See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/349534485

HAIR THEN, HAIR NOW: AFRICAN STYLING BECOMING LEISURE FOR ALL

Research · January 2021

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.23636.53125

CITATIONS READS
0 3,388

2 authors:

Samuel Mwituria Maina Phd Kiswili Cyprian Kavita

University of Nairobi University of Nairobi
44 PUBLICATIONS 24 CITATIONS 1 PUBLICATION 0 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Samuel Mwituria Maina Phd on 23 February 2021.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 HAIR THEN, HAIR NOW:
AFRICAN STYLING BECOMING LEISURE FOR
ALL

Samuel Mwituria Maina PhD, [email protected]

Kiswili Cyprian Kavita, [email protected]

Samuel Mwituria Maina PhD

Dr Samuel Mwituria Maina is a senior

lecturer of industrial design at the School of
the Arts and Design, College of Architecture
and Engineering of The University of
Nairobi, Kenya. He also teaches in other
institutions and universities in Kenya
including but not limited to Jomo Kenyatta
University of Agriculture and Technology,
the Technical University of Kenya, Nairobi Institute of Technology and
Kenya Medical Training College among others.

He has contributed many articles to academic journals on eco-design,

eco-ethics, and construction and sustainability. Apart from this 6th
volume, Dr.Maina has also authored course books on design materials
and processes volume 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5, Introduction to ergonomics- a
learner’s manual, Qualitative & Quantitative research methods
simplified, How to Write a Good Proposal and communication skills for
college and university students. Among other interests, Maina has
researched on glass as design material, recycling of solid waste and
human factors for interior ambience. He has also been involved in

1 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

several consultancies and exhibitionsindividually and in
collaborations.

Cyprian Kavita Kiswili

Born in Machakos, Kenya, Kiswili works
predominantly in the medium of painting
and digital illustration and aims to depict
beauty and sophistication through a
combination of colour, texture and shape.
He works as a product designer in a
reputable shoe production enterprise in
Nairobi. Cyprian Kavita Kiswili, who is studying for a Master’s Degree
in Art and Design at the school of the Arts & Design, University of
Nairobi, was among the young designers who competed in the Czech
Republic at Bata Fashion Weekend 2019, held at Prague’s historic
Zofin Palace.

The winning design creates a striking balance between fun and

seriousness, taking symbols and icons and expressing them in the
form of fashion and is also heavily inspired by illustrations and
cartoons. Kiswili winning shoe nicknamed ‘Blossom’ draws rich
inspiration from the cheerfulness, playfulness and fullness of the
bushy Savannah land.

2 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

Abstract

Background: The idea of leisure connoting free time makes it synonymous with
laziness and wastefulness which does not fit very well within African traditional
thought. In the colonial era, the idea of leisure was seen as alien to the
Africans and in the post-colonial era, some people associated it with idleness
and irresponsibility. A deeper dig however in history, shows the African man and
woman kept themselves entertained on specific occasions whenever they were
not working. These pastime activities included dance, bull fighting, games,
drawing and even hair styling. Problem: there exists a deep rooted
misconception that African hairstyles are without local aesthetic
content or value. From the western view, the African was thought to
have no sense of leisure. Objective: the objective of this study was to
establish the role and the reasons for varied hairstyles donned by
Africans then and now. Design: the study used desktop and library
research methods

Setting: the study was conducted in Nairobi Kenya under the

auspices of the school of the arts and design of the University of
Nairobi. Its scope however spanned Africa and the diasporic
dispensations all over the world. Subjects: Prominent hairstylists
were interviewed. Anthropologist gave their views while experts in
fashion and fads were involved in a focus group discussion. Results:
it emerged that African artistic expression through hair styling
persists even in the era great neo-colonial influence from the west.
Today, new styles have been infused with the old to forge new
expressions away from the traditional ones of aesthetic,
entertainment and rebellion. Notable are the Rasta and the hair
extensions popular in the Americas among people from Africa and the
ex-slave descendants. Conclusion: Several African scholars have explored
the history of hair making from pre-colonial Africa to contemporary times (Byrd,

3 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

2001). Prior to the colonial times, Black hair denoted cultural and spiritual
meanings for both men and women. While some of the hairstyles that were
donned by Africans during this period are still worn today, including twists,
braids, Zulu knots, Nubian knots, and dreadlocks, the manner and occasions in
which they did this will always remain different from modern time’s hair
making. Standards of beauty have varied enormously according to time and
place. Yet as long as people have ordered their social relations, hairdressing has
had a role in the struggle for status and reproduction.

