Hair Salons as Community Gatherings
This is an excerpt from the paper...
For many women especially those from minority backgrounds such as African Americans and Hispanics, hair salons constitute more than a place for getting a haircut. Rather, they are considered to be an integral part of the economic and social makeup of minority communities, where people congregate to socialize with one another--exchange ideas and gossip, as well as speak their minds on topics, especially about the opposite sex (Rooks; Alkalimat "Cyberhair: Historical Community"). Since these hair salons cater to a single-sex clientele, they promote opportunities for gendered bonding, which are limited in a public space. As such, conversations about the opposite sex and the assertion of the "feminine" perspectives can often take place in hair salons that thus serve a special social role for women. Thus, it is little wonder that going to the hair salon is a ritual for many minority women characterized by symbols, customary activities and communal energy. For example, the first hair visit to the hair salon is often defined as a "coming-of-age ritual" (Robinson). Based on my initial review of this topic and my hair salon experiences, I believe that hair salons address two dimensions of women's concernsłtheir self-image and their interactions with their peers. These two dimensions are in turn affected by their perceptions and relationships with their distinctive cultures. With the disintegration of the traditional extended family units, the entry of women into the workforc
. . .
, the practice of the hair salon ritual could also be distinguished from other public spaces by the dissolution of the private and the public boundaries. Apart from the topics discussed, the participants such as Eli and the clients also adopted casual attitudes in conducting their business. For example, after placing a client under the dryer, Eli took a break to eat her meal. Similarly, women would interrupt their session by first getting their hair washed and rollers inserted, leaving to go home to finish cooking their meals before returning to get their hair dried.
Based on the above description of the activity that took place at the hair salon, it was evident that the hair salon ritual played an important social role in the lives of these women. For the clients, going to the hair salon offered them a total social experience in which they were able to socialize with members of their own cultural backgrounds. In this unparalleled forum that cannot be found elsewhere, these women were able to share their everyday stories to a willing and attentive audience who offered support and advice and vice versa. Because many of the Hispanic women shared the same cultural origins, they were familiar with the same ideologies and prac
. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
Department Labor, Divine Child, Myerhoff's Days, Dominican Republic, Historical Community, Robinson Based, Moreover Eli, Community Visits, II Description, hair salon, Americans Hispanics, hair salons, salon ritual, hair salon experience, salon experience, hair salon ritual, assert identity, field project, beauty personal care, own standards, opposite sex, cyberhair historical community, set own, 24 apr, perspective hair salon,
Approximate Word count = 1974
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)
|
Customer Service
to Over
32,000 Professionally Written Papers!!!
