Norm Internalizing
Depilatory practices are mundane for the substantial majority of women. Hair has a strong symbolical value and manifold signification. Its absence is a way to state femininity and beauty but it is also a proof of control over one’s social image. If this social norm seems to be binding, it does not make women stop removing their hair. This discursive analysis is based on fourteen interviews. It explores the women’s perception of their own body, their hair and their shaving or hair removal practices. The agency of these women appears to be limited. The idealised image of a hairless and uniform feminine body is interiorised and shapes women’s judgements and preferences. This norm causes self-monitoring by pervading these women’s wishes and emotions. Some refuse to be told how they have to take care of their own bodies. They refuse to depilate and thus claim their freedom of choice. This symbolical act challenges the imposition of others’ preferences on women’s choices. Despite this political statement, the action of not shaving is not isolated and still tied to a social norm. However, this norm is marginal and repressed in our contemporary society.