Long Hair and Gender Recognition
Posted by baldie the eagle on November 24, 2003 at 08:59:31: Previous Next
I recently spent two days at the Discover Dogs show in London. I wasn't busy all the time, so I got to thinking about some of the recent board discussion on hair length and gender recognition. Each test I did was by examining the first 100 people within my chosen category to walk past the stand. This isn't completely scientific, as British dog show folk aren't necessarily a cross section of the general (Western) world population, but it is random.
First test: I was able to identify the gender of 100% of the sample within a few seconds, irrespective of their age, clothes or hair.
Second test: women of all ages:
A: 56% wore jeans (as the least gender specific clothing), 40% other trousers, 4% skirts (most likely to be gender specific).
B: 55% had 'long' hair (=long enough to tie in a pony tail); 45% had short hair
Third test: girls up to about 16 (I didn't ask their ages, but I counted any girl who had not developed breasts or a feminine shaped waist and hips as being in this category)
A: 73% wore jeans, 27% other trousers, 0% skirts
B: 99% had 'long' hair as defined above, 1% short hair
Fourth test: Men's hair ( all ages): 2% long (as defined above) 98% short.
Fifth test: Hair of boys up to approx 16: 0% long (as defined above) 100% short. (During the whole show, I saw only two boys with even awkward phase length hair, both with their waist length haired mother.)
Conclusions: Clothes are no longer used or perceived as a significant gender indication.
Pre-maturity, girls wear longer hair than their male counterparts as a gender marker. Post maturity, where body shape becomes significant, long hair becomes a less universal gender marker, with more long haired men and fewer long haired women. To a very small extent, clothes are a gender marker in the older generation, where there is also the highest number of short haired women.
Sorry for the long post. Hope you find it interesting. What will happen in another generation of two, I wonder?
Re: Long Hair and Gender Recognition
Posted by Sorted on November 24, 2003 at 13:42:21: Previous Next
In Reply to: Long Hair and Gender Recognition posted by baldie the eagle on November 24, 2003 at 08:59:31:
Interesting point that with Kids, Long Hair does seem to be a Gender marker. As the body shape develops during puberty this kinda makes Gender Regonition more obvious. This must enable much more freedoom and probably explains why a number of 13-16 years experiment with growing their hair. (I dont believe rebellion plays as much as a role as some would say. Unless rebellion is expressing your own individuality.)
On a side note, its interesting to consider that 80-100 years ago it was common place in Britain to dress both boys and girls in frocks until they 4 years old. Gender recognition didnt appear to become important until kids passed the toddler phase.