Women in Beauty Cultures and Aesthetic Rituals in Africa
Women in Beauty Cultures and Aesthetic Rituals in Africa
- Oluwakemi BalogunOluwakemi BalogunDepartments of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Sociology, University of Oregon
Summary
Women and their bodies have figured prominently in beauty cultures and aesthetic rituals throughout Africa, and they are tied to specific symbolic practices, political contexts, and economic circumstances. Diverse beauty practices in Africa provide valuable insight into understanding shifting cultural logics and social structures. Beauty practices and aesthetic rituals are socially contingent and hold multiple meanings depending on the historical context that they emerge from. Moreover, women’s aesthetic choices are often heavily politicized within broader local, national, and global tensions. Specific beauty rituals illuminate the social contexts of varied communities and are often connected to rites of passage that signal maturity, fertility, and status. Beauty both reflects and constitutes social values, power differentials, and personal agency.
Subjects
- Women’s History