What is a barber?
From the cynical perspective, a trip to the barbershop may simply be a bland necessity to obtain shorter hair. Although barbers do cut hair, the occupation has always stood for much more. For centuries, barbering has served as a way of life. Barbershops have traditionally kindled deep interpersonal relationships and acted as cultural hearths for their neighborhoods. Aside from holding the skills and expertise required to satisfy men’s confidence, barbers have built a backbone of wisdom, honor, and camaraderie for communities around the globe.
What is rationalization?
In his book The McDonaldization of Society, George Ritzer acknowledges four key principles in his discussion of Max Weber’s theory of rationalization: efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control. As industries adapt each of the principles, they become increasingly “McDonaldized” in pursuit of maximum productivity. Ritzer argues that modern industries will inevitably strive toward rationalization, resulting in a frightful and depersonalized system of purposeful labor.
- Efficiency: improving techniques to decrease the time needed to complete a task
- Predictability: producing a standardized product that is always familiar and comfortable
- Calculability: a “quantity over quality” mindset, where consumers are offered quantifiably more when making purchases
- Control: influencing the behavior of consumers to align best with the system of production
How do the two mix?
In modern times, the line defining the field of barbering has blurred. Today, many Americans associate getting a haircut with corporate titans in the grooming space, such as Great Clips and Supercuts. In a post-industrial society where cheap McDonaldized hair salons seemingly dominate, how are grassroot barbershops able to survive? What differentiates barbers from other occupations in the ability to defy rationalization?
How did barbers get here?
The barber was born from the invention of civilization, where the transition from hunter-gatherer to settled agriculture allowed for occupations. Barbers often catered to elite audiences who could afford the luxury of hygiene.
Throughout the Middle Ages, barbers thrived as expert craftsmen known as barber-surgeons: individualized caregivers who could address most any physical need. Barber-surgeons found community among themselves, forming primitive Christian fraternities and guilds for mutual aid. In 1540, an Act of English Parliament strictly separated the profession based on service limitations. Barbers would now only cut hair, while surgeons would develop and carry out medical procedures.
A new identity for barbers emerged in America, forging a new cultural significance. Barbers became idols of the working-class American man, demonstrating a level of modesty, masculinity, and patriotism. As barbers solidified their purpose in society, nuanced and higher-order social dynamics surfaced in barbershops. Black men particularly found solace in barbershops as escapes from the daily stresses of white jurisdiction and female companionship. Sitting amongst other respectable black men enabled enhanced “truth-telling,” creating a haven for political discourse and the sentiment of black independence.
The most recent addition to the barbering discussion is the rise of the casual hair salon, which is a direct result of McDonaldization in the late twentieth century. Franchising gave rise to thousands of hair salons, all with the same layout, expectations, and shamelessly dry social landscape. What started as an attempt by Great Clips to “provide affordable haircuts to everyone” built the largest wave of competition that barbers have ever experienced.
As of late, barbering seems less about maximizing profit and more about perpetuating an art form through honor and respect.
How has rationalization affected barbers?
Barbering is more resistant to the rationalization process than the majority of other modern professions. Still, barbers have definitely been impacted by the four principles of rationalization.
Efficiency
For the majority of history, barbers have employed a form of the straight razor. The iconic folding razors were advanced tools made of bronze in ancient Egypt and eventually became mass produced steel instruments in the eighteenth century. King C. Gillette’s invention of the first disposable double-edged razor blade in 1903 led to a sizable spike in efficiency. More barbers could access the industry since the double-edged razor required less training and was cheaper. In the mid-twentieth century, the introduction of the electric clippers also became an essential for barbers, hastening the process of cutting the popular post-war buzzcut.
Predictability
The formation of organizations and unions, ranging from the guilds of barber-surgeons to the modern National Association of Barber Boards of America, have maintained standards for all barbers to meet. Barbers have to be formally educated, licensed, and evaluated, which all contribute to rationalization and an assured level of quality for the customer. As long as these institutions remain authority figures, barbers will continue to see a level of standardization in their routines. Customers can predictably enter any barbershop to receive reliable and professional service.
Calculability
Although not unique to barbering, the use of appointments has increased the speed of rationalization. Barbers traditionally would follow the nine to five schedule, often catering to walk-in customers who provide a simple stream of business. Nonetheless, now that customers can instantly update on their phone when they want service based on preferences or obligations, both parties win. Barbers know exactly when they need to be present, how much they will make per cut, and how long the cut will take due to the effects of rationalization.
