“Pretty Like Us?”: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Body Image

Dr. Balogun-Mwangi applies cross-cultural comparative methodology to understanding body image among Black African women. The crux of comparative methodology rests in accepting that cultural factors explain the differential expression of behavior while acknowledging the presence of psychological universals (Berry, 2017). By presenting findings on the role of skin color hue, hair texture, and body shape in appraisals of body image among Black populations of women, Dr. Balogun-Mwangi demonstrates the altogether unique experiences of Black African women while highlighting how these may be understood as shared oppressions of womanhood.  

Dr. Balogun-Mwangi is an Assistant Professor of Psychology. Her research and clinical interests focus on mental health disparities, cross-cultural issues in mental health, and body image among African women. She draws on qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods approaches in her work, which requires novel approaches to asking questions about poorly understood experiences among marginalized populations.

Image credit: "African women" by George Lane is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0