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Friday, May 17, 2019
The Barbershop
Introduction
For my research project, I have decided to study a local barbershop and the three barbers who work in said shop. With much competition in the Fresno area, advertising, and crafting an image is vital to success to a barber's success. I first collected data by first observing the group during their actual haircuts, and during downtime. This observation enhanced the interviewing process as there was the reasoning behind every question based on their actions. In addition, I analyzed the advertising tools publicly disseminated over the past year by the barbers. This consisted of social media images, google reviews, and portraits from community service events. I primarily focused on the presentation of self, which was displayed in the location; the atmosphere of the shop; as well as the personalities of the barbers. I also investigated the various roles played in the shop. Next were rituals as there was a repetitive nature to how each barber approached the process of cutting hair. The fourth was frontstage and backstage, which was unique in this situation as two out of the three barbers both lived and worked at the shop. Last but not least was a team, which was interesting to explore in an atmosphere of independent contractors.
Literature Review
Ethnographic research all begins with access. Access can be the cause of many roadblocks, as gaining access to certain areas may prove to be more difficult than others. Whom you know and whom you have access to often dictates whether or not doors will be opened for you. As stated in the textbook presentation of self is often the key. A person's age, gender, and appearance play a large role in whether or not you are accepted. For instance, the Marjeree Mason center in downtown is an establishment which tailors to battered women. A male does not have access to this establishment regardless of the turmoil they may have experienced. Other methods of interviewing may be in the field research, such as shadowing, or a police ride along for instance. It is suggested for students compile notes in public settings to ensure the safety of all parties. In this day and age, online communication can be a great way to alleviate potential harm, as well as increase comfortability. Another key to observation is, to be honest with yourself and your group. Deceiving the group to gain access is would be bad is not allowed, and could potentially put a person in a negative position if discovered. Another alternative is, to be honest about your research, and find what is called a quasi-public setting. A quasi-public setting can be a privately owned public institution such as a restaurant. This can allow a person to maintain anonymity, let's say if they have permission to observe from the business owner. The text emphasizes starting where you are, and now that would be a college campus. There are restaurants, free speech areas, sporting events, libraries, and more. The college campus allows one to blend in while being in a familiar setting to compile information.
The next step to the process will be interviewing which can take place over the phone, online, face to face, or one can observe an interview remotely. Research interviewing is what will be most applicable to this course, and that may entail asking an asking a respondent various questions pertaining to a specific topic. While attaining this information there must be some way to record your findings. Taking fields notes is the traditional option, but can take away from the empathy that may be needed to receive in-depth answers, in addition, most people simply cannot write as fast as others speak. Taking notes directly after the interview is another alternative, which can allow both parties to be present at the moment, but this would require a great memory. Few people will be able to retain all of the information decimated the party being interviewed. A recording device would be the optimal way to accumulate the information accurately, but some people do not like to be on the record. I faced this problem in the past as I interviewed a business owner who was candid but refused to be recorded. It was my job to mentally retain as much information as possible. Thick description is the best way to write field notes as these are written in a way which allows the reader to feel as though they were in the room. Thick description entails writing everything one sees and hears, with the goal of painting a picture with their words. A person reading thick description notes should be able to enter a building and follow directions based on notes. A good example of thick description would be cooking recipes, as they are in chronological order, with measurements. Another key is to be a fly on the wall, and allow the people being viewed act the lives out as natural as possible
The last step would be content analysis, which is essentially compiling information on a group, wither it be flyers, advertisement, social media account. When compiling information there is cultural information which can be found around you in your daily life, and cross-cultural information which can be global information one may use as a comparison, or to expand their current view. Historical documents can also be useful, as one has the ability to examine culture through a timeline. Comparing the present to the past, can expose differences or evolution, or can actually show a more cyclical nature to the topic being investigated. Images play a major role in qualitative research as it allows investigation without being tainted by words in a sense. While compiling information on my group, I was able to notice how they framed themselves and was able to compare that to the observation and interview. The way images are presented are vital as well, for example, black and white images can give a blanket view which unites photo.
