Hair has been a major part of society since the beginning of time, or at least record. Egyptians would dawn elaborate wigs as a symbol of status, which is also seen later with the French nobility. Hair has always been a part of culture. It describes who you are and where you belong. This is not necessarily the case in modern America, but just sixty years ago Hitler was using hair color to eliminate groups of people in his quest for the “perfect Aryan race.” We have moved away from hair’s original value but our society still values hair, if it didn’t the three aisles in stores devoted solely to hair would not exist, balding wouldn’t be a traumatic life event, things would not be the way they are.
Hair color as it naturally is gives people an impression about your personality, temperament, and sometimes can severely affect whether someone will like you. The least common hair color is red; there is only 1-2% of the human population with red hair. They are often seen as fiery and having bad tempers as well as being oversexed. Many redheads have faced discrimination because of their hair color—this is called gingerism. This often ties into the discrimination that the Irish endured and red hair is seen as a connection to Irish heritage. Some women have dyed their hair red as a way to boost their confidence and up their sex appeal.
Brown hair is the second most common human hair color and can vary from light brown to nearly black. The term “brunette” actually means “little brown-haired girl” but is often used to describe any woman who has brown hair. Like brunettes, blondes are only women because only women are defined solely on physical characteristics. It is not usually socially acceptable to call a man a “blond” because he is seen for more than his hair. Blondes are considered to be innocent and often stereotyped as dumb and naïve. But blondes have also become major sex icons because of women such as Marilyn Monroe. Black hair is the most common hair color internationally. There are many variations of black in hair color and is most common outside of Europe, but is not normally seen in the US as a normally accepted attractive hair color.
Many women dye their hair and they do it for various reasons. Some feel that they look more attractive, whereas others may be attempting to make a point. I believed the hype as a child/teenager about blondes being prettier and having more fun, so I dyed my hair blonde and later on when I realized how bad it looked, I understood that that was a stupid mistake that I made just to get attention. I have known many women who didn’t like the stigma of blonde hair and actually dyed it darker to be taken more seriously. Black hair is often used to make a statement. The punk/emo movement glorified black hair and extremely pale skin.
Now let’s add neon or unnatural hair colors such as pink, purple, blue or green. These colors not occurring naturally in hair can be an obvious sign of disobedience or rebellion. Brightly colored hair started to appear in the mainstream in the 1980’s. Rock was big and so was hair. The Mohawk being the most recognizable style of hair deviance was often colored in a rainbow of possible shades.
Gray hair—many would say that gray is not an act of resistance. How could it be? People, women especially, do not go out searching for gray hair. In a culture that embraces youth and shuns the aging, for a woman to embrace her gray hair is a major form of social resistance. Many women, if they had never dyed their hair before, will buy their first box of hair dye upon the sight of her first gray. To not conform to the ageist ideals of the American culture is a small sometimes unnoticeable act of social resistance.
A little bit of hair history suggests that the desire for long blonde hair today is not that far from the ancients who would attempt to bleach their hair and add golden powder for luster. Long hair was a sign of femininity in European traditions. In Africa braids were often used but some cultures sported hair that came down to the waist, which is not commonly seen now (source). Dangerous chemicals have been applied to our skin and hair for centuries, lead based make-ups to powdered wigs infested with vermin of the 1800’s, now there are relaxers and hair dyes that have more warning label than actual direction as well as controversial chemicals such as parabens, which the government either doesn’t know the dangers or doesn’t care if they do. The big change from these standards came in the 1920’s when women decided to liberate themselves even more. Now you could vote, wear pants, smoke or drink in public and cut your hair. Short hairstyles have become one of the most memorable things of the decade, and a perfect mark of the young boyish flapper. After the flapper hair has been changing expectations every decade to what is the new “in.”
No one would ever assume that hair would be the new front of political movements but it is becoming that. From women’s rights to gay rights to race rights even to animal rights, hair has become political. Women can now have short hair (as long as it is feminine) and not be harassed. Lesbians and gay men are dealing with the politics of hair in the LGBT movement dealing with the issues of passing or not. Ethnic groups have been fighting for more products designed for their specific hair. There are about as many products for African American hair as there are products catered specifically to blondes. And as far as animal rights are concerned many product lines are cruelty-free and this is advertized on the product because it has become an issue that can influence whether a person buys the product or not. I have been cruelty-free for almost two years with my products and cosmetics, the only exception being certain hair dyes and that is for safety.
