Styling Masculinity
Gender, Class, and Inequality in the Men's Grooming Industry
Published on 24. August 2016
Book
Paperback/Softback
256 pages
978-0-8135-6552-1 (ISBN)
Description
The twenty-first century has seen the emergence of a new style of man: the metrosexual. Overwhelmingly straight, white, and wealthy, these impeccably coiffed urban professionals spend big money on everything from facials to pedicures, all part of a multi-billion-dollar male grooming industry. Yet as this innovative study reveals, even as the industry encourages men to invest more in their appearance, it still relies on women to do much of the work. Styling Masculinity investigates how men's beauty salons have persuaded their clientele to regard them as masculine spaces. To answer this question, sociologist Kristen Barber goes inside Adonis and The Executive, two upscale men's salons in Southern California. Conducting detailed observations and extensive interviews with both customers and employees, she shows how female salon workers not only perform the physical labor of snipping, tweezing, waxing, and exfoliating, but also perform the emotional labor of pampering their clients and pumping up their masculine egos. Letting salon employees tell their own stories, Barber not only documents occasions when these workers are objectified and demeaned, but also explores how their jobs allow for creativity and confer a degree of professional dignity. In the process, she traces the vast network of economic and social relations that undergird the burgeoning male beauty industry.
Reviews / Votes
"A cut above: Traditional barbershops are back," by Dave McGinnhttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/article-a-cut-above-traditional-barbershops-are-back/
- Globe and Mail
"A salon of his own: Men don't play second fiddle here," by Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,- LoHud.com
"Barber provides excellent insight into how women groom men while upholding their gender and class identities, and how masculinity and beauty are not at odds with each other. Truly a pleasure."- Jamie Mullaney, author of Paid to Party: Working Time and Emotion in Direct Home Sales
"New barbershops cash in on male grooming trend" interview with Kristen Barber- Marketplace
The End of the Barbershop?: An Interview with Kristen Barber [goo.gl/CgX0Zv]- Word of Mouth, New Hampshire Public Radio
"Barber's book innovatively combines theories of work, gender, and culture. It makes a significant contribution to masculinities research. Anyone teaching or conducting research on gender, social class, qualitative methods, work, inequalities, and culture will find this book to be compelling. It is nuanced and rich in detail."- Men & Masculinities
"A well-researched book."- Journal of American Culture
"What does it mean that contemporary men are going to salons, getting their nails done, or dyeing their hair? Kristen Barber examines how these practices are intimately related to shifting definitions of masculinity, and actually buttress gender, race, and class inequalities. A compelling and colorful read."- C.J. Pascoe, author of Dude, You're a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School
What's the Deal With That Guy's Fluffy Hair? by Thomas Vinciguerra- New York Times
"A well-researched contribution to the sociology of work, gender studies, and consumer culture ... Highly recommended."- Choice
"How the 'Wife Beater' Tank Top Became A Marker of Class, Ethnicity and Domestic Abuse" by C. Brain Smith- Mel Magazine
"Though the grooming work and shop floor are evocative, Barber's attention moves beyond hair to the social exchanges that take place ... bringing together emotional labor, aesthetic labor, and physical labor, all the while highlighting the role of sexuality."- Gender & Society
Why barbershops are disappearing: And what it means that some still thrive by Kristen Barber [http://goo.gl/mN4nWW]- The Houston Chronicle
"Barber's book innovatively combines theories of work, gender, and culture. It makes a significant contribution to masculinities research. Anyone teaching or conducting research on gender, social class, qualitative methods, work, inequalities, and culture will find this book to be compelling. It is nuanced and rich in detail"- Patti Giuffre, SAGE Pub
"A salon of his own: More than just manscaping," by Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy- USA Today
"WHAT EXPENSIVE MEN'S HAIRCUTS ARE REALLY SELLING YOU" by Quinn Myers
https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/expensive-mens-haircut-worth-it- Mel Magazine
"Masculinity During A Pandemic: How Haircuts And Face Masks Got Political" an interview with Kristen Barber
https://www.wortfm.org/masculinity-during-a-pandemic-how-haircuts-and-face-masks-got-political/- "A Public Affair," WORT
"Why So Many Men Chase Skirts, But Won't Wear Them" by Nora Whelan- Playboy
"A deep examination of the rise of male beauty culture."- The New York Times
"A Short History of Manly Beauty Products for Masculine Men," by Hazel Cills
https://jezebel.com/a-short-history-of-manly-beauty-products-for-masculine-1834956610- Jezebel
How it became OK for guys to take care of themselves: an interview with Kristen Barber [http://goo.gl/o3qExa]- NPR's Marketplace
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New Brunswick NJ
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
US School Grade: Sixth Grade and over, Interest Age: From 16 years
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
1 figure, 4 tables
Dimensions
Height: 228 mm
Width: 151 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
355 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8135-6552-1 (9780813565521)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
08/2016
1st Edition
Rutgers University Press
€99.99
Available for download
Person
KRISTEN BARBER is an assistant professor of sociology and a faculty affiliate in the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.
Content
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Men and Beauty: The Historical Expansion of an Industry2 Rocks Glasses and Color Camo: Selling Beauty to Class-Privileged Men3 Heterosexual Aesthetic Labor: Hiring and Requiring Women Beauty Workers4 Hair Care: Emotional Labor and Touching Rules in Men's Grooming5 "We're Men's Women": Occupational Choice Narratives of Sameness and Difference
Conclusion
Appendix A. Class, Gender, and the Economy in the Study of Men's Salons
Appendix B. Participant Demographic Information
Bibliography
Index
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Men and Beauty: The Historical Expansion of an Industry2 Rocks Glasses and Color Camo: Selling Beauty to Class-Privileged Men3 Heterosexual Aesthetic Labor: Hiring and Requiring Women Beauty Workers4 Hair Care: Emotional Labor and Touching Rules in Men's Grooming5 "We're Men's Women": Occupational Choice Narratives of Sameness and Difference
Conclusion
Appendix A. Class, Gender, and the Economy in the Study of Men's Salons
Appendix B. Participant Demographic Information
Bibliography
Index