11. joulukuuta 2014

Etelä-Afrikka

Frans Cronje, of the South African Institute of Race Relations, said the survey was not racist.
"Funny how the sometime proponents of free speech change when they don't like what is said," he said. "The survey simply reflects what we see in the media and advertising."
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Yllä oleva Kapkaupungin yliopiston opiskelijalehdessä julkaistu mustan naispuolisen Qamran Tabo nimisen opiskelijan tekemä ja joidenkin mielestä rasistinen kyselytutkimus on aiheuttanut kohun. Onko rakkaus värisokeaa tyyppisessä tutkimuksessa kysyttiin 60:ltä kuuteen eri ihmisryhmään kuuluvalta opiskelijalta, joista jokaista oli kymmenen eli kymmenen valkoista, kymmenen afrikkalaista, joilla varmaan tarkoitetaan mustia jne.

Jokaisen 60:en oppilaan antama ääni on sadasta prosentista noin 1,66%, joten kymmenen opiskelijaa on 16,66%. Valkoiset saivat 38% äänistä, joten jos en väärin laskenut piti 23 opiskelijaa valkoisia kauneimpina ja vaikka kaikki valkoiset olisivat antaneet valkoisille äänen on siitä huolimatta 13:sta muuhun ihmisryhmään kuuluvaa äänestänyt valkoisia. Kaikkein vähiten saivat ääniä mustat eli 8%, joka vastaavasti paljastaa monen mustan äänestäneen toiseen ihmisryhmään kuuluvia, koska laskelman mukaan vain viisi opiskelijaa piti mustia kauniina. Tutkimuksesta saatavilla olevien tietojen mukaan valkoiset äänestivät eniten omaa rotua ja mustat kaikkein vähiten, mutta siitä huolimatta vähintään 13:sta ei valkoista äänesti valkoisia.

Uutiseen liittyen voi alla olevasta linkistä lukea kommentteja, jotka on myös arvosteltu punaisella nuolella huonoksi ja vihreällä hyväksi. Täytyy sanoa arvostelijoiden olevan erinomaisia. Huonot tai hyvät kommentit ovat yleisesti sellaisia, joista itsekin olen samaa mieltä. Muutenkin kun lukee brittilehdissä olevia kommentteja, niin kommentit ovat usein esim. maahanmuuttoon tai monikulttuurisuuteen liittyen suurimmaksi osaksi hyvin nuivia vaikka kohtaamisteorian mukaan pitäisi olla toisin.

South African university apologises for running survey saying white people are 'more attractive' than black people

Ranskalaisessa yliopistossa tällä hetkellä opiskeleva eteläafrikkalainen Brad (Sboniso) Cibane on nähtävästi saanut paskahalvauksen ja kerännyt kaikenlaista tietoa tutkimuksen tehneestä mustasta naisesta. Nainen on jo kolme vuotta sitten sanonut ettei tykkää mustista miehistä.

Brad (Sboniso) Cibane:
In my opinion, and I maybe wrong, they show a consistent prejudice towards the black race.

Three years ago she was willing to publicly admit that she is not attracted to black males. Three years later she decides to research the point and she concludes that the results are “not surprising”. She adds that “attraction to whites” can be thought of as “romantic Darwinism”. Now I’m not the smartest of the bunch, but I believe “Darwinism” is the notion that the “more evolved” will prosper.

I’m not a cyber-bully. If I was, I would have resorted to denigrating statements. I merely asked whether she is a racist, based on the statements cited. My conclusion is my opinion.
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The problem with whiteness: Ferial Haffajee
YCLSA UCT Complaint to the South African Human Rights Commission