Dreadlocks are seen as gross, unclean, and a sign of laziness by many Americans. In actuality, dreadlocks do not happen overnight and they are not an accident. To make dreads is an intentional act and is often cultural or religious. As far as they being Rastafarian, that is true but they did not originate there. There are records of Ancient Egyptians with dreads as well as Hindus, and Africans. But commonly now it is under the Rasta influence of do nothing to one’s own body, therefore no intervention with the hair. Some African Americans may dread for a remembrance of African culture. But most importantly not everyone who dreads is part of a culture that dreadlocks are associated with. Salons have begun offering services to get dreadlocks if you have thin straight hair and need chemical assistance. Famous singer/songwriter/feminist Ani DiFranco rocked dreadlocks for a while and then a shaved head, thus proving that beauty doesn’t have to mean conventional hairstyles.
Shaving one’s head, especially for women, can be dramatic since it is not usually acceptable for a woman to not have hair. If she has a shaved head people may assume that she has cancer and lost her hair. Whereas if a man shaves his head (not balding) it is a statement of masculinity, he looks tough and for men it is a positive message. On the other hand if a man is balding, usually this can cause him to feel less masculine. In Barbara Ehrenreich's Welcome to Cancerland, she describes who when women get breast cancer they are given lots of pink items to make them still feel feminine. This could be because many have to get mastectomies but it could also have to do with the effects of chemotherapy on a woman's physical appearance. But how could crayons and a pink teddy bear make a woman feel more womanly?
For those women who may not have hair either because of illness, desire or genetic disorder can always wear wigs. Wigs are the fantastic creation designed to allow hair to be changed as easily as clothing—at least theoretically. If a woman has difficulty growing hair for a variety of reasons, wigs give her the freedom to have hair and not be judged. But wigs are not just for people who lack hair, many people like the temporariness of the wig. You can change the length, color and texture in one simple move with no more commitment than the purchase. This works well for actors/actresses and drag performers who only need the hair for a little while. These hair pieces are life changing for people, a woman can portray herself in a professional way all day at work and then at the end of the day she can have a new crazy hairstyle that she can wear out on the town, at a protest, or in her non-professional life. There is a freedom in the changeability of hair through wigs.
A popular time in feminist history was the 1960’s and 1970’s. Many of the feminists of this era were known for burning bras and not shaving their legs or underarms. The act of not shaving was an act of social resistance against conventional beauty standards in the “women can do anything men can do” era. Why should women have to shave to be “feminine” it is just hair and if women are really suppose to be hairless we should be shaving our heads and eyebrows and plucking lashes. Every last hair from our bodies should be removed. But its socially acceptable and in essence required for women to have eyebrows, lashes, and well groomed hair on their heads. Arm hair is okay as long as it isn’t too think or too dark. Though men are now beginning to be required to shave off or neatly groom facial hair, it is not at the level of unacceptability as a woman with unshaven legs going to work in a skirt.
Hair should be hair, but it’s not as if every hair on a woman’s body isn’t up for scrutiny by someone. Many women do their hair to go to the grocery store or Walmart because they know they will be treated differently if they are wearing certain clothes and dressed in certain ways. If they deter from the norms than they are thought to either be deviant or unacceptable or often both, which can be difficult for women who are trying to be socially resistant and are often taken the wrong way. A woman who shaves her head to make a point can be considered a criminal at first thought as are some people who color their hair bright colors. They are seen as social deviants not necessarily socially resistant.
There are many ways that sexuality is exhibited in appearance, hair is a major factor. The sexuality that hair exhibits is linked to reasons why Muslim women have to have their hair covered. The men in the culture are believed to not be able to control themselves and therefore it is a means of protecting a woman. Stacy in Weitz's “Women and Their Hair,” discusses how her boyfriend would make comments about how she was pretty because of her hair, so she deliberately cut it all off to make the point that she is more than just her hair(145). I think the most important thing to remember is that resistance is about intentionality and if an act is not an intentional act of resistance, it is not resistance. A person could cut and style their hair in a way that seems resistant but is in actuality a way of conforming. Weitz describes resistance as a way of rejecting subordination. That could be the cause of the act of resistance, but I think that it is too small of a definition to determine. A white male could grow long hair as a way of rejecting his masculinity and he is not combating subordination but he is using his hair as a form of social resistance. Therefore, to say that subordination is required eliminates a large group of people enacting social resistance.
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