Methods
I began by gaining permission to observer each of the three barbers on separate days. I felt viewing them on separate days would allow for better focus on my part. Next was the interview process. The method used to compile this information was a recording application on an IPad. After performing the interviews, I ran the audio files through the online transcription applications: Temi, Sonix, and Happy Scribe; I used these applications to avoid paying fees. Each website allowed for a free trial period, which I used to complete this assignment. I then analyzed thirty different documents from the group of barbers. The majority of the documents analyzed were pulled from the multiple social media sites owned by the barbers. They each have social media accounts with business advertisements, as well as a social media site dedicated to advertising the shop as a whole. I also performed a simple google search and located reviews of the shop. The documents or social media pages were all connected to my group and were gathered using a simple screenshot and edit tool, which allowed me to isolate the portraits. Last I used the NVivio application to identify the most prominent nodes as well as the most vital information accumulated. Lastly, I used NVivio word search to identify the most popular terms used throughout the process.
Analysis
The thick description was used heavily when describing the atmosphere. One of the first things I noticed was that the barber seemingly focuses on being courteous and making everyone feel comfortable. I noticed the barber seems to stop whatever he is doing and greets every newcomer. "Whenever a new person enters the shop the barber turns off the clippers and then asks the newcomer so what's new." Which also seems to be his go-to question when the conversation goes dull." His presentation seems to work as there is a constant flow of conversation and from what I can tell everyone was comfortable, and the atmosphere also seems to play a role, "Downstairs all of the walls are painted black, along with black wood countertops which run alongside two walls, which is also the resting place for all of the barber's tools. There are various style clippers, hair oils, and disinfectant sprays. There is also an Xbox which is connected to a 52-inch television mounted on the wall. Also on the wall is a famous painting of Malcolm X sneaking up on Muhammad Ali. Next to the painting was a unique wedding invitation. The barber is a part of a fraternity, so as an invitation to be a part of the wedding party his fraternity brother (the man getting married) crafted a paddle with the barber's fraternity name on one side of the paddle and a gold tuxedo on the other side." In addition to describing the downstairs atmosphere, I also gave a thick description of the upstairs portion of the shop where the second and third barber work. "The upstairs portion of the shop is a converted kitchen. Two of the three barbers live on the third level of the shop which has two bedrooms upstairs. You enter the shop through the downstairs portion was another barber is located. You turn to the right and walk up ten steps make a slight left at the mid-way point to walk up to another set of ten steps. If this were a square you would be entering from the bottom right-hand corner. The person I was interviewing would be located on the far left side of said corner. I sat down along the side of the kitchen island which has bar stools positioned along the sides." By describing the atmosphere using thick description I believe the reader can somewhat envision the layout of the shop. The layout of the shop plays a role in the front stage backstage dynamics.
Presentation of self was the most important concept throughout my time with the shop. This was primarily displayed through the design of the shop itself. Being that the shop is a public business there is a sense of formality, but at the same time barbershops are can be a sanctuary for men to come and openly speak their minds on current events. With that being said much of the onus is on the barber to one, give a quality haircut, and two make the customer feel comfortable and appreciated. This is done to avoid the customer simply opting to visit one of the hundreds of other shops or salons in the Fresno area. One of the first things I noticed is the establishment itself, as well as the inviting nature if the barber. "I was seated in a leather chair which looks normal until the barber says with a large smile on his face, Reg, that chair reclines. I quickly leaned back and took advantage. There is also a black three-seater couch located downstairs." The second example of the presentation of self is the barber himself, who will never allow an extended period of silence in the shop. "The barber, who seems to be a people person, sparked up a conversation asking what the Oakland Raiders should do with their three first-round draft picks." This simple question set the groundwork for an hour-long conversation which included the various customers coming and going within the shop. The barber, focused on the haircut, simply set the tone for the conversation, "The barber looked up at the speaker and shook his head agreeably about every thirty seconds to one minute, but was primarily focused on the haircut." The inviting atmosphere coupled with a consistent flow of conversation allows one to feel as though they are simply having a conversation with friends rather than feeling as though they are waiting in line for an extended period of time.
Presentation of self is also essential when gaining and retaining customers within a barbershop setting as there is much competition in this profession. When interviewing the customers it was obvious how important presentation was to these three barbers. "I think presentation is everything because, you have to know the people to like get it to feel of their energy, right. So I think when I present myself, I try to present a real person. You know this is me, this is my shop and just make sure its welcoming" (Barber #7 00:00:25). During the interviews I consistently heard the barbers speak of professionalism, "I feel like as a barber of course. Well, we are professionals so you do want to have a professional image. But at the same time you do want to be yourself" (Barber #1 0:26.36). In addition to professionalism, being an authentic version of yourself also seemed to be echoed by the other barbers, "I mean, I feel like me personally it's like a, you know, a natural presentation like as a minimum effort but efforts still like, you know, I'm not just going to look like a bum but I'm not trying to put on a fake facade either" (Barber #3 00:00:26). So, in regards to the presentation of self, the three key terms seemed to be: energy, professionalism, and retention of self. This same presentation of self also finds its way into the conversation of roles.
