Hair As Attribute, Hair As Symbol, Hair As Self Elizabeth C
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ASSOCIATION FOR CONSUMER RESEARCH Labovitz School of Business & Economics, University of Minnesota Duluth, 11 E. Superior Street, Suite 210, Duluth, MN 55802 Hair As Attribute, Hair As Symbol, Hair As Self Elizabeth C. Hirschman, School of Business, Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ 08903 [to cite]: Elizabeth C. Hirschman and New Brunswick (2002) ,"Hair As Attribute, Hair As Symbol, Hair As Self", in GCB - Gender and Consumer Behavior Volume 6, eds. Pauline Maclaran, Paris, France : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 355- 366. [url]: http://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/15735/gender/v06/GCB-06 [copyright notice]: This work is copyrighted by The Association for Consumer Research. For permission to copy or use this work in whole or in part, please contact the Copyright Clearance Center at http://www.copyright.com/. Hair as Attribute, Hair as Symbol, Hair as Self Elizabeth C. Hirschman, School of Business, Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ 08903 ABSTRACT Prior Consumer Research Over the past two decades, consumer Four consumer researchers have made research has paid scant attention to one constructive efforts to direct attention to of the most malleable aspects of self- the importance of hair as a site of presentation – one’s hair (for important consumer identity construction. Rook‟s exceptions see the work of Rook, (1985) article on grooming rituals McCracken and Schouten and introduced to our literature the notion McAlexander). The present paper that grooming, especially of the head reviews research on hair and grooming hair, played a large role in consumers‟ practices in the psychological, attempts to construct an attractive self sociological and anthropological to present to the public. Through a literatures in order to distill insights series of essays elicited from young relevant to consumer research. A set of adults, Rook found evidence that hair possible topics, data sources and was seen as having special, almost interpretive methods is then outlined for magical, transformative powers in the use by researchers who desire to pursue consumer‟s life. Daily practices of inquiry in this area. shampooing, conditioning and styling the hair enabled consumers to exercise INTRODUCTION some control over their self-images, both on an internal and external basis. Over the past two decades consumer research has paid scant attention to one The idea that hairstyle could be used to of the most malleable aspects of self- effect or signal a change in the inner presentation – one‟s hair (for important self was developed further by exceptions see Rook 1985; McCracken McAlexander and Schouten in a 1989 1995; Schouten and McAlexander article an “Hair Style Changes as 1989). The purpose of this paper is to Transition Markers.” Utilizing review the social psychological, autobiographical essays from young sociological and anthropological adults, these researchers identified three literatures dealing with hair in order to rites of passages in which alterations in distill propositions and insights that are hairstyle signaled a change in life applicable to consumer behavior. A status: preliminary interpretive approach to this significant – and signifying – area (1) Asserting independence from of consumption will then be suggested. parental control, i.e., “coming of age.” 355 (2) Sexual identity formation, and shaven) are treated as independent (3) Shifts in social member- variables, while the perceptions of ship/affiliation (e.g., high school others are the dependent variables. graduation). From this body of research, some intriguing findings have emerged. In each case, the young consumer used a change in hairstyle to announce First, we may consider the amount of his/her change in self, i.e., a new “me” hair. By the time they are fifty years of requires a new “look”. age, most men will experience significant thinning of their head hair Most recently, McCracken in Big Hair (Cash 1990), while a sizeable minority (1995) expanded the consumer behavior will become fully or partially bald. As perspective on hair by examining the we shall see, the lessening of the social meaning not only of style, but amount of head hair in men is generally also of color. As this researcher notes, viewed negatively in American culture; blonde, red, brunette and gray hair all thus, in response, marketers have have distinct cultural meanings. And promoted products to hide (e.g., wigs, since consumers may use products that toupees, weaves) or ameliorate (e.g., can temporarily or permanently alter Propecia, Rogaine, hair grafts) this their hair color, this too must be condition. incorporated into the investigation of self-construction through hair care In one of the major studies of men‟s practices. hair loss on social impression formation, Cash (1990) found that “hair Despite these pioneering efforts, loss had a nearly uniform, adverse however, our field has not advanced far impact on how the men were initially its comprehension of how hair care