Control
Due to the social dynamics related to control, rationalization has had some difficulty roaring into barbering. Customers should not be friends with sellers; the system contradicts every principle associated with rotating in more customers. Regardless, most every barbershop is structured under a social framework. If the environment were to become too rationalized or standardized, there would be backlash from those who hold deep affection for their barbers and the innate unpredictability of human interaction.
What is a Third Place?
Ray Oldenburg is a sociologist who coined the separation between the spaces where people spend their time: The First, Second, and Third Place. The First Place corresponds to the home, Second Place to the workplace, and Third Place to the informal public gathering space. Oldenburg praises Third Places for their ability to unify communities, foster care for neighborhoods, and harbor unlikely friendships. However, since the rise of automobiles in the past century, Oldenburg asserts that Third Places have been overlooked and neglected. American society, from the highway system down to the tax code, encourages productivity and deters people from their own communities.
Where do barbers play into the Third Place?
Due to the physical disconnection found in the digital age, demand for Third Places will only increase. Barbershops are incredibly powerful Third Places, as they intertwine masculinity, self-esteem, social interaction, and hair service into one experience. From a tune-up for a job interview to earnest spousal advice, barbers are ingrained with a selfless drive to give back to their community. The bonding and closeness of Third Places are at the forefront of what keeps barbers motivated. The characteristics of a Third Place inherently contradict the rationalization process. Assuming barbershops continue to serve as Third Places, there will remain a fortress in barbering impenetrable to the pressures of rationalization.
The video clip is from 2002's Barbershop, demonstrating the value of barbershops as Third Places: rich history with a heartfelt social atmosphere.
The Barbershop Renaissance
New York Times writer David Colman explores the resurgence of the traditional barbershop in his article “The Barbershop Renaissance.” Colman describes barbershops as a remedy to the impersonal and rushed nature of contemporary society. Providing a steady and convenient space for men to frequent establishes an essential sense of belonging. Colman concludes that the modern barbershop is a testament to the everlasting appeal of community and conversation in an increasingly disconnected world.
What's next for barbers?
Robots? No...
In Shane Wighton’s viral video "I made a hair cutting machine," he showcases a robot designed to give haircuts to people without any human intervention. Wighton nervously receives one of the worst mullets of all time using a combination of sensors, cameras, and machine learning algorithms. Wighton’s experiment piques curiosity, but barbering will surely never see the sole employment of machines. Haircutting is simply too individualized and requires creativity at every step in the process.
DIY grooming? Probably not...
If grooming tools improve and become easy enough to “master” over the coming decades, what would stop the average person from asking family members to cut their hair or even become a “prosumer?” Teenage boys already shave their first peach fuzz with a disposable razor at home. Men often clean their appearance each morning before work. While untrained humans are better at emulating the duties of a barber than a machine, they are still unable to contest the experience and acumen of barbers.
More barbering? Definitely!
Barbershops will continue buzzing for generations to come. Barbers hold a distinctive place in the analysis of McDonaldization; they are a cut above other service-based occupations, allowing men to connect with their roots and embrace a timeless sense of community. Crucially, the seemingly plain manual labor of barbers is incredibly hard to automate away. Barbers indicate truly how distanced humanity is from Ritzer's theoretical rationalization of expertise and individualism. While the daily routines of barbers may shift with rationalization and time, the vitality of barbers is an undying tradition that continues to thrive in the modern world.
Research Paper
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References
Champness, Philip. “The Company's Royal Charters and Their Historical Background.” The Company of Barbers and Surgeons, Farrand Press, London, 2000, pp. 17–21.
Colman, David. “The Barbershop Renaissance.” The New York Times, 24 Nov. 2010, https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/25/fashion/25barber.html.
Kilgannon, Corey. “Barbering Is an Art.” The New York Times, 4 May 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/nyregion/barbering-is-an-art.html.
Marberry, Craig. “What a Fellowship!” Cuttin' Up: Wit and Wisdom from Black Barber Shops, Doubleday, New York, 2005, pp. 116–118.
Ocejo, Richard E. “Working On Men.” Masters of Craft: Old Jobs in the New Urban Economy, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2017, pp. 78–82.
Oldenburg, Ray. “Our Vanishing ‘Third Places.’” Planning Commissioners Journal, vol. 25, 1996, pp. 6–10.
Ritzer, George. The McDonaldization of Society: Into the Digital Age. SAGE, 2021.