Admixture in Southern Africa (Petersen et al. 2013)
Uncle Ruckus on black women

Alta pääsee lukemaan uutta tutkimusta Etelä-Afrikasta koskien eurokeskistä kauneusihannetta ja sen vaíkutusta mustiin naisiin.
Sutton (2009) draws our attention to the idea that Black women’s magazines are very similar to White women’s magazine in that Black models in these magazines seem to fit the stereotype of White beauty because they had ‘White features’ such as light skin and long, silky hair. The only difference between White women’s and Black women’s magazines was in the content (Sutton, 2009). The contents of these magazines dealt with issues of race which Black women could relate to. However, this was not achieved as the cultural messages about beauty embedded in the models found on the covers of these magazines sent a contradictory message to the reader because the Black models in these magazines were not representing the conventional standards of Black beauty (Sutton, 2009). The image of Black beautiful women looked as if they fitted the stereotype of White women, strengthening the “superiority of the White race as beautiful” (Sutton, 2009, p. 62). This new image of the Black woman served to replace the image of ‘the mammy’, tragic mulatto, etc.

[...]

Although women’s physical appearance seems to be given more emphasis than men’s in the media, a ‘double pressure’ has been exerted on Black women when compared to White women (Francois, 2012). Black women are expected to conform to the beauty ideals of Western standards which value ‘White physical’ features over ‘Black physical’ features (Fujioka, Ryan, Agle, Legaspi & Toohey, 2009). This denies the difference between what is represented as possible and what is realistic. The ‘Black’ Barbie can be used to illustrate the pressures exerted on Black women from childhood. Barbie is a fashion doll produced by company Mattel. The doll has become something of a cultural icon promoting an impossible body ideal for young girls (Greer, 1999) - Barbie is thin, tall and has long silky hair, the ‘Black’ Barbie has a darker skin tone than the conventional ‘White’ Barbie doll although she still has ‘White features’ such as long silky hair, blue-eyes and a thin body shape. This promotes the idea that Afrocentric features are not as beautiful as western features; this then positions the White beauty ideal as the norm (Young, 1996).

[...]

In South Africa the first crowning of the Black Miss South Africa in 1993 marked a new era that embraced the Black beauty ideal (Smith, 2011). This event marked a turning point regarding the visibility of Black beauty for the public. However, ‘Black images’ of beauty are becoming more ‘White’ as Black women have been seen to be emulating White standards of beauty (Poran, 2006). Here we see again how the ‘Black Barbie’ can paradoxically be used to convey the idea of the ‘impediments’ to Black beauty because of the adaptation of Western standards of beauty in the Black culture. These are understood to have been tied to historical processes which are unfortunately irreversible (Allan, Mayo & Michel, 1993).

[...]

In certain contemporary societies, African-Americans with lighter skin tones were considered superior to those with darker skin tones (Neal & Wilson, 1989). Poran (2006) explains that ‘colour caste’ hierarchies are largely gendered in the African American population where women are judged more on their skin colour than men. This is to say darker skinned Black women are not equally desirable as darker skinned Black men because “Black men have been found to value lighter skin for Black women than Black women for Black men” (p.752). Therefore it appears that Black women are more affected by discrimination surrounding skin colour because of the general emphasis placed on physical attractiveness for all women (Neal & Wilson, 1989). It seems that the emphasis on skin colour influences how men relate to women and how women perceive themselves in relation to the social constructs of beauty that is in accordance to skin colour. Although attitudes about Black women’s beauty have evolved, concerns about skin colour have not changed (Neal & Wilson, 1989).

[...]

Regarding product consumption, skin-lightening creams are likely to convey the message that dark skin is undesirable (del Giudice & Yves, 2002). Skin lightening creams have been around for a long time and they have been documented to be used by both men and females. They are beauty products which when used, reduce skin pigmentation for lighter toned skin (del Giudice & Yves, 2002). Within the African culture, there seems to be divisions on the basis of skin-tone. Ribane (2006, p.11) argues that “even if you weren’t White, the lighter skinned you were, the better your chances in life would be. And the lighter you were in complexion the more beautiful you were perceived to be” (Ribane, 2006, p.11).

[...]

Weitz (2001) argues that according to the White standard of beauty, for women to be feminine and attractive, they should ideally have long, wavy, and blonde hair. Thus, in order for Black women to be thought of as feminine, they would have to transform their natural hair so that they could conform to the standards of femininity.

