Mapping the beauty salon as a diasporic space
- For development
- Summary created: 2025
Investigates how beauty salons operated by first-generation South Asian migrant women in London function as diasporic spaces, fostering ethnic intimacy and community support while also delineating socio-spatial boundaries.
Beauty and hairdressing salons have historically been overlooked in academic research, particularly as spaces of social and cultural significance for women. Recent studies have begun to explore these spaces as sites of cultural identity and emotional intimacy, yet the concept of the beauty salon as a ‘diasporic space’ remains underexplored. Diasporic spaces are richly textured environments imbued with memory and narrative, linking migrants to their imagined homelands. These spaces are shaped by gendered, classed, and racialised identities, as well as citizenship status, and often involve ‘exclusionary sociability’ where social relations are not universally accessible. The study of diasporic spaces challenges traditional public/private space dichotomies, offering new perspectives on migrant sociality and belonging.
The research specifically examines migrant-run beauty salons in London as potential diasporic spaces, focusing on two salons: Noor’s Hair and Beauty, owned by a Pakistani woman, and Anita’s Hair & Beauty, owned by a Nepali woman. These salons, staffed by beauticians from India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, primarily serve first-generation migrant women from South Asia. The study aims to understand how these salons function as spaces of ethnic intimacy and community support, while also exploring the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion based on race, religion, and caste. The research addresses gaps in understanding how everyday spaces like beauty salons contribute to the lives of migrant women, particularly in the context of diasporic identity formation and community building.
Key findings
Beauty salons operated by South Asian migrants in London serve as diasporic spaces that foster ethnic intimacy and community support.
Evidence
The study involved 250 hours of participant observation at Noor's Hair & Beauty and 200 hours at Anita's Hair & Beauty, along with 25 interviews with salon owners, beauty workers, and clients. The salons were found to create a South Asian atmosphere through language, food, and music, providing a sense of familiarity and belonging for clients. The salons also functioned as localised support systems, offering advice on practical matters such as dealing with marital abuse and enrolling children in school.
What it means
These salons act as 'homes away from home,' reminiscent of the homeland, and provide a crucial support network for first-generation migrant women who are geographically separated from their familial and community networks.
The production of diasporic space in beauty salons is characterised by both direct and indirect exclusion along religious and caste lines.
Evidence
Direct exclusion was observed in the form of dominant-caste vegetarian Hindus expressing disgust at meat-eating practices of marginalised-caste Hindus and Muslims. Noor, a Muslim salon owner, refused to hire Muslim women from the persecuted Ahmaddiya sect. Indirect exclusion occurred through the non-representation of certain groups, normalising specific values and ways of being within the salons.
What it means
These exclusionary practices highlight the complex dynamics of belonging and exclusion within diasporic spaces, where socio-spatial boundaries are maintained to guard intimacy.
Racial dynamics influence the degree of intimacy and boundary-making in South Asian beauty salons.
Evidence
The study found that establishing intimacy with racial others, such as black and white clients, was challenging, leading to the creation of ethnically homogeneous spaces. However, situational intimacies were observed between South Asian beauticians and black or white clients when driven by commercial demands.
What it means
This highlights the role of race in shaping the social interactions and boundaries within diasporic spaces, where economic considerations can sometimes override ethnic homogeneity.
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