Keywords: Hair making, Leisure, Styles, Plaiting, African comb

INTRODUCTION
“To be able to feel leisure intelligently is the last form of
civilization.”

Ambani (2016) writes that historical perspective of leisure in

Africa can be traced to the earliest kingdoms and states that
were established where the kinship was to be entertained
through songs and dances by the kinsmen. It also entailed the
celebrations conducted during weddings, circumcision, and
good harvest. Leisure time was also spent by indulging in other
social activities for example wrestling and hair styling. Some
people viewed leisure as a period of time they called free or
unobligated time. For others, leisure was related to
recreational activities such as competitive sports, cooperative
games, outdoor endeavors, and cultural pursuits and
socializing. This paper looks at Hair styling and making as a
leisure activity both in traditional and modern African society
and the products used in the activity.

4 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

THEORY
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF LEISURE

The historical perspective of leisure in Africa can be traced to

the earliest kingdoms and states that were established where
the kinship was to be entertained through songs and dances
by the kinsmen. It also entailed the celebrations conducted
during weddings, circumcision, and good harvest. Leisure time
was also spent by indulging in sporting activities for example
wrestling (Jollah, 2013). In examining the historical
perspective of leisure in general, the writer looks at Hair
making as a past time.

Figure 1 Serpa Pinto, Alexandre Alberto Da Rocha De, 1846-1900, artist

Source Title: History of Mankind, by Friedrich Ratzel, translated from the
second German edition by A. J. Butler, with an introduction by E. B. Tylor,
Publisher: New York: Macmillan, 1896-1898.

Hairdressing in Africa (fig 2) was always the work of trusted

5 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

friends or relatives. In addition to the amiable social aspects of
the event, the hair, in the hands of an enemy, could become an
ingredient in the production of a dangerous charm or
"medicine" that would injure the owner. This then made hair
making a very sacred and important leisure activity in
traditional African societies.

Figure 2: Women hair making in Namibia - Photo dated: Anneliese Scherz,

1990’'s

HISTORICAL ROLE OF HAIR

To comprehend the real importance of hair and styling to

African people one must do so through the eyes of an African
worldview and cosmology, only then will the full scope of its
importance be thoroughly understood (Nomonza, 2010).
Throughout the ages, from the Ancient Nile Valley civilizations

6 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

to the movement West and the establishment of Western
African empires, hair has maintained a spiritual, social,
cultural and aesthetic significance in the lives of African
people. Historically, hair has held significant roles in
traditional African societies, including being a part of the
language and communication system. For instance, during the
15th century, African people such as the Wolof (as seen in fig
3), Mende, Mandingo, and Yoruba used hairstyles as means to
carry messages.

Figure 3 Fante women of Elmina (Edina) in Gold coast (Ghana)

with their hairstyle - a wooden
engraved drawing (1800-1895).

One of the unique features of African textured hair is its ability

to be sculpted and molded into various shapes and forms.
Hence, while hair may play an important role in the lives of
people of all races, for people of African descent, this role is
amplified due to the unique nature and texture of Black hair.

7 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

Since antiquity, Black hairstyles have been known for their
complexity and multifaceted nature, a notion that remains true
today (Bellinza, 1992).
SYMBOLISM

According to Mozinba, (2000), hair was and continues to be

used as a marker of various cultural indications. In Africa hair
was used to denote age, religion, social rank, and marital status
as well as other status symbols (fig 4). For example, during
the Medieval African period (12th/13th century), a young Wolof
girl would partially shave her head to point out that she was
not of marrying age. The extent of social messages in hairstyle
choices did not end on the continent of Africa.