Smith (2011) argues that within the Black community ‘African’ kinky hair has become an issue for Black South African women as this has been linked to the fact that weaves have become “status symbols for the aspirational Black elite and are a prerequisite for making it in the entertainment industry” (p.104). In this regard, hair is constructed as giving women access to attain their ideals: “that powerful social and political reasons compel women to don weaves” (Smith, 2011, p.104). Because hair conveys something about a person, weaves may convey the notion of success, power and Whiteness.

[...]

“Okay well, I think okay… for White men well I don’t know I still think most of them prefer White women, because again that’s still the ideal in the media and the literature wherever you look. So that’s kind of still the ideal and besides if you look at Black women, you know with straighten your hair, you wear hairpieces and stuff like that you are also in a way trying to emulate that white beauty kind of standard. So I guess they also see that in Black women, they also see Black women wearing White people’s hair and there’s a kind of disconnect there. So they kind of probably realised, okay these people don’t think they are beautiful or these people know they’re not beautiful I don’t know. So I know they probably still prefer mostly White women. As for Black men, I guess in a sense with them as well it’s kind of like, cos I mean. Ya… They like long hair and that type of thing. So it’s also affected them what they expect in a woman, that ideal thing, has also affected them….ya.” (Phindi)

[...]

“I remember when I had my first weave my best friend’s little sister, they are Coloured at home so they have nice, long straight hair and I always had my braids so when I had my weave she was like: “oh I like this hair better, I can comb this hair better.” Yea it’s always like kids that find straighter hair prettier I think... I don’t know...I think it’s what they see on TV because you don’t find like afro and dreads or braids or stuff but you have long haired straight, haired women.” (Charmaine)
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Löysin Beauty hakusanalla Google Scholar:sta hiusaiheisen tutkimuksen Etelä-Afrikasta. Alta löytyy mielenkiintoista tietoa mustien naisten hiuksista ja kuinka yhdeksi kauneimmaksi mustaksi naiseksi sanottu huippumalli Tyra Banks on paljastanut käyttävänsä peruukkeja. Tämä on sellainen asia, jota ei varmaan saisi kertoa, mutta olen itse kuitenkin tutkinut asiaa ja on käynyt ilmi mulateilla ja mustilla naisilla olevan paljonkin ongelmia hiustensa kanssa. Lisäksi Tyra Banks on tiettävästi tehnyt nuoruudessa nenäleikkauksen, joten tämä osaltaan kumoaa väitteet siitä, että sekarotuiset ovat automaattisesti kauniita, jos joku tällä tavalla on ajatellut.
Why are people bleaching their skin trying to be lighter? Is being lighter more beautiful? Why is having straight hair also considered beautiful? What happened to like the rustic curls with like African hair, the darker, like black beauty. Where is all that? Why is that not considered beautiful in this day and age?

[...]

I mean we see so many ethnic celebrities or celebs who you know their hair cannot possibly be that straight because it’s not the hair type, but they have straight hair. They don’t let their hair go natural. I mean I watched Tyra Banks once and she came out and said there’s something I need to tell you all, I actually wear a weave… And she took it off and she showed herself for who she is, and I remember reading all the responses on the Internet and stuff. People were like outraged, some were saying like you know, how could she do that. “She looked terrible”…

[...]

That’s why the media, look at the media. I mean have you seen even the black companies, the ads. Nobody has kinky hair. Everybody’s hair is either pieces that they have in there to show this relaxer works. It’s not even their own hair… They don’t use their own. There was one product. I think it was Motions, was it Motions that they advertised or the organic or something; where the girl walks and the hair just… I mean seriously! You can actually see when she lifts it up there’s a, there’s some spot where she lifts her hair up, you could see the weave. And I thought to myself, why not just relax, yes; do advertise, but then use her own hair and show us what her own hair can look like, so people can be realistic about it. But having this full, full hair and you’re walking with your hair shaking all over the place. Come on!
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