Dress, gender and cultural change

Description:

Within the Hmong American community, mothers and aunts of teenagers use bangles, lace and traditional handwork techniques to create dazzling displays reflecting the gender and ethnicity of their sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, as they participate in an annual courtship ritual. This book examines these events to show how dress is used to transform gender construction and create positive images of African American and Hmong American youth. Coming-of-age rituals serve as arenas of cultural revision and change. For each of these communities, the choice of dress represents cultural affirmation. This author shows that within the homogenizing context of American society, dress serves as a site for the continual renegotiation of identity - gendered, ethnic and otherwise. -- Amazon.com.

subjects: African Americans,  Clothing,  Clothing and dress,  Hmong Americans,  Rites and ceremonies,  Social aspects of Clothing and dress,  Social life and customs,  Clothing and dress, psychological aspects,  Asian americans,  African americans, social conditions,  Social change,  Costume,  Sex differences,  Cross-cultural studies,  Social aspects,  Fashion & society

Places: United States