Figure 4: historically, hairstyles symbolized certain things. Girl with

traditional hairstyle and tribal
scarring, Sirigu

As late as the 1980’s, Black men wore a style known as the high

8 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

top fade (fig 3), a hairstyle where the sides of the head are
shaved with the top portion growing upwards and as high as
possible. The style conveyed various cultural and political
messages such as images of

9 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 Africa, corporate logos, partner’s names, and other symbols
were etched into the hair or onto the scalp.

Figure 5: The late 80’s black hair High top fade (Kane, circa 1980s. Al
Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

The high top fade was a modern day method of illustrating the
multifaceted symbolism of Black hair—a thing that can be used
as the message itself or to state a particular message.
Additionally, true to African epistemology, spirituality has
played and continues to play an essential role in Black culture.
Consequently, because of its integral function, hair has been
and continues to be used to increase the potency of medicines
and indigenous healing potions. It is an understatement to
suggest that hair is merely part of African cultural identity, as
hair and identity are inseparable. For both African men and
women hair is intricately connected to cultural identity,
spirituality, character make up, and notions of beauty.

10 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 Of particular importance to this leisure activity that was
conducted mostly in the afternoons after long hours in the
fields, the tools used such as the comb. The comb had cultural
meaning that indicated one’s particular group and other
spiritual symbolism, personal history, and class status long
before Europeans engaged in the mass enslavement of
Africans in the 17th century. Men carved these symbols and
spiritual demarcations into their combs that were specifically
designed with long teeth and rounded tips to untangle African
textured hair. These iconic combs are known today as the Afro
combs.

HAIR STYLING TOOLS

A primary tool for shaping and teasing the hair is, of course,
the comb. (Schmidt, 1926) notes that "the comb is found
among every people of the world, and appears in numerous
forms," and that "treating the hair with butter or vegetable
oils is a widespread practice, and so is rubbing with earth or
lime". To dress the hair, African people used oils and agents
such as camwood, clay, and ochers, and devices such as
extensions of human hair (from spouses or relatives),
vegetable fiber, sinew (Fig. 6), and, more recently, locally
spun or imported mercerized cotton

11 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 Figure 6: Two women whose braids have been lengthened to their ankles through
the use of sinew (eefipa) extensions, Mbalantu of Wambo group, Namibia,
Africa Photo: M.Schettler, 1940's

THE AFRO COMB

The Afro comb has long been the product that is used to create
eye-catching and cultural relevant hairstyles for men and
women of African descent. The Afro comb serves as a status
symbol in many African societies and has for centuries. The
comb has also come to denote affiliation with certain groups
or tribes and can signify one’s religious beliefs or rituals. In
ancient society and in modern times, the handles of the combs
are adorned with objects that artistically showcase a person’s
status. These include human figure, motifs and pictures of
elements in nature. Spiritual artwork is often depicted on Afro
combs as well as can be seen in (fig 7).

12 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 Figure 7: These four combs were intended as love gifts. Clockwise,
upper left: Fante or Asante male artist, Ghana, late 19th or early 20th
century. Gift of Henry H. Hawley III. Public domain. Upper right: Akan
male artist, Ghana, early 20th century Gift of Dr. Nii and Martina Y.
Lower right: Akan male artist, Ghana, late 19th or early 20th century.
Lower left: Asante male artist, Ghana, late 19th or early 20th century.
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Willi Riese to the Jennie Simpson Educational
Collection of African Art.

