Introduction: From the Kitchen to the Parlor 1. Negotiating Expert and Novice Identities through Client-stylist Interactions 2. "We Are Like Doctors": Socializing Cosmetologists into the Discourse of Science 3. A License to Touch: Cosmetology as a Divine Calling 4. Gender, Authenticity, and Hair in African American Stand-up Comedy 5. "BTW, How Do You Wear Your Hair?": Gender and Race in Computer-mediated Hair Debates 6. Constructing and Contesting Knowledge in Women's Cross-cultural Hair Testimonies 7. Critical Reflections on Language, Gender, and "Native" Anthropology Appendix: Transcription Conventions