ABSTRACT
In American culture, institutions for hair care-beauty parlors and hair salons for women and barbershops for men-are highly socialized settings. For much of the twentieth century, it was customary for women to go to the beauty parlor for a weekly “set.” And while such enterprises have diversified their services, they remain locations for conversation and social interaction among regular customers. Ethnographers of this cultural scene often interpret the customs of the hair salon as signifying the institutionalization of feminine concern for bodily beauty, represented by the hair. The barbershop provides a similar social connection for men, but ethnographies identify a stronger emphasis on conformity to hair length than on individual style. Hence, the barbershop environment tends to be less decorated, rarely providing the services of a spa, but its traditional waiting area has been a place noted by folklorists and moviemakers as a location for jocular exchange. Many barbershops in African American communities cater particularly to black hair needs, and the shops are often cited as important gathering centers for African American men.
