Essay Example on Misogynoir: Where Racism and Sexism Intersect

The current society is engraved with misogyny against women. Considering a case where the society is fighting with racism against black, daily movement against injustices and discrimination based on a single colour, black women are facing quite challenging moments daily. Misogynoir a term coined by the African-American community to refer to a situation where gender bias and racism share a common point. Black women in society do not experience a single form of discrimination in society; they rather experience gender and race discrimination. By examining various aspects of society, it can be concluded that non-white women are economically and socially disadvantaged hence quite difficult to imagine the kind of life led by such individuals in areas such an America. A black woman living in America gets discriminated of being black as well as being a female. An individual cannot easily evade the two forms of discrimination; hence she has to experience them in her entire life. Misogynoir is, therefore, a practical issue facing society and is being rejuvenated by issues such as social reproduction, continuation and construction. This paper aims to examine two scholarly articles with different approaches to misogyny and try to analyze the findings to come up with a general conclusion.

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Article 1 summary

Concept of hairstyles and braids has been used widely over centuries as a weapon against black women in society. Despite an individual's effort to enhance social equity and acceptance in the community, the issue tends to spike daily, leaving black women isolated in most community building and social aspect. Misogynoir is widely used in describing discrete anti-black racist condition experienced by black women, commonly known as misogyny. The race represented by blankness and gender is used as oppressing, contempt and prejudice factors. Despite extensive application areas in society, the term is associated with the experience of black female hair.

The main method adopted during data collection is qualitative. The author seeks to understand human behaviour. Data collection involved personal assessment and experience as a black woman living in America society (DeLongoria, 2018). The author had first-hand information on how black women experience misogynoir. Having a set of African hairstyles, and being African American, gives her insight on how to describe misogynoir from a personal perspective. The author also used direct observation from TV shows and social media platform different reaction towards black women hairstyle by their contemporary whites. Secondary sources used includes articles referring to experience and historical view of braided hairstyle.

The major findings deduced from the article is that black women find it quite challenging on negotiating in a dominated and politicized society. With the introduction of hair dynamics concept in the society is associated with becoming a literal and figurative battlefield. Most black women constantly encounter policed environment from family members, friends, employers and the general public. The policing measures can also play a questioning aspect to the validity of certain hairstyles which becomes subjective to macroaggression cases. Black women are always subjected to intense private and public scrutiny concerning the colour and hairstyle as opposed to other racial groups. Despite scrutiny effect on achieving a divide among the black community, it has contributed to collaboration against the misogynoir fight. There is a need to raise general public awareness of justice to almost all sectors to avoid judgement on personality aspects such as hairstyles.

Article 2 summary

When being compared to other groups, black women are more criticized over their hair colour or style. The intense private and public scrutiny has both benefits and disadvantages. Despite the scrutiny creating division among black women, it has led them to fight against misogynoir (Macias, 2015). Black hair is a source of pride among the black women; it is tied to history and collective identity of the women. How they dress their hair tells a story about them since they do not have a unique style, colour or texture. However, these do not depict the survival and strength of the African people; the hair does (Macias, 2015).

Research methods

The research topic used a qualitative methodology known as phenomenological approach. It was the perfect approach befitting the research topic since it associated two phenomena; the social media and how it was used to draw information about the black women since little was known about them (Macias, 2015). The methodology was used since the further study to depict the intersection between the use of social media and the users from the marginalized group was necessary.

From the article, social media users get experience based on how they privately or publicly self-cite themselves in negotiations. There are several criteria through which this manifests itself. Different black women explained the distinction of how private and public self is created and how the differences between the two have the potential to be negotiated over several social media platforms (Macias, 2015). An example is where some open up about their private Facebook groups and Twitter accounts. On the private Facebook accounts, only invited members are allowed to contribute to specific discussions, such as those of gender and race. Their twitter accounts are blocked to those who do not have permission to access them, even though their public profiles remain accessible for business purposes.

Through controlling their private and public profiles, they can regulate whom they integrate with o their social media space. The article describes the social media space as a safe and liberating one for the black women when being compared to the outside world (Macias, 2015). Through social media platforms, they can raise and discuss topics relating to race, womanish and sexuality.

The connection between the Articles

Both articles depict the presence of misogyny against women since there is racism against the black ladies. In both articles, both race and gender play a big role in the subject matter. The race involved is the black African race. The gender talked about in both articles is the female gender. Both articles show how misogyny is bias since much information is derived from social media platforms.

The findings of both articles show that the attribute of private and public self on social media platforms describes the opposite relationship among black women. Most ladies disguise themselves on social media so as they can have the freedom to negotiate different topics about gender and racism (Macias, 2015). However, both articles prove that the private self-developed by the black woman is compromised since all platforms are considered ‘public’ and are not bound to some privacy standards, despite them making their profiles and accounts private. The articles do not represent any major differences.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we should fight and empower the sacredness of black women in terms of their hair. If it is a must, misogyny should be condemned even if it means that one would face cultural and legal negation. Therefore, racial and gender biasness against black women should not be condoned.

References

DeLongoria, M. (2018). Misogynoir:* Black Hair, Identity Politics, and Multiple Black Realities. Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies, 12(8), 39-49. http://www.jpanafrican.org/docs/vol12no8/12.8-3-Maria%20DeLongoria.pdf

Macias, K. (2015). Tweeting Away Our Blues: An Interpretative Phenomenological Approach to Exploring Black Women's Use of Social Media to Combat Misogynoir. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dcar_etd/25/