With advertising being so important to a barbershop, I placed all thirty photos in the presentation of self-node. I believe every portrait that both the barbers and artist uploaded online was uploaded with the intent of making themselves look as positive as possible. The picture that often stands out the most is a portrait of the owner and his son after completing a haircut. This photo received rave reviews, which motivated the barber to feature the photo on the window outside of the shop. The photo was given a black and white tent, as all of the owner's portraits are filtered in black and white. I believe he uses the filter to create a clean and unified look. Each person has their own style, but by placing the black and white tint, the viewer is able to view the photos as a collection, rather than individual portraits on the same page. The newest barber uses a similar tactic as many of his photos feature a designer cape that he uses during the haircut. This designer cape stands out because of the unique color scheme, and when viewed in various portraits on his social media page it creates a unifying look. The cape was so popular, that the artist recreated the cape onto a 5'x 3' canvas, which will go on display during art hop in July. There is also a photo showing the barbershop along with the artist is officially art hop certified as of July. This will bring in much-desired foot traffic during a popular event here in Fresno, with the intentions of acquiring new customers.
Throughout the entire process with "The Shop" ritual was the primary concept used as many of the barber's actions were repetitive. I found myself consistently describing the action of, "turning off the clippers, hanging those clippers up, and then choosing a new pair to turn on and begin to cut with." This was much expected in this setting, but it was eye-opening as to how many times this action takes place within a single haircut. The second must repetitive action was that of the setup process before the actual haircut. With two customers being served in my first visit, and one customer in my second visit, I was able to thoroughly describe the action as well as observe the consistency in the habit. "After sitting in the chair the barber pulled a piece of tissue from his desk and tied it around the customer's neck. The barber then wrapped his cape or cover over the client and buttoned it around the neck of the customer. The barber then adjusted the height of the chair by stepping on a metal bar in the back of the chair in a pump like fashion. The barber then asks the customer what type of haircut they would like to receive." This action seemed to take place like habitually, as every customer was served in the same fashion. The next most common action was at the end of the haircut, and it seems to be the point everyone in the shop stops and waits for. Being that a barber use clippers on various customers, the sanitation process is key, but can be painful depending on the person. At the end of every haircut, "The barber will unbutton the cover from around the customer's neck, spray some green alcohol on the tissue and whip around the outline of the haircut." What makes this a highlight is the reaction of the customer to the sting or burn of the alcohol on a freshly lined head. Some make faces, some make noises, some squirm, and many do all of the above. When this takes place everyone in the shop stops and watches, and depending on the reaction there can be a great deal of laughter afterward.
Another ritualistic feature amongst the barbers was the increased focus level of the barbers began to increase during the line-up phase of the haircut, so these two sections of the haircut were my focus during the interview phase. When asked does he feel as though he has performed rituals Barber #7 replied, "Yep. every, haircut is supposed to be the same like (the) person sits down, neck strip, cape, and then you comb their hair, and then from that point on that's one, two, three, and then, d through z. It's the same thing" (Barber #7 04:02). That response aligned with my observation as this process seemed to play out in a methodical fashion. Being that all the barbers had similar answers, I decided to ask barber #1 about his ritual in open and closing the shop, "Yeah. When I begin a day like say we do live here I pretty much walk downstairs. Make sure that that the area is presentable and you know the shop ready when we open up. Well really when I close up I do that. You know you may miss a few things you had to do a sweep through you know just make sure all my equipment is clean and, you know just get everything shop ready" (Barber #1 0:05:56.52). I received a similar answer from barber#3 with a slight twist, "First (thing) I do when I come into the shop, I go upstairs, look at my little work station, and make sure my station (is) cool, check (to make sure) everything is in order. Make sure I'm clean, you know, my comb sanitized, all my tools look good, and then when I'm here I sit in my chair for like five minutes, just chill and sit in my chair" (Barber #3 0:05:07). This five-minute alone time required a follow-up question, and the barber replied by saying, "I mean, it's like, you know, it's like when you(r) playing basketball and tying up your shoes, you know like you (don't) just get to the court and you ready. So, you know, I sit in my chair, you know, I'll just smell the barber in the air, you know the chemicals. I feel my leather make sure my chair good, and I'm getting ready for that first cut" (Barber #3 00:05:24). With an accurate view of the rituals, and one of the barbers mentioning that his routine involved coming downstairs, I decided to move on to front stage and backstage.
