes NO
Why?

 

 

 

 

 

7. Have you ever gotten any positive responses about your natural hair?

If so, what type of response?

 

 

 

From who did the response come?

 

 

Is there a particular race or ethnic group who you feel is most accepting of your

natural hair? What group?

 

8. Have you ever gotten any negative responses about your hair? If so, what

type Of response?

 

 

From who did the

 

response come?

 

 

Is there a particular race or ethnic group who you feel is least accepting of your

natural hair? What group?

 

73

 

9. How do people you’ve just met respond tO your hair? DO they ask questions,

etc.?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. What is your occupation?

 

11. How do you feel your coworkers and boss perceive your hair?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12. Does your work dress code prohibit certain types of hair styles to be worn at

work? Yes No

 

 

If so, what types Of hair styles aren’t allowed?

 

 

 

 

13. Do you feel you have ever been prohibited from certain aspects of your life such
as careers, personal relationships, etc. because of your choice to wear natural
hair? Yes NO

 

 

14. If so, what aspect Of your life has been prohibited?

 

 

 

74

Appendix H
Identification Form for Study on

The Perceptions of African-Americans
On their Natural Hair

Case #

 

Subject’s Name Subject’s ID #

 

Subject’s Sex: M or F
Subject’s Age: 18-25 25-35 35-45 45 and up
Subject’s Hairstyle: Dreadlocks Close Cut

Braids Afro

Comments about the Subject

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

75

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