Beauty is a concept that is socially constructed. Although superficial, beauty is a form of currency that can add value and provide opportunities. The problem with beauty construction is that it is rooted in hegemonic European beauty ideals that negatively rejects Black features and shapes the perceptions of Black women's appearance and the…

The currents of elitism surging through curriculum studies in the United States have long been of chief concern to critical scholars in the field. Elements of this elitism running along racialized, gendered, classed and other such lines elide to marginalize knowledge generated by and about the "other." For this racialized, gendered,…

Progressive policies protecting women's rights to make reproductive decisions and the recent increase in literature exploring female sexual agency do not appear to have impacted on more equitable sexual relations in all contexts. In South Africa, gender power inequalities, intersecting with other forms of inequality in society, pose a challenge…

The article explores the limitations of applied drama interventions promising integration and inclusion against the material realities of urban disenfranchisement and misrecognition. Through reflection on a participatory theatre project facilitated with young women in an urban secondary school in London, social and moral agendas emerge which…

In this essay, Joyce King attempts to interrupt the calculus of human (un)worthiness and to repair the collective cultural amnesia that are legacies of slavery and that make it easy--hegemonically and dysconsciously--for the public to accept myths and media reports, such as those about the depravity of survivors of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans…

This article will examine Asian women's views on the practice of dowries in the UK. The research is based on 20 in-depth interviews with Asian women studying for a Social Sciences degree in a "new" (post-1992) university in the southeast of England. All of the interviews were tape-recorded and the data transcribed. The data was analysed…

In South Africa, females under the age of 18 comprise approximately 40% of the rapes and other forms of sexual assault that occur. However, South African girls face multiple barriers to seeking help in the aftermath of sexual assault. This literature review provides an overview of childhood sexual assault in South African girls and addresses…

The most influential accounts of Anna Julia Cooper's work have tended to focus on the question of women's equality. In this respect Mary Helen Washington credits Cooper with providing an "embryonic feminist analysis" in the 1890s. The focus of the author is on her understanding of educational matters, which should be seen as a powerful…

Article investigated the difficulties of Black women in fulfilling normal desires for a life of dignity and self-development and the role of the mental health professional in helping her in the process. (Author/RK)

A study of 1970-1973 data from four Florida counties examined the influences of marital status, family structure, age, health, social participation, income, and education on Black women's life satisfaction. Findings indicated that married, widowed, and divorced women had higher levels of life satisfaction than single and separated women.…

Zandi Zwane is a media activist and educator living and working in Cape Town, South Africa. She identifies herself as Black, Nguni, lesbian, female--and "Azanian: a term that was created in pre-colonial times by the members of the Black Consciousness Movement in resistance to colonialism." In this interview, Zwane explores the…

This report on the attitudes toward Girl Scouting and minority participation in Girl Scouting is based on the results of the Girl Scout Internal Survey and a telephone survey of the general public conducted by the Roper Organization. A stratified sampling technique was used to select Girl Scout members, affiliated adults, and non-members for the…

Examines Black women's use of the negative epithet of the dog in describing men who fail to fulfill their prescribed ideal role of breadwinner, companion, husband, and father. Suggests that use of the dog stereotype impedes effective communication between Black men and women. (Author/MJL)

Data from surveys of the National Opinion Research Center supported the hypothesis that Black males are more traditional in sex role outlook than White males. However, contrary to expectation, Black females were not found to be consistently more feminist in sex role outlook than White females. (Author/MJL)

Black, middle class males generally supported nontraditional roles for women, women's issues, and egalitarian marital relationships. These data, along with results of an earlier study, indicated that this group's preferences concerning female roles were determined not only by social class, but also by ethnic/class-related values, needs, and…