Shame in the Sixth Grade and the Continued Surveillance of Female Body Hair

Julianne Guillard

Julianne Guillard The Pennsylvania State University

Abstract

This essay links past and present examples of the construction of gendered bodies through the presence or absence of body hair. Through autoethnography and feminist visual media analysis, I argue that trends indicate a growing resistance to normative constructions of a body amongst younger audiences. I analyze the case of Balpreet Kaur, whose image was captured and posted on the website Reddit without her consent, and a recently retracted media campaign by the hair removal company Veet. While my analysis looks brightly to the future, due to encouraging collective activism on the topic of body hair and gender, it is noted that the high occurrence of surveillance and subjectification continues to plague visual representations of the female body. Culture-jamming practices by students within classroom spaces serve as tools of resistance to hegemonic media imagery.

Author Biography

Julianne Guillard, The Pennsylvania State University

Julianne Guillard holds in a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction and a Ph.D. Minor in Women's Studies from The Pennsylvania State University. As a faculty member within University of Richmond's Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies program, she uses visual media in all of her courses—from introduction to women's, gender and sexuality studies, to feminist research methods, and special topics curricula—to emphasize the power of imagery both to re-inscribe and to reject norms about identities (gender, sexuality, race, and age). Her research includes feminist pedagogical leadership, queer studies, and childhood studies. Guillard's scholarly publications can be found in Feminist Teacher, Girlhood Studies, and Visual Arts Research, and on the popular blog, Feministing. For correspondence, Julianne can be reached at jguillar@richmond.edu.