Women with shaved heads: western Buddhist nuns and Haredi Jewish wives: polysemy, universalism and misinterpretations of hair symbolism in pluralistic societies
This article focuses on female hair, or rather the absence of hair: it compares the symbols attached to shaved heads for Western Buddhist nuns and for Jewish married women from various Haredi or ‘ultra-orthodox’ groups, and the (mainly negative) representations of these in the external, secular soci...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Donner Institute
2011-01-01
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| Series: | Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis |
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| Online Access: | https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67392 |
| _version_ | 1819154177138360320 |
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| author | Mira Niculescu |
| author_facet | Mira Niculescu |
| author_sort | Mira Niculescu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article focuses on female hair, or rather the absence of hair: it compares the symbols attached to shaved heads for Western Buddhist nuns and for Jewish married women from various Haredi or ‘ultra-orthodox’ groups, and the (mainly negative) representations of these in the external, secular society.The comparison is based on fieldwork research undertaken by the author. When interviewing Western nuns of Jewish origin, it appeared that their shaved heads had been very difficult to cope with for their families, to whom it was a reminder of the Holocaust. The same body treatment can thus represent, on one side, bliss (for the Buddhist nun for whom it is a symbol of libertation and spiritual engagement), and on the other side, horror (for her family and sometimes, out of a Buddhist context, society). Also, the same body treatment can be used to express celibacy for the Buddhist nun, or marriage for the Haredi, or ultra-orthodox woman. Therefore the meaning of head shaving seems to be fluctuating and contextual: it can mean either religious commitment, or punishment, or disease. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T15:16:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5fb51e30598143abac94a62b05d791ec |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0582-3226 2343-4937 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T15:16:56Z |
| publishDate | 2011-01-01 |
| publisher | Donner Institute |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis |
| spelling | doaj.art-5fb51e30598143abac94a62b05d791ec2022-12-21T18:21:44ZengDonner InstituteScripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis0582-32262343-49372011-01-012310.30674/scripta.67392Women with shaved heads: western Buddhist nuns and Haredi Jewish wives: polysemy, universalism and misinterpretations of hair symbolism in pluralistic societiesMira Niculescu0École de Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, ParisThis article focuses on female hair, or rather the absence of hair: it compares the symbols attached to shaved heads for Western Buddhist nuns and for Jewish married women from various Haredi or ‘ultra-orthodox’ groups, and the (mainly negative) representations of these in the external, secular society.The comparison is based on fieldwork research undertaken by the author. When interviewing Western nuns of Jewish origin, it appeared that their shaved heads had been very difficult to cope with for their families, to whom it was a reminder of the Holocaust. The same body treatment can thus represent, on one side, bliss (for the Buddhist nun for whom it is a symbol of libertation and spiritual engagement), and on the other side, horror (for her family and sometimes, out of a Buddhist context, society). Also, the same body treatment can be used to express celibacy for the Buddhist nun, or marriage for the Haredi, or ultra-orthodox woman. Therefore the meaning of head shaving seems to be fluctuating and contextual: it can mean either religious commitment, or punishment, or disease.https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67392JudaismBuddhismNunsInterviewingGenderWomen |
| spellingShingle | Mira Niculescu Women with shaved heads: western Buddhist nuns and Haredi Jewish wives: polysemy, universalism and misinterpretations of hair symbolism in pluralistic societies Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis Judaism Buddhism Nuns Interviewing Gender Women |
| title | Women with shaved heads: western Buddhist nuns and Haredi Jewish wives: polysemy, universalism and misinterpretations of hair symbolism in pluralistic societies |
| title_full | Women with shaved heads: western Buddhist nuns and Haredi Jewish wives: polysemy, universalism and misinterpretations of hair symbolism in pluralistic societies |
| title_fullStr | Women with shaved heads: western Buddhist nuns and Haredi Jewish wives: polysemy, universalism and misinterpretations of hair symbolism in pluralistic societies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Women with shaved heads: western Buddhist nuns and Haredi Jewish wives: polysemy, universalism and misinterpretations of hair symbolism in pluralistic societies |
| title_short | Women with shaved heads: western Buddhist nuns and Haredi Jewish wives: polysemy, universalism and misinterpretations of hair symbolism in pluralistic societies |
| title_sort | women with shaved heads western buddhist nuns and haredi jewish wives polysemy universalism and misinterpretations of hair symbolism in pluralistic societies |
| topic | Judaism Buddhism Nuns Interviewing Gender Women |
| url | https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67392 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT miraniculescu womenwithshavedheadswesternbuddhistnunsandharedijewishwivespolysemyuniversalismandmisinterpretationsofhairsymbolisminpluralisticsocieties |