and perceived by others. As compared with grooming practices shape – and are their matched, non-balding counter- shaped by – consumers‟ lives. The parts, the bald or balding men were studies by Rook (1985) and Schouten perceived as less physically attractive, and McAlexander (1989) were limited less self-assertive, less socially to the experiences of young adults in attractive, less likely to experience their twenties; while McCracken‟s success in their personal and career study focused primarily on women. lives and were less personally liked by Thus, there is a vast terrain of cultural the perceivers, themselves (p. 159).” and personal hair care meaning yet to As if this were not bad enough, Cash be explored. We take a look now at also found that men losing their hair what may be gleaned from inquiries in were judged to be 3.6 years older than social psychology, sociology and their actual age. anthropology. Subsequent research has reinforced Social Psychologists Look at Hair these findings. Butler, Prior and Oreider (1988) found that matched Within the social psychology literature, photographs of men with full heads of hair is most commonly viewed as an hair versus bald heads led to higher attribute. Research in this area is ratings of the full-head condition for typically undertaken using controlled being dynamic, dominant, and experiments in which hair colors, hair masculine, as well as younger. This lengths, and hair amounts (i.e., full, cultural viewpoint is apparently not lost bald, partially bald, bearded, clean on men themselves; Franzoi, Anderson 356 and Frommelt (1990) found that drug use, sexual experience, and balding men judged themselves as less liberality were found to be higher than attractive than did men with no hair for women who preferred the short loss, and those who were especially haired males. Finally, a study by concerned about the opinions of others Pancer and Meindl (1978) examined were even more self-critical, if their perceptions of male hair length and hair was thinning. The loss of head hair beardedness conditions on evaluations is not restricted to men, however, nor by males and females. Bearded males, are its damaging consequences. regardless of hair length, were Women with significant hair loss also perceived by both men and women as suffered deleterious effects upon their more educated, intelligent, open self-esteem, self-confidence, perceived minded, outgoing, reckless and younger attractiveness and perceived than those who were clean-shaven. youthfulness (van der Donk, Hunfeld, However, fifteen years subsequent to Passchier, Kneght-Junk, and Nieboer this, Terry and Krantz (1993) found that 1994). beards may “evoke the schema of a virile male, [one who is] more socially Not only hair quantity, but also hair forceful than cognitively able” length, has been found by social (p. 1766). Thus, social perceptions of psychologists to influence others‟ the meaning of male facial hair may perceptions. In three studies conducted change over time. during the 1970‟s – a time when disco ruled and long hair and polyester suits Hair color, in both men and women, for men were de rigueur – hair length has also been studied as a social was found to create different perception attribute. In one of the impressions of the wearer‟s personality, earliest investigations, Lawson (1971) and to be correlated with different found that redheaded men were viewed perceptions of self. Larsen and White very negatively by both other men and (1974) found that male college students women. Later research (Clayson and wearing below shoulder length hair Maughan 1986) found red headed men (classified by the researchers as were seen as sad, feminine, unpleasant, „deviant‟ in length) were significantly weak, slow and shallow. Red headed more independent, and less conforming women fared somewhat better, being and recognizing of authority than their seen as professional, complex and shorter haired brethren. powerful. Blonde women were found in the same study to be rated highly as When female college students were beautiful, pleasant, feminine, smooth, asked to evaluate the personalities of weak, gentle and soft; while blonde long, medium, and short haired male men were seen as handsome, pleasant, students, those with long hair were strong, powerful, rich, successful, rated as more feminine, youthful, active and aggressive.1 In an unusual pleasure-seeking, immoral and interpretive extension for social outspoken, while the short haired male psychologists, these authors comment students were seen by these same that “Ancient Greek actors used black midwestern coeds as more careful, wigs for villains, blonde for heroes and wise, academically oriented, masculine, red wigs for the clown or fool” (p. 816). strong, mature, intelligent, moral, They also conjecture that we are a physically attractive and well-adjusted. Among the subset of women students 1 Comparisons to brunettes were not made in who did prefer the long-haired men, this study. 357 “society that attributes lightness to Representative of work on hair as a femininity and darkness to masculinity” social class signifier is Mazur‟s (1993) (p.