tive of hair salon experience as a ritual.
In order to have a strong understanding of the hair salon experience, I visited three hair salons at different times. Upon entry into the hair salon, I was immediately immersed in a world that was rich with a variety of unique symbols that projected a unique feminine identity. Two of the three salons contained statues of saints such as the Divine Child, the crucifix, water and candles, which illuminated the religiosity and spirituality of the Hispanic owners of the hair salons. According to these two owners, these symbols not only enhanced the appearance of their salons, but also offered good luck to ensure the long-term prosperity of the business. The presence of flowers at the tables of the individual hairdressers further enhanced the feminine atmosphere of the hair salons. Considering the fact that the purpose of the hair salons is to cater to the beauty and personal care needs of the women, the following objects--the mirrors that surrounded the walls and the pictures displaying beautiful women with different types of hairdos in all the three salons--could also be considered to be symbols in hair salons.
Unlike traditional religious rituals that are marked by distinctive phases, the hair salon experience did not have clearly defined sequential steps. Clients essentially went there to get their hair washed, cut and permed. Nonetheless, its activity and type of participation had distinctive features. First of all, the salon owned by Eli was seething with activity from all quartersùthe television, the radio and the conversations. In spite of the level of noise and movement, women who were engaged in any one of the three activities (while getting their hair done) did not appear to be disturbed by the others. Rather, the women embraced noise and the activ
...