Diversity Committee

In addition, these women completed the Rotter’s Locus of Control and Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scales. Regression analyses indicated there was a slight but significant positive correlation between a higher internal locus of control and those who choose to wear their hair in a natural state; however, the regression showed no statistically significant predictive value for hair selection. A discussion of the psychological implications for the findings, thoughts of self-perception, and how these findings can be used for future practice is addressed.

Refinery 29 - "A History Of Black Hair In America" by Kristin Booker (Feb. 21,2014)

Curl Centric - "The Bantu Knots Hairstyle: A Beautiful Controversy" by Kenneth

As researchers categorize issues facing Black women's health, obesity and physical exercise continue to be significant topics of debate. General interventions targeted toward Black women to address obesity and increase physical exercise have been largely ineffective. In this article, I situate the current public health discourse on obesity and related interventions within a sociocultural context of body appearance, with a specific focus on hair. Why do some African American women feel such strong ties to their hair that they will avoid exercise? What can be done to understand this phenomenon and address alternatives that may make both hair maintenance and regular exercise feasible? I map a theoretical argument for why hair matters for some women, and discuss how physical activity intervention strategies might be improved by considering such complexities.

Authors: Barkai, Yael
Affiliation: Kibbutzim College of Education, Hanoter 16 Tel Aviv Israel
Source: American Journal of Dance Therapy (AM J DANCE THER), Jun2016; 38(1): 81-97. (17p)