implicit gender definition intact.
The method of research utilized by this study is based upon examination of three sources: abstract reports of statistical studies made in the same general area of research, examination of secondary source historical materials associated with the topic of study, and review of published anecdotal accounts of experiences within the scope of this study. It must be noted from the beginning that few statistical investigations of hair color factors, blonde or otherwise, have been conducted in a methodologically sound manner. Fewer still, concern themselves with the issue from the subject's perspective: most studies are geared towards evaluation of perceptions of blondes, rather than by blondes.
Consequently, an important juxtaposition of interpretations must be assumed - an act of interpretive shifting justified by other studies - and that is "that women tend to see themselves along stereotypical lines according to hair color." Moreover, in one of the few studies specifically examining the hair color issue from the subject's perspective, it was noted that "blondes themselves seem to share in [the stereotype] impression."
Once one accepts the general proposition that the stereotypical images associated with being blonde are generally accepted and/or expressed by the subjects themselves, the basic research of this study falls into a neater pattern of exploration. Nevertheless, the published anecdotal accounts provide a necessary caveat to wholesale acceptance of that proposition.
Regarding the historical materials researched: while the major thrust of this study concerns itself with the issue of "blondes" and "fun" within the contemporary American situation, a certain amount of background research was necessary to place the issue in context. Specifically, is this an ephemeral issue or a constant in the social equation?
Self-grooming or adornment is an age-old, cross-cultural phenomenon; ...