13 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 There are also archaeological burial records that indicate that
some variation of the Afro comb has been around for thousands
of years. Studies show that the comb is around 6000 years and
originated in Africa before re-emerging in Britain, the
Americas and the Caribbean. (H., 1996)

Figure 8: Antique East African Swahili Carved Ebony Hair Comb

SOCIAL HAIR STYLING SIGNIFICANCE

“In the early fifteenth century, hair served as a carrier of
messages in most African societies” (K. Anjyo, 1992) These
Africans--citizens from the Mende, Wolof, Yoruba, and
Mandingo—were all transported to the “New World” on slave
ships. Within these communities, hair often communicated
age, marital status, ethnic identity, religion, wealth, and rank
in the community.

14 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 Figure 9: Women plaiting and braiding during their leisure time – Simon
Knurenza Archives

Hairstyles could also be used to identify a geographic region.

For example, in the Wolof culture of Senegal, young girls
partially shaved their hair as an outward symbol that they
were not courting. (H., 1996) “And the Karamo people of
Nigeria, for example, were recognized for their unique
coiffure—a shaved head with a single tuft of hair left on top”
(Fig 10). Likewise, widowed women would stop attending to
their hair during their period of mourning so they wouldn’t
look attractive to other men. And as far as community leaders
were concerned, they donned elaborate hairstyles. And the
royalty would often wear a hat or headpiece, as a symbol of

15 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 their stature (Kwekudee, September, 2012).

For the Himba tribe (Nothern Namimbia), hair indicated one’s

age, life stage, and marital status. The tribe lives in the
northwestern region of Namibia.

Figure 10: The Karamo hairstyle - Photo: Herbert Lang Expedition

The ethnic group members used a mixture of ground ochre,

goat hair, and butter to create their dreadlocks. They also
included hair extensions when weaving their dreadlocks.

16 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 Teenage girls would wear braid strands or dreadlocked hair
that hanged over their faces. Doing this symbolized that they’d
entered into puberty (Babou, 2008). Married women and new
mothers wore Erembe headdresses made from animal skin.
Young women who were ready for marriage tied their
dreadlocks to reveal their faces.

Bertoia (2002) advances that hair making and styling was not
only common among women only but also men. In the Himba
tribe for example, unmarried men wore a single braid to show
their status. Once they got married, they covered their heads
never to unveil them in public again. They removed their head
covering at funerals only. Often men (Fig 11) shaved their
heads bald or in a specific fashion as a symbol of masculinity
and their caste or class. In Kemet (ancient Egypt), many men
would butter their hair down with goat butter or oil until it
hung down in a bob.

Figure 11: Men's hairdressing, Sango, Upper Mobangi River,

Democratic Republic of Congo - Photo: The Minister of Colonies,
Belgium, early 20th century.

17 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 DREADLOCKS
Dreadlocks (Fig 12) have often been perceived as a hairstyle
associated with 20th century Jamaican and Rastafarian
culture, but according to Dr. Bert Ashe’s book, Twisted: My
Dreadlock Chronicles, one of the earliest known recordings of
the style has been found in the Hindu Vedic scriptures.

Figure 12: African man in dreadlocks Picture Library/Getty Image

HAIR STYLE AS POLITICAL EXPRESSION

Mau Mau, militant African nationalist movement that
originated in the 1950s among the Kikuyu people of Kenya.
The Mau Mau (origin of the name is uncertain) advocated
18 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India
 violent resistance to British domination in Kenya; the
movement was especially associated with the ritual oaths
employed by leaders of the Kikuyu Central Association to
promote unity in the independence movement.

In 1950 the Mau Mau were banned by British authorities, and

in October 1952, after a campaign of sabotage and
assassination attributed to Mau Mau terrorists,
the British Kenya government declared a state of emergency
and began four years of military operations against Kikuyu
rebels. By the end of 1956, more than 11,000 rebels had been
killed in the fighting, along with about 100 Europeans and
2,000 African loyalists. More than 20,000 other Kikuyu were
put into detention camps, where intensive efforts were made
to convert them to the political views of the government—i.e.,
to abandon their nationalist aspirations. Despite these
government actions, Kikuyu resistance spearheaded the
Kenya independence movement, and Jomo Kenyatta, who had
been jailed as a Mau Mau leader in 1953, became prime
minister of an independent Kenya 10 years later. In 2003 the
ban on the Mau Mau was lifted by the Kenyan government.

