FM Johanna Latva will publicly defend her doctoral dissertation Hiuksetko naisen kruunu? Suhtautuminen naisten kaljuuteen ja naisten kokemukset hiuksettomuudesta Suomessa (Is the hair a woman’s crown? Attitudes towards women’s baldness and women’s experiences of hairlessness in Finland) at the University of Turku on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 12:00 PM (University of Turku, Arcanum, Aava Lecture Hall, Arcanuminkuja 1, Turku).
The opponent will be Docent Hanna Ojala (University of Tampere) and the custos will be Docent Tytti Suominen (University of Turku). The event will be held in Finnish. The field of the dissertation is ethnology.
It is possible to participate remotely.
The dissertation is available in the university’s publication archive: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-02-0088-6
Abstract in english:
Is the hair a woman’s crown? Attitudes towards women’s baldness and women’s experiences of hairlessness in Finland
This dissertation examines women’s experiences regarding baldness and the prevailing attitudes towards women’s hairlessness in the Finnish society and culture. The study explores women’s personal experiences of baldness and the public discourse around the matter. The research argues that being bald is still regarded as an abnormal and unbecoming of the gender, despite the increased exposure women’s baldness has gained in the 2000s.
The research material consists of responses to the Finnish Literature Society’s questionnaire regarding bald women as well as digitized newspapers from the collections of the National Library of Finland and Sanoma archives. The temporal context of the research is mainly from the 1990s to the 2020s. The research methods include close reading, thematic analysis, content analysis and cultural analysis. Ethnography and cultural analysis form the methodological foundation for the research. By focusing on the theoretical concepts of embodiment, gender and wellbeing the research contributes to the scientific and societal discussions on cultural health research, body normativity and dress studies.
The research considers both women who are bald by choice and those who have lost their hair due to illness such as alopecia areata or the side effects resulting from cancer treatments. The study confirms that women’s baldness has a strong influence on women´s identity and personal agency. Consequently, the research contributes to discussion on bald women’s life management and how they express their gender identity. Baldness can have an effect on one’s self esteem and relationships while also influencing the person´s clothing styles. It is also a source of various kinds of feelings ranging from shame and sorrow to pride and joy.
The dissertation demonstrates the crucial role of gender in how baldness is experienced and how it influences both the way bald people are encountered and the general attitudes towards baldness. The research also highlights the fact that the reasons behind one’s baldness have no significant influence on the attitudes towards the bald. However, baldness has received more exposure and acceptance over the last few years due to women’s own actions.
The anthology Monikerroksinen maaseutu Arki, muistot ja mielikuvat is edited by Ville Pöysä, Helena Ristaniemi, Lauri Julkunen & Kaisa Vehkalahti.