By Janine M. Schall, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

What kind of hair do you have? How do you take care of it? Do you like to try new hair styles or colors? Do you wear your hair in a certain way to express your personality or connect to your culture? What our hair looks like and how we wear it is one of the most obvious, easily noticeable things about us. For this reason, many people spend a lot of thought, time and care on ensuring that their hair is exactly the way they want it to be.

The way that we wear our hair can be an expression of our personality or a way to be fashionable. However, hair is also profoundly connected to culture, history, and power, embodying societal norms and values. The way we style our hair and the rituals we have surrounding hair care convey powerful messages about our identity to others. In some cultures, new hairstyles are even required to mark a change in maturity or status. At the same time, people make inferences and judgements about a person’s group identities, religious beliefs, and even morality based on their hairstyle. Continue reading →