new thread
I am compiling a list of occupations where short hair (and clean shaven face) is fundamental to doing the job. This is part of an essay I'm writing about long hair. I've come up with a few occupations but I would appreciate additional suggestions. After thinking about it for a bit I concluded that most occupations that *require* short hair do so for discipline reasons rather than operational necessity. Soldier, fire fighter, police officer fall into this category. A soldier doesn't *need* short hair. If that was true female soldiers would be required to wear their hair trimmed "high and tight". This logic also applies to fire fighters and police officers where females are always allowed to wear long hair. With this thinking in mind, here is the list I have developed of occupations where short hair is legitimately required:
Sales Person. Since they have to stand up in front of clients and pitch products and services it is reasonable that their appearance conform to current cultural norms.
Senior Executive. They have to meet with bankers and shareholders to represent the company. Again, it is reasonable that their appearance conform to current cultural norms.
Traveling Business Person. They may will encounter a wide variety of attitudes and cultures. People who travel to 'strict' countries can be expected to make their appearance very conservative.
Actor. Their job description requires them to change their behavior, personality, and appearance for each new role.
Model. By definition their appearance will be dictated by their employer.
I'd be interested to read your ideas. Thanks!
I believe the bottom line is that, in most businesses, there is difference in dress and hair length codes for men and women. It rarely has to do with the physical demands of the position. Most of the time it's just considered "okay" for women to have long hair (or short hair if they prefer) but men must conform to a short hair guideline. It a control or "taming" issue that men are subjected to going all the way back to the ritual of the boy child's first haircut. And, in business, if one set of rules are applied to men that aren't applied to women, and they are doing the same job, then my interpretaion is that it's a form of Sexual Discrimination.
'if one set of rules are applied to men that aren't applied to women, and they are doing the same job, then my interpretaion is that it's a form of Sexual Discrimination.'
i always wonder what people here would think in a situation that we might be a little less involved in... we all have long hair so seems reasonable were against hair discrimination rules... but as for appearence, where shuld the line be drawn? if at all? should guys be able to wear female uniforms should they desire? skirts? makeup? long hair?
why not? I think a guy should be able to wear what he wants
within reason.after all I do like wearing a loincloth however there are places I would not wear one.
guys should be able to wear skirts if they want I have seen pictures of guys in skirts that look quite conservative
I allways figure as far as hair it is your hair you should be able to wear it the way you want and like it
I don't really like skirts on guys, and not because I think it's wrong or find it offensive. It's just that skirts are made to accent a girl's shape (especially the hips), and that's something that I don't think works with the male body type. Having said that, I have an absolute fetish about surcoats, so don't think that I'm against long clothing for guys or anything. Surcoats give a very powerful, direct image which fits the male body appropriately, in my opinion.
IMHO, they do if they're in combat. If you had to live without a shower for two weeks, you'd probably want to cut too; but that's just pure speculation on my part. Any ex-military here care to comment?
AFAIK, the anti-beard mentality started with gas warfare in WW-I. Ever since then, you need to be clean-shaven to get a good seal on your gas mask and other types of breathing equipment.
If the female soldiers are ever designated for ground combat, they should be under the same rules. They've done just about everything except designate them combat--I was reading this story about a female soldier in Iraq who ended up standing on top of a HumVee firing a 50-cal in a firefight. Designated combat? No. But she had to do it because the situation called for it. Looks like a duck. Quacks like a duck. It's a duck, but for purely political reasons they won't designate them as combat soldiers.
They all fit the broader category of "customer facing". More specificly, facing professional customers, which is a judgement call. The guy behind the counter at the Home Depot is customer facing, but he's facing the general public as opposed to facing high level clients, therefore he's not under the same kind of pressure.
Agreed.
Fundamantalist Minister. I doubt that issue ever comes up because by the time you become a minister in a fundamentalist church, you've bought into all the ideas.
Competitive Swimmer. And that includes body hair! Any competitive swimmers here?
