Meaning ❉ Biopolitics of Hair thoughtfully considers the ways societal frameworks and historical influences shape the comprehension and tending of textured hair, especially for Black and mixed-race individuals. This concept highlights how evolving knowledge regarding hair growth and its inherent characteristics is often filtered through prevailing cultural ideals and power structures, influencing what is seen as desirable or manageable. It further addresses the systematization of hair care, where routines for maintaining coils and curls often adopt automation-like principles, reflecting broader societal pressures for conformity rather than solely individual well-being. Moreover, it speaks to the practical application of this knowledge, where daily styling choices and product selections become expressions of personal agency or responses to these wider socio-political currents, subtly influencing one’s sense of self and connection to heritage. The very science of hair, alongside its styling, is thus viewed through the lens of power dynamics and cultural expectations.
