Hair Colour Stereotypes--Answer my Survey and help me with my sociology paper :)

[Odette]

Please State your:
Sex:
Age:
Ethnicity:
Natural Hair Colour:
Current Hair Colour:
Hair Colours you have had in the past:
Best Hair Colour and why:
Worst Hair Colour and why:

Do you feel that people in general treat you differently depending on your hair colour? What about people of the opposite sex ? (or same sex if gay or lesbian) What about family members?

Are there any hair colour related stereotypes that you personally believe? (for example that “blondes just want attention”, or “redheads are all raging bitches”). If so, why?

Have you personally experienced being discriminated against or otherwise negatively affected by your hair colour at any time? (For example, being frequently harassed on the street as a blonde)

Do you have a preference for hair colour for potential mates? Even as generally as light vs dark haired?

Is there a dominant hair colour amongst the people in your life? Family, friends, dates, neighbours etc?

Do you think that society discriminates or privileges certain people in certain areas of life because of their hair colour? Why or why not?

Feel free to add any additional thoughts on the topic! Thanks in advance

[BlkSharpie]

Ooh this is like a MySpace survey Okay Ill bite!

Sex: F
Age: 35
Ethnicity: Black / Caribbean

Natural Hair Colour:
Dark Brown with Auburn

Current Hair Colour:
My hairdresses was sick last minute, and the one who did my hair messed up my colour, so right now its dark brown almost black, way too harsh on me.
But usually its medium brown with ash, to cancel out all the red undertones.

Hair Colours you have had in the past:
Light brown, turned almost blonde from chem processing
Many different shades of medium brown
Mahogany

Best Hair Colour and why:
The one my current hairdresser does, medium brown with ash. Compliments my skin colour perfectly, and I hate the red in my hair, so I love having a true brown.

Worst Hair Colour and why:
When my hair turned blonde. I thought it was cool til I saw photos of myself...looked horrible!


Do you feel that people in general treat you differently depending on your hair colour? What about people of the opposite sex ? (or same sex if gay or lesbian) What about family members?
Not really no...its more of a self image thing for me I think. Though with the auburn undertones in my natural haircolour, when the sun hits me I look like a clown..and people do comment "wow, never realized how...red...your hair is..its so...RED!" I hate that.

Are there any hair colour related stereotypes that you personally believe? (for example that “blondes just want attention”, or “redheads are all raging bitches”). If so, why?
Hrm...redheads are fierce, the ones Ive met are outspoken, not afraid to say what they think, speak bluntly (which Im not, which may be why I feel red is so so wrong on me lol) and strawberry blonds have some sort of gorgeous gene. Ive yet to meet an average or bad looking strawberry blonde, be it male or female.

Have you personally experienced being discriminated against or otherwise negatively affected by your hair colour at any time? (For example, being frequently harassed on the street as a blonde)
Nope...not at all.

Do you have a preference for hair colour for potential mates? Even as generally as light vs dark haired?
Strawberry blondes...hands down. Seconded by dirty blondes followed by redheads.

Is there a dominant hair colour amongst the people in your life? Family, friends, dates, neighbours etc?
Most of my fam are brunettesr, ranging from dark to very light brown some with auburn some without, very few have black hair.
Never really thought of it til now, but many of my friends who are white are either blonds, or have some unnatural coloured hair. One of my best friends hair is hot pink...Ive know her since I was 16 so Im sure Ive seen her natural hair colour, but for the life of me, cant remember what it is. The rest of my friends have dark brown to black hair...but this is Miami, lots of latinos, caribbean and native american...all pretty much prone to dark here, not *that* much of a mix down here.


Do you think that society discriminates or privileges certain people in certain areas of life because of their hair colour? Why or why not?
Hrmm....well, I think that in general, blondes are just looked upon more favorably, but Im really not married to the idea.
I think redheads kind of get the short end...which is amazing to me, because I love redheads.

[FamousRabbit]

Ehh... were you still needing replies? If not, ignore this quiz-a-holic, lol.

Sex: Female
Age: 20
Ethnicity: Black and Polynesian(Hawaiian-ish)
Natural Hair Colour: Black
Current Hair Colour: Black
Hair Colours you have had in the past: Purple, Red, Orange, Brown and Blonde
Best Hair Colour and why: Red, it matches any season and goes with my warm skin tone.
Worst Hair Colour and why: Blonde. I looked confused and angry all the time, because I was confused and angry all the time for being blonde, lol.

Do you feel that people in general treat you differently depending on your hair colour? What about people of the opposite sex ? (or same sex if gay or lesbian) What about family members?
My family thought it was funny to use the blonde stereotype, but said the other colors were nice. Random men commented more on unnatural colors in a favorable, though sometimes disgusting, way.

Are there any hair colour related stereotypes that you personally believe? (for example that “blondes just want attention”, or “redheads are all raging bitches”). If so, why?
People with alternative colored hair tend to be more open minded in some regards.

Have you personally experienced being discriminated against or otherwise negatively affected by your hair colour at any time? (For example, being frequently harassed on the street as a blonde)
My natural hair, no. Added hair, yes. Pink and red got me hit on about 2x much as normal, usually by black dudes. I think people found the purple a little darker than the pink and would assume me to be "emo" or "goth" or something.

Do you have a preference for hair colour for potential mates? Even as generally as light vs dark haired?
I love dudes with a lot of hair, and I DID have a thing for alternative colors. Currently though, just long, but doesn't have to be straight. Rawr.

Is there a dominant hair colour amongst the people in your life? Family, friends, dates, neighbours etc?
Black.