The concept of front stage and backstage is typically the most interesting concept to explore because it can be amazing to watch how people turn off a persona or to watch a personal friend in a formal role when you typically only have experience with what you believe is their true self or backstage. The interesting part about this shop is it is also a loft, which is why two of the three barbers actually live on the third floor of the shop, "The upstairs portion or second floor of the shop is a converted kitchen. Two of the three barbers live on the third level of the shop which has two bedrooms above the kitchen level." This makes for a unique situation, as when the barbers are between cuts they are essentially at home. Another form of the front stage backstage concept was the changing of the music by the upstairs barber Kevin, "The first walk-in came in about ten minutes after I arrived. At the time a rap music video by Nipsey Hussle was playing on the television, which is mounted on the far right side wall. When the customer entered noticed it was an elder the barber changed the music to something smoother. The first song that came on was an older song by Erykah Badu." Making the customer feel welcome seems to be at the forefront of the barber's minds as hope to further expand their business. While I have described to instances of backstage, the front stage was the primary face being shown during my observation. An example of frontstage is the constant conversation which seems to build rapport between the customer and barber, "The barber then asked the customer how she heard about the shop. She replied by telling the barber that she works in the area and has seen the shop as she takes a walk on her breaks. She said she has thought about stopping a few times before and felt today was a good day being that she needed a haircut and had some spare time. He thanked her for stopping by." These small interactions spawn into larger conversations which makes the process of
Being that two of the three barbers live at the barbershop, I felt this would be an interesting line of questioning. When barber #7 was asked about leaving the stage he answered, "You can get more relaxed like any barbershop, you have to be professional. So even though you're still, you, you change yourself every minute of the day, and you're a product your environment. You know, if you're a business, you're a business, if you're with a girl, you have a different (personality) your different with your mom, you're different, you know? So at the barber shop, like you have to have that professional presence, but when you get home like that's when you can just relax a little bit" (Barber #7 05:07). Barber #3 seemed to echo those same sentiments, "I mean if anything I might just be a little smidgen more relaxed, but I mean, I'm relaxing (at) the barbershop to, it's just it's a little different when we leave the shop, because at this point and when we in a shop, you got to maintain a certain level of professionalism. So when I leave its like that professionalism goes out the door." (Barber #3 09:19). I was most interested in hearing barber #1's response, as he recently came from another shop, where he did not reside upstairs. When asked about the difference he stated, "I mean I feel like I'm me all the time, (but) you know after a long day it does feel good to just be able to walk down, I mean walk up…One of the benefits of it is like if someone does come in late or you know they need a later appointment. It's not that gruesome, because I don't have far to go out I have to worry about traffic or anything to get back home, is just right upstairs." (00:12:53.210 Barber #1). Within the barbershop, I felt as though this was a family unit, so wanted to close the interviews with the team line of questioning.
The framing was key when viewing the various advertisement as there was a concerted effort to present the shop as both a cool place to be with highly skilled barbers. Above all the haircut is the most important aspect, and that was on full display. Each barber showcased their most successful haircuts, while the artist displayed eye-catching pieces on her page. All three seemed to have the goal of displaying their skill. While other nodes focused on, self or the shop as a hole, framing was about competency in their craft. Each barber was able to display positive reflections of their skill, with the intent of attracting future customers.
Agency is the capacity of individuals to act independently, which was one of the most popular topics spoken about in the interview process. Agency was displayed by the barbers having the ability to both works with their hands, and be free to think outside the box. This was the first shop I have been to which uses toolbox dressers to hold their cutting utensils. This was also the first shop that I have encountered which hired an in house artist, to one decorate the shop, but two attract more foot traffic during art hop events. Under the umbrella of a company uniformity is key, but as can be seen within this shop is, individuality and personality are welcome. Downstairs is black and white to the owners liking, upstairs is an assortment of colors which reflect those barbers, as well as the artist.
