ERIC Number: EJ1386081
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1521-0960
EISSN: EISSN-1532-7892
No Dreadlocks Allowed: Race, Hairstyles, and Exclusion in Schools
Banks, Patricia A.
Multicultural Perspectives, v25 n1 p30-38 2023
While the educational exclusion of students who wear hairstyles linked to people of African descent has garnered significant media attention, there has been little scholarly investigation of this phenomenon. Drawing on content analysis of dress codes in Texas public schools, this article addresses this gap in knowledge by conceptually and empirically elaborating how students who wear dreadlocks are stigmatized in schools. Engaging sociological theory asserting that stigmatization entails unfair treatment and negative labeling, I show how students who wear dreadlocks in some schools are subject to structural discrimination and stereotyping. More specifically, I develop a typology of negative stereotyping and negative treatment faced by students who wear dreadlocks in some schools. By elaborating how students who wear dreadlocks are stigmatized, this article advances theory on culture and inequality in schools. Practically, given growing efforts across the United States to pass legislation that makes school prohibitions on hairstyles linked to people of African descent illegal, it is especially important to understand how these hair bans stigmatize students.
Descriptors: Cultural Differences, African American Students, Public Schools, Racism, Human Body, Social Bias, Ethnic Stereotypes, Racial Discrimination, Educational Environment, African American Culture, School Policy, Labeling (of Persons), Negative Attitudes
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Texas
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A