Field Marshal Muthoni. She was the only woman field marshal
in the Mau Mau. The Mau Mau had three field marshals 1. Field
marshal Dedan Kimathi 2. Field marshal Musa mwariama 3.
Field marshal Muthoni Below the field marshals, were generals
like Baimungi,matejagwo,kahiu itina etc

19 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 Field Marshal Muthoni wa Kirima at 20 years and later as an old woman

20 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 Muthoni wa Kirima was born in Central Province in 1931. Being
born in the colonial era meant Muthoni, as a young girl, saw
the injustices committed against native Africans by the
colonialists. Having never had a formal education and with
parents who worked in a European farms, Muthoni nursed the
dream of Kenya becoming independent one day.

Muthoni, aged about 20, became a spy for the Mau Mau
fighters who had camped in the forest in 1952. During the war,
many women were used as spies by the fighters or supplied
food to them. For Muthoni, spying and bringing food was not
enough, she wanted to fight. She wanted to be right where the
action was. Muthoni convinced Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi to
allow her into the forest as a fighter. Muthoni proved a gallant
soldier.

Fighting next to Dedan Kimathi and proving herself to be a

valuable soldier, Muthoni was promoted to field marshal and
became the only woman to have ever reached that status.
Muthoni was injured on many occasions and at times looked
death in the eye. She had two miscarriages which left her
unable to bear more children but her fighting spirit never died.
Sporting the signature dreadlocks worn by all the fighters,
Muthoni stayed in the forest and fought for the freedom of her
country.

One Mau Mau General calls himself Kahiu Itina literally

meaning 'Knife in the arse', symbolizing what he does to
the enemy.

Field Marshal Kimathi himself has the code name 'Matemo',

meaning 'the one who cuts'. This suggests that he is the keen
cutting edge that keeps the colonialists on edge.

21 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 General Mathenge has the code name 'Kirema - thahu',
meaning 'the one who cannot be touched by evil'. The fact that
he is fighting on the side of justice suggests that no evil can
harm him and that no matter the might of the colonial armies,
he is indestructible.

Captain Vido is also known as Ndururi Gititika the latter name

meaning 'one who pushes something burdensome'. The
burden here is obviously the colonialists and Vido views
himself as one who has the task of pushing them out of the
black man's country.

Sergeant Kana Kehoti is one of the young forest fighters.

His name means 'a child who is able to take care of himself'
and therefore amply captures the fact that though he is very
young that has not prevented him from volunteering for
combat duty.

Brigadier Mai Maruru's name means 'bitter water',

symbolizing the fact that metaphorically the enemy finds him
very "bitter".

General Kirihinya's name on the other hand means one who

is strong; symbolic of the fact that he is strong enough to
contend with the enemy. General Matenjagwo's name means
'one who is not shaven', referring to the trademark Mau Mau
dreadlocks.

From the foregoing, it is evident that hair gave the mau mau
an identity of political resistance. Although it happened by
accident due to lack of shaving facilities and the time for
grooming, when it hit the international media, it was quickly
adopted in Jamaica and the caribian as a resistance style due
to the romantic nature of the mau mau war. In that war, a

22 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 small tribe in Kenya had taken a superpower head on
militarily. Every oppressed community identified with the Mau
Mau gallantry. The following are some images depicting what
became of hairstyles of resistance during the Mau Mau.

Field Marshall Musa Mwariama: His real name was

M’Kiribua M’Muchir. He was the only Mau Mau top brass who was
never captured, surrendered or killed and survived unscathed
with his 2,000 strong fighters. Field Marshal Musa Mwariama,
EBS (1928–1989) was a Kenyan revolutionary leader of
the Mau Mau in Meru and the highest-ranking Mau Mau leader
who survived the war without being killed or captured.
Together with Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi, they comprised
the core Mau Mau leadership. Mwariama was the highest
ranking leader among the Meru side of the uprising.

