Investigating Our Cultural Norms 1 Investigating Our Cultural Norms Full Sail University Investigating Our Cultural Norms 2 Instead of discussing several topics, I decided to focus on one personal experience that I see as a bricolage stemming from several different cultures and a variety of perceived origins. Several months ago I decided to adopt the mohawk hairstyle after remembering a picture of my grandfather with one when he was in WWII. Although it isn’t as popular a hairstyle anymore, I felt like it fit within cultural norms and I really couldn’t see any downside to cutting my hair like that, other then the occasional odd look (after all it is just hair). It was well received at home because of the positive connection it established with my grandfather and it was highly praised at work, which I think this is due to the culture Apple has established in being supportive of being different. Having the mohawk has made me feel more accepted within Apple, so I would say that I have experienced collective effervescence and thus has helped establish my collective identity. In fact, my hair has almost become a collective representation within our store: it’s talked about during meetings, I’ve been asked to pose for photographs to illustrate how Apple praises diversity, and has even been praised by corporate as a unifying symbol for the culture of the store. Working at the Apple Store exposes me to several different cultures in a given day, some of which have a different perception on what my haircut means. The most common one and the mariebelland Underline mariebelland Underline mariebelland Underline mariebelland Underline mariebelland Underline mariebelland Underline Investigating Our Cultural Norms 3 one that I would identify as my cultural norm is the view that most people from the United States or Europe take when associating the mohawk with the fashion style common in the punk rock subculture during the 70s and 80s (Burhan, 2010). However, I didn’t expect people who come from places like India, China, or Japan to think that I am Native American; often they make Indian like gestures at me, like cupping their hand over their mouth to simulate an Indian war cry (Native Circle, 2012). Probably the worst reaction I got came from the local Jewish community who assumed that I was a skinhead and were reluctant to approach me or even rude to me; as I later found out there was a large group of skinheads that terrorized the local Jews a few years ago and they are still nervous about it (The Anti-Defamation League, 2004). The true origins of the mohawk are unknown, but it’s been found in several different cultures around the world. A 2000-year-old Clonycavan Man was found near Dublin with a mohawk and artwork of Scythian warriors depict mohawks as a hairstyle in 600 BC (Aremy, 2011). In the sixteenth century Uk.

1. Investigating Our Cultural Norms 1
Investigating Our Cultural Norms
Full Sail University
Investigating Our Cultural Norms 2
Instead of discussing several topics, I decided to focus on one
personal experience that I
see as a bricolage stemming from several different cultures and
a variety of perceived origins.
Several months ago I decided to adopt the mohawk hairstyle
after remembering a picture of my
grandfather with one when he was in WWII. Although
it isn’t as popular a hairstyle anymore, I felt like it fit
within cultural norms and I really couldn’t see any
downside to cutting my hair like that, other then the
occasional odd look (after all it is just hair). It was well
received at home because of the positive connection it
established with my grandfather and it was highly

2. praised at work, which I think this is due to the culture
Apple has established in being supportive of being
different. Having the mohawk has made me feel more accepted
within Apple, so I would say that
I have experienced collective effervescence and thus has helped
establish my collective identity.
In fact, my hair has almost become a collective representation
within our store: it’s talked about during meetings, I’ve been
asked to pose for photographs to illustrate how Apple praises
diversity, and has even been praised by corporate as a unifying
symbol for the culture of the store.
Working at the Apple Store exposes me to several different
cultures in a given day, some
of which have a different perception on what my haircut means.
The most common one and the
mariebelland
Underline
mariebelland
Underline
mariebelland
Underline

3. mariebelland
Underline
mariebelland
Underline
mariebelland
Underline
Investigating Our Cultural Norms 3
one that I would identify as my cultural norm is the view that
most people from the United States
or Europe take when associating the mohawk with the
fashion style common in the punk rock subculture during
the 70s and 80s (Burhan, 2010). However, I didn’t expect
people who come from places like India, China, or Japan to
think that I am Native American; often they make Indian
like gestures at me, like cupping their hand over their mouth
to simulate an Indian war cry (Native Circle, 2012).
Probably the worst reaction I got came from the
local Jewish community who assumed that I was a
skinhead and were reluctant to approach me or even

