Mirror, mirror on the wall, why am I not the fairest of them all? - an Afrocentric approach to the lack of representation of Afro-Finnish women within the Finnish beauty standard
Slimani, Jasmin (2021)
2021
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2021102953003
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2021102953003
Tiivistelmä
In this master’s thesis, I critically examine the beauty standard present in Finland and how it excludes Afro-Finnish women. This thesis is completed partially as a written text and the analysis aspect comes in form of a three-part podcast series.
The research aims to shed light on the exclusion of Afro-Finnish women, understand why beauty in Finland means inhabiting whiteness and how detrimental it becomes for people who do not inhabit Eurocentric features. With the help of Afrocentricity and intersectionality as the main theories these aspects will be analyzed. Additionally, concepts such as colorism, capitalism and the politics of hair will be discussed. Furthermore, the notion of the self as a critical opponent regarding embracing one’s beauty will be discussed, and how aspects such as social media, beauty trends and beauty industries can both aid and damage the self. Moreover, I want to emphasize healing practices, along with Afrocentric perspective being useful for AfroFinnish women’s self-loving journey. The material for the thesis is a combination of discussions in form of interviews paired with academic and non-academic articles. The material was then analyzed with the help of textual analysis. To critically examine the beauty standard in Finland, is done with the intent to strive for dismantling oppressive tools and to give recognition for a wider notion of feeling beautiful.
The research aims to shed light on the exclusion of Afro-Finnish women, understand why beauty in Finland means inhabiting whiteness and how detrimental it becomes for people who do not inhabit Eurocentric features. With the help of Afrocentricity and intersectionality as the main theories these aspects will be analyzed. Additionally, concepts such as colorism, capitalism and the politics of hair will be discussed. Furthermore, the notion of the self as a critical opponent regarding embracing one’s beauty will be discussed, and how aspects such as social media, beauty trends and beauty industries can both aid and damage the self. Moreover, I want to emphasize healing practices, along with Afrocentric perspective being useful for AfroFinnish women’s self-loving journey. The material for the thesis is a combination of discussions in form of interviews paired with academic and non-academic articles. The material was then analyzed with the help of textual analysis. To critically examine the beauty standard in Finland, is done with the intent to strive for dismantling oppressive tools and to give recognition for a wider notion of feeling beautiful.