By the time he left his bases in Mount Kenya and Nyambene

Hills on the equator, he had about 2,000 fighters who had
survived Operation Anvil in Kenya.

Styles that were influenced by the Mau Mau war

23 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 Source: https://www.pinterest.com/Access 19/11/2020

24 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 https://www.agefotostock.com/Access 19/11/2020
Stock Photo - Native fashions of Kenya (then a British colony), East Africa
-- a Kikuyu man of the Nairobi district (top left) with a stretched earlobe;
a Masai man (top right) with buffalo headdress and plaited hair; a Masai
woman (bottom left) with heavy rings on her earlobes and round her neck,
and bangles on her arms; and a Kikuyu warrior (bottom right) with a
stretched earlobe

25 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 HAIR STYLING TODAY
With the world rapidly becoming a big global village,
hairstyling today in Africa is done under many influences. In
the 1980’s hair making amongst both Men and women was not
only a leisure activity but also a wave of popularism grew it to
a key fashion statement. In the past, this leisure activity was
done at home but at some point it became a community
activity and particular people were given the role of hair
making and styling. This later on grew to become a business
venture for these talented people. Today, we have salons and
barber shops where men and women go to have their hair done
or cut. (Mercer, 1990)
(Willet, 2000) writes that one of the key influences in recent times
on hair styling was the 1980’s introduction of Hip hop. This wave had
a huge cultural influence on style especially on the Black people. One
of the modern hairstyles today is known as the fade, popular mostly
amongst men. Black Barber shops had perfected the fade but the ‘80s
allowed them to blossom with more forms of creativity and
expressionism. Afros were shaped up with the sides cut short for a
hi-top fade, and cornrows were braided in with flairs of individuality.

Cornrow braids hairstyles [new styles]: women are more beautiful with
braids - opera news

26 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 Ponytail | Cornrow hairstyles, Cornrow ponytail, Cool braid hairstyles
pinterest.com

Trending 2019 Amazing African Braids Hairstyles – YouTube,

youtube.com

Cute Tapered Natural Hairstyles for Ladies | Jessy Styles - YouTube |

Natural hair styles, Hair styles, Tapered haircut black, pinterest.com

27 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 On trend braided up pony #OnTrend #AvedaIbw | Braided hairstyles,
Feed in braid, African braids hairstyles pinterest.com

28 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 Cornrows Hairstyles for Black Women. cornrows, cornrows braids,
braids, tribal braids, braided hairstyles, bana… | Cornrow ponytail, Hair
styles, Braided hairstyles, pinterest.com

Amazing Braids Styles: Latest Hairstyles You Simply Must Try - Zaineey's
Blog | Latest braided hairstyles, Braid styles, gr.pinterest.com

29 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 Small feed in ponytail | Small feed in braids, Braided ponytail black hair,
Feed in braids ponytail, pinterest.com

AFRO COMBS TODAY

Around the 20th century, Afro combs started to take on a
definite cultural and political meaning. For example, in
America, the “black fist” was added to the bottom of many Afro
combs, which is a reference to the Black Power salute that was
made popular by the Black Panthers. The Black Fist comb was
introduced in the 1969 by Samuel H. Bundles, Jr. and Henry M.
Children (Tulloch). In addition to using it as a styling tool,

30 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 many black men and women wore the picks in their Afros as a
way to express their cultural pride. The decade was also a time
when more black women were deciding to wear their hair in
its natural state, instead of pressing it and attempting to
conform to a European standard of beauty. Another variation
of the Afro comb, the folding comb, was introduced in 1970
and patented in 1971 (Byrd, 2001).

Today, Afro combs are often viewed as collector’s items.

However, many black men and women who wear their hair in
its natural state used wide-tooth combs and Afro picks to
detangle the hair and help it keep its shape. The combs are
truly a work of art, and have recently been featured at several
Museums all over the world.

