Long hair is a physical characteristic associated with both “femininity” and “masculinity” conventionally defined.
It is a pervasive Western (patriarchal) norm that women grow their hair long and men maintain their hair respectably short(er). Revealingly, men retain a great deal more freedom in hair length normativity/social expectation than do women.
There are exceptions to this norm, but deviants of both genders risk being socially ostracized by defying hair length normality. In United States history, noteworthy examples include:
-The “Flapper” movement of the 1920s in which women adopted a short “bob” cut and took more “lenient” positions regarding the woman’s proper relation to sex, drinking, partying, dancing, and “masculine” activities such as driving cars and smoking. The Flapper was consequently ostracized by “society” (or “Society”) due to her deviation. This movement all but disappeared with the coming of the impoverished Depression 1930s as opposed to the opulent economic conditions of “the Roaring 20s” that gave rise to such feminine liberation. (this is an interesting correlation to bear in mind: whether economic comfort lends itself to greater opportunities for women liberation? There is–or is there?–a connection.)
-The 1960s ushered forth a social rebellion against established norms. The youth population expressed its discontent with US foreign policy and stifling social expectations by being socially reactionary. Men wore their hair long–whether in protest against norms or simply to “conform” to the non-conformist hippie movement. Long hair was “liberating” but also stigma affixed itself to wearers of long hair and this trend (as a trend) died with the end of the 1960s. However, the 60s men wedged their foot in the door of historical norms, thus allowing for men later in US history to wear their hair long and not to be regarded as a “savage” or space alien.
-The 1990s-today allow for many hairstyles that defy normality. Women with short hair and men with long hair can readily be found. However, social and gendered/sexed significance is still attached to one’s hairstyle, indicating that we haven’t moved nearly as far from Victorian ideas as we’d like to believe. A woman can shave her head, but that MEANS something. A woman can leave her hair long, and nothing more is thought of it. We’ve not escaped foolish hairstyle norms.
One is left wondering: why should hair say anything about what’s in between my legs? And the answer is: it shouldn’t. Frank Zappa once remarked, in an exchange with an interviewer:
Interviewer: “So Frank, you have long hair. Does that make you a woman?”
Zappa: “You have a wooden leg. Does that make you a table?”
(NOTE: this is a severely inadequate history of American hair length–particularly because the women and men involved were all white and middle to upper class in social standing. But, then again, isn’t that the typical historical subject of American history? If anyone has other ideas about hair length and historical normativity, please add!!!)
A Feminist Theory Dictionary 
I think another interesting aspect of hair length in terms of popular culture is how it has been fetishized, at least for men, in the musical movement of hair metal especially and metal bands in general. All of the great 80’s metal bands (Motley Crue, Van Halen, Cinderella, Poison just to name a few) incorporated long hair (as you’ve demonstrated, Lauren, as a clearly societally-acknowledged feminine trait) into their reconstructions of masculinity which I think is really interesting. It’s like they were gender-bending but without really intending to…
Also, in my queer studies class today we were talking about the mullet (long in back, short in front for those who don’t know!) and its current associations with lesbianism, but how the mullet was possibly originally a huge signifier of masculinity for men. Although we just discussed this in passing and I have done no research on mullets in history or contemporary times, I think it is interesting to note the associations of manhood it carries with it. Much like hair metal bands of the 80’s who grew their hair long and styled it with AquaNet as a symbol of their masculinity, women who maintain mullets are possibly doing the same thing whether they’re aware of it or not…
It is definitely interesting to note our cultural associations with different hairstyles, especially depending on the wearer’s (perceived) gender, and how it can either reify or subvert societal standards. Thanks for your thoughtful definition Lauren!
[…] In its attached (and gloriously flowing (ie. long)) state: 1. Headbanging on a higher plane 2. Intrinsic symbol of temporal and social commitment to metal despite disapproval under accepted (and enforced) draconian societal norms. […]
[…] noted by the Feminist Theory Dictionary, “A woman can shave her head, but that MEANS something. A woman can leave her hair long, and […]
i was actually looking for something else and thought the article suffered from the usual weakness – looking for repressed females in everything from your morning coffee to syntax
1.<> have you ever been to east/south east asia?
2. [bananasplitz] never heard of a mullet but i had “czech footballer” cut in the ‘nineties. very short; long at the back. queer studies? that’s a first! does anybody study physics or history these days?