Low-cost services offer the poor a vital lifeline

After I decided to write a story about street barbers, I asked my husband to have a roadside cut so I could interview one of them.

As a 31-year-old, my husband was reluctant because he was doubtful of the barber's skills and hated the idea of being seen having his hair cut outdoors.

Younger people's desire for fashionable hairstyles has boosted the development of chain hair salons in recent years, which has squeezed out mom-and-pop barbershops and left few alternatives for customers who just want a cheap haircut.

Hairdressers and barbers who are unable to afford premises have turned to working outdoors, but they often face warnings from street management officers or are asked to vacate their spots.

Now, in many cities, especially large metropolises, people need to undertake a dogged search to find cheap barber services.

China's rapid economic growth has seen consumer tastes change and become more exclusive. Young people who make good money tend to follow fashion trends. Branded clothing and goods, luxury cars and sophisticated foodstuffs now indicate a person's social status and taste. Without a doubt, one's choice of hairdresser expresses the same thing.

When I asked my husband how he felt when he sat at the roadside for a haircut, he said he would have been embarrassed if he had been seen by any colleagues or even his boss. He reckoned that if subordinates spotted their boss having a haircut in the open air, he or she could well lose authority and status.

When the barber had finished, my husband said he couldn't tell any real difference from a cut in a hair salon. Crucially, though, he had only spent 15 yuan ($2.30), compared with between 100 to 1,000 yuan in a salon.

Nowadays, consumerism tends to thrust everyone onto a bandwagon, including many people who don't want to be there.

Some customers don't want fancy services, just functional ones.

Street barbers offer them the opportunity because they never talk too much or tout membership cards. Moreover, there is no need to wait for hours, and a cut only takes about five minutes.

For low-salary groups and migrant workers, street barbers offer an informal place to enjoy a quick haircut. Their presence can also remind seniors of the old "convenient" lifestyle, especially as they can pay with cash rather than by mobile phone. Such barbers also offer young people a cheap alternative that helps them save money for the future.

As society develops, everything seems to need to be remade, while out-of-date things seem ripe for elimination. That only widens the gap between rich and poor, old and young, and ignores those developing at a slower pace.

Greater tolerance

Some experts say regulators should show greater tolerance of such businesses and take the needs of minority groups into consideration.

Wen Jun, professor of social sciences at East China Normal University in Shanghai, researches the living conditions of people on the bottom rungs of society, such as migrant workers.

He urged the government to help prevent the disappearance of low-end barber shops. To ensure convenience, local governments should set up handy service centers in residential communities where tradespeople such as barbers, tailors and cobblers can conduct their business.

"In this fast-developing consumer era, people tend to follow new trends, especially in hairstyles, and prices rise. Given that, low-cost services should be protected," he said.

"The existence of street barbers proves that they are needed, but they are being ignored by society. Policies should be based on human needs rather than just the profit motive."