by Honey Laguda
Definition:
The ability to act, or do things, based on societal constraints.
Description:
Based on your social identity, your options on how to act in the world are limited. Certain identities historically have more privilege than others, and as a result, are established as the “norm” by having control of social institutions like government, the justice system, and schools.
People of marginalized identities must adopt the culture of these hegemons, or wielders of major institutional power, in order to get an education, find work or housing, and be taken seriously in any social institution. Studying language can reveal the ways in which historical institutions can create certain paths individuals must follow.
For example, there is a “right” way of talking when speaking in an academic, legal, or business setting, and it this way of talking that dominates all social institutions (for instance, Standard American English). This “correct” way of speaking upholds certain ideologies that prefer white upper-class social experiences and devalues the experiences and linguistic styles of peoples of other social identities.
The concept of Language Ideologies perfectly encapsulates the phenomenon of linking the way one speaks to their socioeconomic and sociopolitical status. Our ideas of what is the “correct” way of talking shapes the way peoples of non-white lowerclass identities must speak and act in order to exist legitimately within society, and it ultimately limits certain people’s capacities to act.
Application:
We can begin to truly understand the concept of agency with a few potent examples.
Just recently on the UMass Amherst campus an African American employee of 14 years was reported to the police for seeming “very agitated” on his way into campus. Reginald Andrade had only been getting to work on what he thought was a regular day when he was surrounded and questioned by the police. In an article, Mr. Andrade recounts his frustration with the amount of racial profiling he receives on capus. It limits the way he is able to move around lest he be categorized as menacing.
Black bodies are laden with meaning and significance, and the dominant culture in America makes little room for their own self interpretation. Since black existence is already linked with criminality, black Americans feel they must act a certain way when participating in mainstream society. In the case of Mr. Andrade, he has been told to “smile more”, to walk slower, and to stop carrying his big gym bags around. While most white Americans do not rouse suspicion by walking quickly with frowns, people with dark skin must take these extra cautions, effectively limiting their capacity to act how they otherwise would.
Many people migrate to America with a functioning understanding of the English Language. However, because of ideologies we hold against people of color, these English speaking migrants get placed in English Learners programs which often hamper their abilities to learn at the same pace as the rest of their peers. Because someone might have a heavy accent, or may not speak Standard American English, they may be labeled as less intelligent or incapable of learning at the same pace as everyone else. Our schooling systems are dominated historically by white hegemons, and this fact dictates who we see as “educated”. These ideologies limit one’s ability to receive quality education and freely practice one’s native tongue and traditions.
From a young age, black American children are implicitly and explicitly taught to fear the police. Many black Americans can recall tense conversations with parents about what to do when stopped by an officer. Make little eye contact. Hands in sight. Relax the muscles. Speak clearly. Do everything you are told. Before learning the “birds and bees”, many of America’s youth learn the very real dangers their skin color poses. In the back seat of my Uncle’s car, I could hear his usually firm and deep voice tremble in the presence of a white policeman while he bowed his head in the humblest position. Conversely, my heart jumped when a white friend’s parent easily bantered with a police officer and even contested the terms in which he had been pulled over. I witnessed firsthand the separate worlds white and black Americans face. The power relations between police and black bodies in America are tense and historically exploitative, limiting the ways black people can interact with the lawforce.
Hair holds a deep significance in the black community, with thousands of slang words and cultural references emerging from it. The term “good hair” is one such cultural reference that has rocked the black hair community. Until very recently, the term “good hair” meant fine and straight hair, in direct contrast to naturally black kinky hair. “Good hair” meant attractive hair, professional hair, acceptable hair, and arose from a white standard of beauty.
These traditional notions of beauty limit the way black women could appear in the world. Black female politicians have never worn their natural hair in the public sphere (until very recently), and the same applies for entertainers like Oprah and Rihanna.
Women with kinky hair textures went and still go through great lengths to achieve straight long hair. Girls as young as the age of two use carcinogenic chemicals to “relax” their natural textures. The chemicals in these hair relaxants have been proven to erode skin and numb nerves, and they badly sting during application. Women shell out thousands of dollars a month on straight wigs and weaves, spend significant portions of their paychecks applying extensions, and hours straightening their hair.
A social tradition has emerged in the black and brown community of going to the salon for hours to form and maintain social bonds as well as achieve “good hair”, as seen in Chris Rock’s documentary.
The natural hair community has combated traditional notions of beauty through oppositional agency, or opposing the traditional hegemonic powers that limit the actions of certain groups. Part of achieving this is reclaiming the term “good hair”. Inspiring natural hair influencers proudly post pictures of themselves wearing their natural hair in public and post hair care videos and blogs to educate black people on how to properly care for and protect their unique hair. Hashtag trends include phrases such as #good hair is healthy hair, and #good hair is kinky hair, in order to reshape negative ideas people hold about black hair. Through practice and emergence, or the changing of language and meaning overtime, the phrase “good hair” has seen a metamorphosis, giving more black women the agency to live unapologetic authentic lives.
My mother has remarked at how many more black employees have transitioned to wearing their natural hair at WallStreet. More stores now sell a wider variety of natural hair care products, while chemical hair relaxers that once lined shelves have now been relegated to a single spot on the lowest row. By reviewing and reclaiming what we believe to be beautiful, we give ourselves permission to exist more freely.
Cultural traditions prove a hard force to change. However, through the rise of social media and global interconnectedness, we become more exposed to the lives and cultures of non-hegemonic groups. This interconnectedness could be a tool in altering our current ideologies by educating us about different cultural practices and legitimizing them in the mainstream.