For the culture node, I included all shapes and sizes, as the culture within this barbershop is diverse. The majority of the photos was of kids because like a "G" rated movie, all are welcome. In addition to kids, I displayed the backpack drive which was held shortly before the school year, where a free barbecue was given out if a person dropped off a backpack. A few weeks later was the subsequent free back to haircut and backpack give away. Both of these events highlight anyone is welcome and will be greeted with a positive atmosphere, good conversation, and will leave with a quality haircut. I also included two photos of women who successfully received haircuts, along with that of a Latino man, and an older Caucasian man, to highlight the diversity within the shop.
The team atmosphere was exhibited throughout the process as the barbers are essentially independent contractors who work under the same umbrella. One of the first signs of teamwork was observed when the barbers described how came to live in Fresno, "(Kevin) proceeded to tell her that he just moved to Fresno the week before and that she was one of his first customers. She asked him what brought him to Fresno, and Kevin replied by saying his fraternity brother owned a shop and was looking to expand, at the same time he was ready to leave Los Angeles, so it was perfect timing for all. Expanding was a goal of the owner and by collaborating they found a way they can both benefit. Another act of teamwork is the actual walk-in process being that Kevin is located upstairs, "Being a barber that is new to the city Kevin is currently dependent on walk-ins until he builds his clientele. The downstairs barber who is established and has no problem sending the walk-ins upstairs to Kevin." The third act of a team is the overall layout of the shop. The downstairs barber had no problem sacrificing his kitchen to create an upstairs space for the new barbers and also offer a place to live, "The upstairs portion of the shop is a converted kitchen of a loft. Two of the three barbers live on the third level of the shop which has two bedrooms upstairs." In all, it seems the barbers work as excellent teammates and are genuinely seeking the best interest for one another.
When speaking of the team atmosphere I believe barber #3 explained the situation accurately, "I mean, we're a team of independent contractors…If I got a cut coming in and I'm cutting somebody else's hair, the owner is going give them customer service he (is) going to talk to him he'll engage with them" (Barber #3 0:08:44). There was also an obvious team dynamic in the observation as the owner of the shop sends all the walk-in customers to the newest barber. "Yeah, because the idea is like, at the end of the day I started the barbershop, but when you have other barbers now you can get some stress off yourself and you know, make it a true team environment, and I feel like if I've been here for a year and this other person is new, then any new customers should go to him to build his book up." (Barber #7 09:31). Listening to the barbers, there was a sense that not only did they all want to see one another prosper but felt an obligation to uphold a standard, and this was echoed by barber #1, "I feel like it's both because we're (an) independent contractor in the sense that we're not employees, we don't work for a certain person, we don't have a boss, but you know we do have an understanding as you know a standard that we want to hold here at the shop" (Barber #1 08:45.55). The team atmosphere was extremely evident as all three genuinely wanted to elevate both themselves and the shop as a whole.
Their truly a deep level of comradery amongst the barbers and the clients they serve. So for the team node, I featured photos of the barbers together, as well as photos of the artist, hold the barber's business card, as well as her own. The artist's business card features her information as, well as the shop information, as she is located in the shop itself. I also highlighted group pictures from the successful drives, to show that the group has the ability to galvanize not only one another but the community in which they live.
Conclusion
Spending time with the members was a great experience as all three barbers' exuded positivity to me as well as to any other person that takes the time to walk through their doors. The key terms that consistently arose were: professionalism, atmosphere, and independence. All seemed to have a sense of freedom by performing the role of a barber. One of the main things I could have done better was to phrase the questions a bit differently. I noticed a lot of people do not like to admit they are playing a role or changing in some way, so in regards to my role and frontstage backstage questions, I could have phrased in a less overt manner. I also came up short of the 15-minute mark on all three interviews, which forced me to perform the fourth interview in a group form to reach the 45-minute mark. I could have added a few more questions to my list initially with the goal of reaching the allotted time. Overall I enjoyed the experience and enjoyed the energy of the group, which was one of the key terms that continuously arose in the interviews. I would like to close with a quote which was delivered by the owner shop, and also echoed by the other barbers in the group interview, "People should be a barber, if not a barber you should do something (where you) use your hand, I feel like, the only job security, is (a job) that you can create…You go to school and you get these jobs, you work with people, and then you get fired. Where's your job security? Where's your guaranteed check? So I feel like it's very important, to create your own job. Even if you go to school, you get some sort of qualifications that's cool. Now use that to start your own practice in that. No matter what make sure that you are using your ability to create your income, and your life" (Barber #7 14:13).
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