Do you think that society discriminates or privileges certain people in certain areas of life because of their hair colour? Why or why not?
No, I was able to gain employment despite having purple, blue, pink, etc. hair. People viewed me favorably either way.

Hope your paper goes/went well!

[Kellydancer]

I'll bite:


Sex:Female
Age:41 (ugh)
Ethnicity:Technically white but I do have other ethnic groups mixed in and when I was younger I passed often as Native American or Mexican.
Natural Hair Colour: Dark brown with blonde highlights (which sadly are now turning to grey and I fear I will have to start coloring the hair though luckily the grey is minor and not always noticeable.
Current Hair Colour: Dark brown
Hair Colours you have had in the past: various shades or brown and blonde. At one point my hair actually turned auburn after being in the sun.
Best Hair Colour and why: I can pull of dark brown the best because of my skin.
Worst Hair Colour and why: Blonde, I don't look good with it.

Do you feel that people in general treat you differently depending on your hair colour? What about people of the opposite sex ? (or same sex if gay or lesbian) What about family members?

When my hair was lighter my family probably treated me as more of a bimbo but generally nothing happened. They would just tell me how horrible I looked. Men would often not want to date me because I was a brunette but most of these guys were the superficial type I don't want. Having dark hair hasn't really hurt me in dating and I would hope at my age men wouldn't judge on this because many of them are going grey (or are grey)themselves. Eventually there will be a time when I am grey and so are they so then what?

Are there any hair colour related stereotypes that you personally believe? (for example that “blondes just want attention”, or “redheads are all raging bitches”). If so, why?

I do think dancing some (not all)blondes do kind of have this attitude that I'm blonde I can do anything.

Have you personally experienced being discriminated against or otherwise negatively affected by your hair colour at any time? (For example, being frequently harassed on the street as a blonde)

Big time while dancing. I had clubs tell me they didn't want more brunettes while they hired a less attractive, often fat blonde. I had guys reject me for this when dancing. I have been places with a blonde and had guys give her attention while ignoring me.

Do you have a preference for hair colour for potential mates? Even as generally as light vs dark haired?

Yes I prefer dark brown-black hair. Then again I prefer men of Hispanic and Latin descent so this is a dominant colour with them.

Is there a dominant hair colour amongst the people in your life? Family, friends, dates, neighbours etc?

On my dad's side, definitely red. Both of his parents, his brother and sister and he were all redheads. Many of my cousins are also red. On my mom's side a mixture of blonde and brunette.

Do you think that society discriminates or privileges certain people in certain areas of life because of their hair colour? Why or why not?

I think when it comes to modeling or dancing blonde helps. However in the corporate world I think fake blonde is really a negative. I have also heard men say they would sleep with a blonde but want to marry a brunette so stereotypes still abound.

Feel free to add any additional thoughts on the topic! Thanks in advance

[kortneykay]

Sex: F
Age: 27 (but I look 21-24)
Ethnicity: African American
Natural Hair Colour: Light Sandy Brown
Current Hair Colour: Jet Black/1b
Hair Colours you have had in the past: Strawberry Blonde, Fire Engine (Rhianna) Red, Blue-Black
Best Hair Colour and why: Red, I got a lot of compliments and it made my light skin color stand out more
Worst Hair Colour and why: I don't like my natural hair color, I prefer darker colors or "wow" colors, I get compliments because it's so light, but I personally don't care for it.

Do you feel that people in general treat you differently depending on your hair colour? What about people of the opposite sex ? (or same sex if gay or lesbian) What about family members? My mom loves my natural color, my husband loves me in crazy colors because he likes the "ghetto" stigma of an African American woman with pink,blue,red,green hair but I'm my own person and I don't think just because an African American woman has colored hair means she is "hood".

Are there any hair colour related stereotypes that you personally believe? (for example that “blondes just want attention”, or “redheads are all raging bitches”). If so, why? I hate the stereotype that black women/people don't have natural blonde hair. Google "Solomon Islands Children". Hair color is all based on genetics. Neither my mother or father have light brown hair like me, but yet, I have it. My grandmother also had natural red hair.

Have you personally experienced being discriminated against or otherwise negatively affected by your hair colour at any time? (For example, being frequently harassed on the street as a blonde) I've been accused of having "dyed" hair.

Do you have a preference for hair colour for potential mates? Even as generally as light vs dark haired? I tend to like guys with light colored hair. My husband has light brown hair like me except his is more of a dusty blonde. His mom is blonde and so it makes sense. Personally, I'm a face person, so if he has blonde, black, or red, it doesn't matter to me. I'd prefer he had hair period lol.

Is there a dominant hair colour amongst the people in your life? Family, friends, dates, neighbours etc? I think it's war against the brunettes and blondes in my life. Then again, people in my age bracket sometimes try and be daring with the reds. I personally like dark black hair on lighter skin tones and light hair on darker skin tones.

Do you think that society discriminates or privileges certain people in certain areas of life because of their hair colour? Why or why not? Well, if you are an elder and have grey hair, society may or may not discriminate you. Blondes of course always get a lot of flack, or attention. Light catches people's eyes faster. "Gingers" or redheads get discriminated against as well. Also, I think it's odd that society marks blondes, brunettes, and or red heads as Caucasian people. Though everyone tends to be a blonde, brunette or redhead including people of color and different backgrounds. I've never seen a natural greedhead walking around lol. I think society privileges skin color and social status rather than hair color. That and the need to show the majority of shampoo commercials featured with white women. Why? Well, it's called world domination. However, I have nothing against Caucasians or any others. This is just a fact and not an attempt to be rude. I am married to a white man and I do have Irish as well as Native American in my bloodline.