The Lesser Evil
Don Juan
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2011
- Messages
- 20
- Reaction score
- 2
I have noticed that on most game/PUA forums I visit there is a healthy number of Black men asking how they can engage White, Asian, Hispanic women. Many times these threads asking for help degenerate into anything from subtle seemly covert racial attacks to an all out explosions of pent up anger and against Black men. Usually this comes from White posters on these forums. Many seems to wonder why Black men just won't stick to "their own". I'd thought for the sake of sanity, and for the need of clarification on the matter I'd do my best to demystify the answer's to why so many Black men seem prefer White/ non women.
The Roots are in Our History
Since I'm an American, throughout this post Black Americans will be my main point of reference. Since colonial Black Americans have gotten their culture underpinnings from the dominant Anglo American culture. It's safe to say that Blacks have internalized Anglo American standards of beauty since those times. In the antebellum south the Mulatto was given a elevated status among in between White slave master and Black slave. Preferential treatment as given the light skinned mixed race children of slave masters and there slave mistresses. Overtime,
Blacks internalized these belief and began to stigmatized Blacks features while at the same time becoming very much preoccupied with the
White Aesthetic.
Enter: The Somatic Norm Image
I'm very surprised that more people don't talk about the "Somatic Norm Image" with these type of subjects come up. What exactly is the Somatic norm Image? It's an "sociopsychological" concept first identify by a Dr. Henry Hoetink of the Amsterdam center for Latin American Research. It's basically a yardstick for aesthetic evaluation (thus Somatic) and social conduct.To paraphrase him, years of subornation based on cultural or in this case racial differences causes the lower segments to see the dominant segment as superior physically for psychological reasons. In other words the folks the top of the social order set the standards on what or who looks good. Parallels can be found in much of the world. However they seems to most apparent today in ex slave holding or formerly colonized countries (think Brazil,etc), Interesting enough Hoetink Identified the somatic norm image concept while teaching in both Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.
In America the "somatic norm image" of feminine beauty would be Anglo Saxon ( thin boyish figure, very small nose and mouth and blonde hair) not Nordic or Teutonic per se, but definitely not Iberian or Mediterranean. However Black women would be antithesis of feminine beauty by these narrow standards.
Black men's Attitudes toward Black females and the White Aesthetic
To see the extent in which Black and White Aesthetic Ideals overlap one only has to look as far the media. For instance, for many years the music industry has been lambasted for the over saturation of mixed race and Hispanic models in rap and R&B music videos. The inability to properly analyze Black men's sexual motive had resulted plethora of reasons given for his relative lack of interest in Black women. Many times do we have heard she has too much attitude or she's too difficult, but given the evidence it's fair to say not many men have not been influenced by White aesthetic values. It's very obvious light skinned and "mixed" Black women have not been as effected by this value system even though they are often accused of having undesirable personality traits (nasty attitudes,being conceited and vain ,etc) yet their chances for marriage are still considerable higher than for dark skinned Black women.
Why the Chances for this Changing are very Small
The only real chances for a change in the lopsidedness in sexual interest of men would but 1) Heavily self segregation and 2) A change in the somatic norm image of the United States. The first point, self segregation is doubtful. Since the 1960's Blacks have made some considerable strides, particularly in the social arena. Hundred's of thousands have made it into the middle class. According to some study as of 2008 one in four Black men was married to a women other than a Black women (This doesn't account for those who are cohabiting or strictly date non Black women). Many more Blacks have entered the mainstream of American than ever before in it's history, so to think their would be a total reversal in this collective movement is, well...crazy. As far as the somatic Norm image changing, this may be possible with the unexpected growth of the Hispanic population that seems to be amalgamating with the White population at a substantial rate. However, with a static and aging Black population ( and massive incarceration rate for Black men in there prime years). I don't think it will change in favor of a more Black aesthetic. Keep in mind that Black men of marrying and mating age are only around 5 to 6% of total population. What may occur is a darkening of the white aesthetic considering the heavily intermarriage rate of both Hispanics and Asian with Whites. However I can only speculate. Black women seem to the biggest loser in all this since there out marriage rate are considerably lower than black men even with higher education attainment. There is also seems to be reluctance on there part to date non Black men. However, there is still a heavy reluctance of White/non Black males to date of marry a Black women.Whites tend to be more outspoken about there dislike of Black physical features (again the somatic norm image at work).
