As a qualitative researcher, I incorporate intersectional and critical feminist frameworks into my own research, centering the experiences of women of color. ​ My current research project incorporates two years of ethnographic data collection in a Las Vegas African hair braiding salon. I discuss labor, identity making in the African diaspora, work-family balance, and the racialized politics of appearance for Black women. I find that Black women's identity-making process is complex and perceptions of nationhood and Black womeness often impede the process. I analyze the techniques used in the salon, by braiders and find that the unique labor provided in the salon is artistic, therapeutic, and reciprocal. The child-friendly space also allowed me to analyze how Black women define and carry-out work-family balance through utilization of the hybrid space. Lastly, I discuss the political aspects of choosing natural hair styles for both customers and braiders. These findings provide a look inside the lived experiences of women of African diaspora and insight into some of the most significant parts of their identities. 
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Graduate Ethnographic Series Course Offerings:
Principles of Ethnography  1 of 2
Ethnographic Fieldwork  2 of 2