4. rude to me; as I later found out there was a large
group of skinheads that terrorized the local Jews a
few years ago and they are still nervous about it (The
Anti-Defamation League, 2004).
The true origins of the mohawk are unknown, but it’s
been found in several different cultures around the world. A
2000-year-old Clonycavan Man was found near Dublin with
a mohawk and artwork of Scythian warriors depict mohawks
as a hairstyle in 600 BC (Aremy, 2011). In the sixteenth
century Ukrainian Cossacks wore a similar hairstyle
Investigating Our Cultural Norms 4
called a khokhol when going to war (Wikipedia, 2012). The
name
came from Iroquois tribe called the Mohawks, who saw their
hair as a
connection to the Creator and cut it into a narrow strip when
going to
war; there are even some legends of Daniel Boon having his
haircut

5. like the Mohawk Indians (Burhan, 2010). However, the
association
between the hairstyle and the mohawks come from the 1939
movie
called Drums Along the Mohawk (Kimenyi, 2012). The first
true documentation of a mohawk
came during WW2 when paratroopers
would cut their hair in a mohawk and
use warpaint on their faces;
paratroopers weren’t expected to live
long and they took great pride in being
warriors (Burhan, 2010).
I’ve already pointed out how a simple thing like a haircut can
be viewed as a collective
representation and how that can inspire collective effervescence
and collective identity. We can
also see some examples of cultural determinism from my
experience with the local Jewish
community and their reaction to my hairstyle; their
environmental experience with skinheads
altered their behavior to be wary of those with mohawks. There
is also an example of cultural

6. construction when people place their hand over their mouth to
simulate Indian battle chants; this
act is something that was created by Hollywood for movies, but
has been accepted as a part of
Indian culture based on misinformation. In conclusion, I was
very surprised to see how many
mariebelland
Underline
mariebelland
Underline
Investigating Our Cultural Norms 5
different perceptions and reactions people could display from
such a simple thing as a mohawk.
While it didn’t seem like such a big deal to me, others could see
it in a positive or negative way.
Investigating Our Cultural Norms 6
References:
Aremy. (2011, August 13). The history of mohawk hairstyle.
Retrieved from http://
todayontoday.com/2011/08/the-history-of-mohawk-hairstyle-
336

7. Burhan, A. (2010, February 19). History of mohawk hair styles.
Retrieved from http://
ezinearticles.com/?History-of-Mohawk-Hair-
Styles&id=3794947
Native Circle. (2012, January 01). Some everyday myths about
Indians. Retrieved from http://
www.nativecircle.com/mlmEverydaymyths.html
The Anti-Defamation League. (2004, April 02). Connecticut
White Wolves. Retrieved from http://
www.adl.org/learn/news/white_wolves.asp
Exposing the Occult. (2012, January 20). The origins of the
mohawk hairstyle. Retrieved from
http://www.exposeoccult.com/index.php?
Just, P., & Monaghan, J. (2000). Social & cultural
anthropology: A very short introduction. New
York: Oxford University Press Inc.
Kimenyi, B. (2012, February 23). The mohawk is today’s ruling
hairstyle. Retrieved from http://
www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=&a=9300&week=8
Wikipedia. (2012, May 26). Mohawk hairstyle. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Mohawk_hairstyle

8. http://todayontoday.com/2011/08/the-history-of-mohawk-
hairstyle-336
http://todayontoday.com/2011/08/the-history-of-mohawk-
hairstyle-336
http://todayontoday.com/2011/08/the-history-of-mohawk-
hairstyle-336
http://todayontoday.com/2011/08/the-history-of-mohawk-
hairstyle-336
http://ezinearticles.com/?History-of-Mohawk-Hair-
Styles&id=3794947
http://ezinearticles.com/?History-of-Mohawk-Hair-
Styles&id=3794947
http://ezinearticles.com/?History-of-Mohawk-Hair-
Styles&id=3794947
http://ezinearticles.com/?History-of-Mohawk-Hair-
Styles&id=3794947
http://www.nativecircle.com/mlmEverydaymyths.html
http://www.nativecircle.com/mlmEverydaymyths.html
http://www.nativecircle.com/mlmEverydaymyths.html
http://www.nativecircle.com/mlmEverydaymyths.html
http://www.adl.org/learn/news/white_wolves.asp
http://www.adl.org/learn/news/white_wolves.asp
http://www.adl.org/learn/news/white_wolves.asp
http://www.adl.org/learn/news/white_wolves.asp
http://www.exposeoccult.com/index.php?
http://www.exposeoccult.com/index.php?
http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=&a=9300&week=
8
http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=&a=9300&week=
8
http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=&a=9300&week=
8
http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=&a=9300&week=
8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohawk_hairstyle

9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohawk_hairstyle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohawk_hairstyle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohawk_hairstyle