Only time will be able to tell us what the continued outcome of this social phenomenon will be.
The Roots are in Our History
Since I'm an American, throughout this post Black Americans will be my main point of reference. Since colonial Black Americans have gotten their culture underpinnings from the dominant Anglo American culture. It's safe to say that Blacks have internalized Anglo American standards of beauty since those times. In the antebellum south the Mulatto was given a elevated status among in between White slave master and Black slave. Preferential treatment as given the light skinned mixed race children of slave masters and there slave mistresses. Overtime,
Blacks internalized these belief and began to stigmatized Blacks features while at the same time becoming very much preoccupied with the
White Aesthetic.
Enter: The Somatic Norm Image
I'm very surprised that more people don't talk about the "Somatic Norm Image" with these type of subjects come up. What exactly is the Somatic norm Image? It's an "sociopsychological" concept first identify by a Dr. Henry Hoetink of the Amsterdam center for Latin American Research. It's basically a yardstick for aesthetic evaluation (thus Somatic) and social conduct.To paraphrase him, years of subornation based on cultural or in this case racial differences causes the lower segments to see the dominant segment as superior physically for psychological reasons. In other words the folks the top of the social order set the standards on what or who looks good. Parallels can be found in much of the world. However they seems to most apparent today in ex slave holding or formerly colonized countries (think Brazil,etc), Interesting enough Hoetink Identified the somatic norm image concept while teaching in both Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.
In America the "somatic norm image" of feminine beauty would be Anglo Saxon ( thin boyish figure, very small nose and mouth and blonde hair) not Nordic or Teutonic per se, but definitely not Iberian or Mediterranean. However Black women would be antithesis of feminine beauty by these narrow standards.
Black men's Attitudes toward Black females and the White Aesthetic
To see the extent in which Black and White Aesthetic Ideals overlap one only has to look as far the media. For instance, for many years the music industry has been lambasted for the over saturation of mixed race and Hispanic models in rap and R&B music videos. The inability to properly analyze Black men's sexual motive had resulted plethora of reasons given for his relative lack of interest in Black women. Many times do we have heard she has too much attitude or she's too difficult, but given the evidence it's fair to say not many men have not been influenced by White aesthetic values. It's very obvious light skinned and "mixed" Black women have not been as effected by this value system even though they are often accused of having undesirable personality traits (nasty attitudes,being conceited and vain ,etc) yet their chances for marriage are still considerable higher than for dark skinned Black women.
Why the Chances for this Changing are very Small
The only real chances for a change in the lopsidedness in sexual interest of men would but 1) Heavily self segregation and 2) A change in the somatic norm image of the United States. The first point, self segregation is doubtful. Since the 1960's Blacks have made some considerable strides, particularly in the social arena. Hundred's of thousands have made it into the middle class. According to some study as of 2008 one in four Black men was married to a women other than a Black women (This doesn't account for those who are cohabiting or strictly date non Black women). Many more Blacks have entered the mainstream of American than ever before in it's history, so to think their would be a total reversal in this collective movement is, well...crazy. As far as the somatic Norm image changing, this may be possible with the unexpected growth of the Hispanic population that seems to be amalgamating with the White population at a substantial rate. However, with a static and aging Black population ( and massive incarceration rate for Black men in there prime years). I don't think it will change in favor of a more Black aesthetic. Keep in mind that Black men of marrying and mating age are only around 5 to 6% of total population. What may occur is a darkening of the white aesthetic considering the heavily intermarriage rate of both Hispanics and Asian with Whites. However I can only speculate. Black women seem to the biggest loser in all this since there out marriage rate are considerably lower than black men even with higher education attainment. There is also seems to be reluctance on there part to date non Black men. However, there is still a heavy reluctance of White/non Black males to date of marry a Black women.Whites tend to be more outspoken about there dislike of Black physical features (again the somatic norm image at work).
Only time will be able to tell us what the continued outcome of this social phenomenon will be.