Ummm... Baldo the Clown. :)
I disagree, there are many ways to restrain hair if the situation requires it, and the longer your hair is, the easier this is to do. There is no significant movement or reaction time impairments caused by long hair. With the use of a helmet, hat or bandana you can be all but certain it won't fall in your eyes at a critical moment.
Yeah go figure - I can't see why not. About the only way Women are disadvantaged in combat against Men is physical body strength, but with the right training in Unarmed Combat strength doesn't become an issue anyone who's seen Karate or Aikido knows that.
About the only offering I have for Gollan's list is a Barber, but again, your appealing to societies expectations rather than any real physical need or requirement. I think this is a theme throughout. If you can identify one job position that presents a physical requirement for Short Hair, rather than a disciplinary or PR reason then I'll be very surprised.
I guess the best place to direct your search for the above is to jobs where Women HAVE to cut their hair short. I can think of no such professions.
Sorted
I was speaking to the issue of comfort and cleanliness rather than restraint. I would itch to the point of bleeding if I didn't shower for two weeks. I don't even want to imagine what that would be like with desert sand in it. Regulation or not, I'd shave to near bald if I thought I was going into combat. Also, rationing extra water for a real shower is a luxury you might not be able to afford. A buzz can be cleaned in a heartbeat.
So I have to agree with the military on this one. I mean, once you get accept the whole "killing people" thing, buzzing your head just isn't that big a deal. :)
Well I'd agree there, hair would get pretty damn skanky... but then I think about the rest of my body too ewe... As for th desert, believe me this wouldn't actually be the worst, living off the West Coast of North Africa, you often get a taste of the Sahara, you don't actually tend to get that dirty in the desert, I think its cos your consistently sand blasted, trust me you'd smell worse trudging through a jungle swamp. Desert Conditions are a piece of cake by comparision.
I guess not, personally I'm not likely to get over the idea of "killing people" so I doubt I'm ever gonna get over the idea of buzzing.
Sorted
I think you could get used to not showering for long periods in a combat situation, even with long hair. Or at least I could, speaking for myself. YMMV.
Do you think the armed forces are really that worried about whether you get itchy? No, it's all about discipline, something I've always responded badly to! That would be my reason for never signing up, military discipline, of which hair is only a part.
As for killing people, I could do it in defence of my country, or maybe even the one where I live, but if you join up you have to shoot who they tell you to, however lame the cause, and the current ones are pretty lame.
Actors often go around looking quite shaggy when between roles. That way, they can keep growing if it's going o be a role for long-haired man, or get it cut if it's a role for a short-haired man.
Law Enforcement Officer. I have been a deputy sheriff for the last deveral years, and I was required to keep my hair short. This was department policy, and a my policy. Long hair has a way of getting you killed in combat. Its a horriable handle for a badguy to use.
Mac
Ah, that opens up a bunch of "short hair required." Particularly jobs in which grappling with another person is required. For example, if you're a professionaly wrestler (greek style).
Thanks for the advance warning of what jobs *not* to get!
I think that soldiers, police, and fire fighters are required to keep short hair for resons of cleanliness and non-interference in an emergency, no hand holds for an opponent, and fire hazard for fire fighters.
As for other occupations, short hair is required for food service, most business roles, and any conservative workplace. i have seen profeesionals get away with long hair by keeping it in a ponytail and dressing in a nice suit.
Food service? Lots of women work in that and have long hair.
I can't see any job which should require a smooth shaven face, it is only, as you say, to conform to given expectations. Long beards, like long hair, may be a hazard for machine operators, military and the like, but there is no reason for employers not to allow short beards - that's just another aspect of the right wing, fascist attitude of those who would gain power over others by forcing them to conform to their model...grrrr
I would reduce your list down to one - actor.
Even then, it is possible for long haired actors to get jobs, but it definitely restricts the roles they can play, whereas ironically a short haired actor can always wear a wig.
I don't buy it that short hair is a BFOQ (Bona Fide Occupational Qualification) for any other job. I'm sure courts have held otherwise, but they relect soceity's norms (which are seriously wacked).