METHODOLOGY
This study is a historical research that was seeking to
investigate and explain a phenomenon that has already
occurred. This study relied heavily on previously written and
documented material. Books and articles inscribed by other
researchers and professionals in this field of design availed a
deeper understanding of hair styling as a leisure activity in
Africa and the tools used in the practice. Key informants were
interviewed while professional barbers were consulted on
their most favoured hairstyles.

A focus group discussion was held in the school of the arts and
design involving postgraduate students, lecturers and
stakeholders in the field of fashion and beauty.

Discussion

31 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

 From the study it emerged that the African tradition of
hairstyling as leisure and beauty has never ceased. It was
evident that the effect of colonialism and changing lifestyles
has propelled the art into modernity not without
consequences. Among them the commercialization of the art
leading to segregation of access to desirable beauty
encounters.
Apart from the internationalisation of the styles, African
hairstyling is also borrowing heavily from the international
arena. Hair styling has been used as a means of expression for
various reasons, among them political agitation, religious
expression, juvenile deviance and identity seeking behavior.
The latter is evident in Jamaica where they believe for example
that rasta hair style connects them to their African heritage
despite being far from Africa itself.
CONCLUSION
Indeed, as observed in this paper, leisure was a major
component of the socio-economic development of Africa.
Women can be said to have been the greatest beneficiaries of
these leisure activities which included hairstyling and hair
making. This is evident even to date. Ask almost any black
woman and she will probably tell you that her relationship with
her hair is similar to a love affair. Whether it’s the long hours
spent waiting at the hair salon, the pain endured from pressing
or braiding, or the amount of money spent—hair is truly an
obsession and not only a leisure activity. Today, hair is
extremely significant and often synonymous with identity. And
many individuals, such as Don King, Bob Marley, and Angela
Davis have used their hair to make a statement.

32 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of India

References
Ambani, S. (2016). Leisure in Colonial Nanyuki: A Historical
Perspective. Department of Philosophy, History and
Religion, Vol.33, 2016 .

Babou, C. A. (2008). Migration and Cultural Change:

Money, ‘Caste,’ Gender, and Social Status among
Senegalese Female Hair Braiders in the United
States.” . 55 (2): 3–22.
Bellinza, H. (1992). Black Looks: Race and Representation.
Toronto: Between the Lines.

Bertoia, C. (2002). he Hair Salon: An Ethnography Employing Still

Photography as a Methodological Tool.
. Ontario, Canada: University of Windsor, Windsor,.

Byrd, A. D. (2001). Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair

in America. New York: New York: St.

Martin's P. H., A. (1996). Black Mosaic: The Politics of Black Pan-

ethnic Diversity. PRESS.

Jollah, A. (8 March 2013). African leisure: a framework for

development through leisure. World Leisure Journal,
Pages 96-105.

K. Anjyo, Y. U. (1992). A simple method for extracting the

naturalbeauty of hair. In Proceedings of the 19th.
ACM Press.

Kwekudee. (September, 2012). Celebrating our African

historical personalities,discoveries, achievements and
eras as proud people with rich culture, traditions and
enlightenment spanning many years. HAIRSTYLES IN
AFRICAN CULTURE.

Mercer, K. (1990). Black Hair/Style Politics." In Out There:

Marginalization and Contemporary Cultures, edited by
Russell Ferguson, Martha Gever, Trinh T. Minh-ha, and
Cornel West, 247-264.
Cambridge, Mass. Cornel West.
Mozinba, L. (2000). Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of

Black Hair in America. St. Martin's P. Nomonza, J.

(2010). Introduction to Africa I- Environment and

33 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of

India
 Society. The African Story, 32-46.

Schmidt, M. (1926). The Primitive Races of Mankind, A

Study in Ethnology. Translated by Alexander K.
Dallas. London: George G. Harrap & Co.

Willet, J. T. (2000). Permanent Waves: The Making of the

American Beauty Shop. New York. New York: New
York University Press.

34 January 2021 Vo-16 No-1 Design for All Institute of

India

View publication stats