Dreadlocks Revolutionised

Date: January 1, 1970

The article is about a man who uses a crotchet to make dreadlocks. The man, named Bafelemu, is described as the first person to introduce the crotchet for making dreadlocks. He makes a living out of hairdressing. The article makes use of the picture which shows Bafelemu doing dreadlocks.

The article may be used to:

Show the dynamic roles of men and women.
Show pictures of men doing jobs that were previously reserved for women.
Show instances where men learn certain skills from women (his wife suggested crochet.
Show articles that are gender neutral and not biased.
Show business unusual and how people make a living out of using personal skills.
Raise discussion on how media can challenge gender stereotypes, and cover interesting stories at the same time.

Trainers’ notes

This article shows the dynamic and changing roles of both men and women. Hair braiding is a job that was previously the domain of women but we now see men who are getting involved in plaiting hair. There are many other jobs that were previously reserved for men like engineering, that women are now involved in. There are also other jobs that were reserved for women, like nursing, that men are also involved in. An interesting part of the story is that Bafelemu had the idea of using crochet for dreads when he saw his wife crocheting, and it was she who taught him how to do it.

The writer makes use of the picture of the hairdresser to make the story more authentic and interesting. Such images help to dispel gender stereotypes.

Discussion Questions :

What does the article and the accompanying picture tell us about the role of men and women in society?
How does the article challenge stereotypes?
Discuss some of the factors that have led to the change in gender roles.
Discuss some of the jobs that were previously reserved for women that men are now undertaking and vice versa.

Training Exercises

Get a copy of the newspaper and identify articles that show both men and women in roles that were previously reserved for the other sex.
dentify the sources that were used in the article and what comments did they make about the dreadlocks.
Profile men and women doing jobs that challenge gender stereotypes.

Links to other training resources

Business Unusual Fact Sheet

Business Unusual Supplements

Whose news, whose views?

Related GL Commentaries

Culture affecting women in business

Gender benders good for business in Tanzania

Women in the ring challenge gender stereotypes

Masaai men make money braiding women’s hair

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