Capstone Project Declaration 1

Sukhmani Bhinder proposes a capstone project exploring the significance of hair in culture and history. She will create a research paper and Instagram account to educate others. The research paper will survey hair's role through articles, interviews and books. Her Instagram will spread awareness through regular posts. Bhinder believes hair is often overlooked and this project will provide a new perspective, allowing her to understand hair's importance in her own life and various cultures. She outlines a detailed project plan to complete research, posts and the paper between December and February. The goals are to gain knowledge and interact with audiences to highlight hair's role in human culture.

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Capstone Project Declaration 1

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Capstone Project Proposal: The role of hair in culture and history.

Sukhmani Bhinder
December 7th, 2020
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Introduction
To me, hair represents culture and beauty while reflecting my creativity, art, and
talent. In my culture, Sikhism, hair holds great importance. As someone who began
braiding from a really young age, I have always viewed hair as a blank canvas ready to
be drawn on. We often don’t realize how much content comes with something as simple
as hair. I think this project is a great way to use my passion for hair as a way to learn
more about its role in different cultures and its history.
For many years, hair has indicated both your social and professional status and
for some, it represents a certain culture or tribe. In the Sikh religion, hair is viewed as a
symbol of strength and holiness. My project will consist of a research paper that will
allow me to survey and study this topic in detail through the use of articles, interviews,
books and internet sites. I will also incorporate my own ideas, previous knowledge, and
opinions. This portion of my project will allow me to offer a unique perspective on hair
and its role in different cultures and histories. Along with my research paper, I will
include a more interactive piece which will be an Instagram account. This will allow me
to create a platform where I can actively spread awareness and teach others about
what I learn. My Instagram page will be a powerful tool that will allow me to reach a
variety of audiences across the globe in hopes to educate and raise awareness about
my topic. The question that will guide me through this project will be: what is the
significance of hair in culture and history?

Significance
My goals will allow me to gain a new perspective on my passion for hair braiding.
This is integral in allowing me to further understand the importance of hair in my life
along with its role in different cultures and history.
I believe that we often overlook the value of hair as it is never thought of outside
of the mundane style and hygiene rituals. Its role in human culture is often unnoticed
and neglected. Anthropology is one of a handful of subjects that allows individuals to
gain a very in-depth understanding of hair and its role by bringing a different
perspective. Many bloggers such as Her Culture, Sister Sky, and much more creative
content creators educate people through personal stories about hair, and its role in
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culture and history. There have been some research papers written on the importance
of hair along with many YouTube videos where individuals have talked about their
journey with hair.
Many people didn’t mention a lot about cultural appropriation versus appreciation
in too much depth as it is a very delicate topic. I want part of my project to highlight the
different perspectives on this matter while incorporating my thoughts from what I have
read. In order for us to truly push people to look at the importance of hair, I will use
Instagram which will allow me to actively interact with the general public. My research
paper will be available on my Instagram for those who want to further educate
themselves..

Project Plan
DECEMBER
(7-11)
● Research
○ Plan what topics I will be covering for my Instagram for each post
○ Start the planning phase for my research paper
■ Look into what sources I can use, what my main points might be
and how I will divide the writing pieces
■ Create criteria for research paper (this will give me more structure)
(14-18)
● First social media post + Transform Instagram (create a bio and introduction
post)
● Start writing the research paper
(21-25)
● Post on Instagram
● Work on research paper
(28-31)
● Post on Instagram
● Continue writing (should be halfway completed research paper)
JANUARY
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● Post on Instagram (minimum of two informative posts a week)

● Complete research paper + Get edited by two people
FEBRUARY
● Make any final changes to the research paper
● Post on Instagram (minimum of two informative posts a week)
NOTE:
The month of December is much more detailed because there are many more parts to it. My goal is to
focus more on the research paper while also posting at least once a week on my Instagram. In January I
made the schedule less detailed because it will just consist of working on both parts of my project and
more detail about what I do in January will be planned in December as I research more about my topic.

Core Competencies
Communication: My research paper will allow me to communicate my ideas along with
the ideas and information I learn as I do research. My Instagram page will push me to
learn how to effectively use digital media and allow me to learn and exchange
information with my audience.
Creative Thinking: The social media portion will push me to find creative ways to
generate new ideas and concepts that will grab the audience’s attention. Along with this,
I will have to find ways to add value to my post that will stick with my audience.
Critical Thinking: My research paper is on a topic that is not a common study so I will
need to actively make connections between different articles. Critical thinking will also
be key to solving any problems that may come up in the duration of this project.
Positive personal and cultural identity: This project as a whole will allow me to connect
with my culture. I will learn the importance of hair in the Sikh religion and better
understand my own personal and cultural identity. This project will also be a stepping
stone to learning about hair in a different aspect and making new connections.
Personal Awareness and Responsibility: Time management plays a huge role in the
success of this project. With less than 10 weeks to complete this project, I will have to
strategically plan my steps to effectively complete both parts of my project.
Social responsibility: Through the duration of this project, I will need to respect different
opinions as my Instagram audience will be a variety of people who all have different
beliefs and perspectives.
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Resources
For my community connection, I will be asking, Preet Kaur, a family friend who is
a hair and makeup artist. I think her experience with a variety of customers and her
knowledge of hair itself will be of great use. The supplies I will need are my laptop and a
library card. My laptop will give me access to many articles which will be useful for my
paper, it will allow me to work on the social media aspect of my project and write my
research paper.
Conclusion
My ultimate goal is for people to understand the importance of hair in culture and
history. I want this project to motivate people to make connections and help educate my
audience about cultural appropriation versus cultural appreciation. With this, I hope to
educate myself not only to answer my guiding question but to understand how hair has
played a role in my life and what it means to me.