Research Paragraph for Beard [Rough]

Growing a beard has meant many different things over the ages, from showing religious respect for the gods to protest the beard is a symbol of all walks of life and all philosophical ideals. Those who study beards and their history are called pogonologists from “pogon” the Greek word for beard. In modern day Christianity as with numerous other religions almost all of the holy figures are adorned with beards and in fact eight of the figures in Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper are sporting full-grown beards. The beard symbolized a strong relationship with god and subsequently a strong religiosity. In the Muslim faith large unkempt beards are commonplace and show others that one has a determined relationship with Allah. The beard over different times and cultures has also been seen as a sign of virility, dignity and wisdom; Spartan warriors would even punish cowards by shaving off parts of their beards as a form of humiliation.

            In modern day society all of these beliefs about the beard still stand true but there are also several new ones that western culture has adopted into everyday life. From the 1920’s through the 60’s beards in America were considered fairly taboo and instead gained popularity as symbols of the counterculture and homeless life. Beards took a sharp increase in popularity in the 1980’s when businessmen and beatniks would share facial hair all the same. Today the beard has stabilized in popularity and represents all walks of life. Ultimately it is clear that the beard is here to stay, from religious devotion to celebrity stardom to the homeless the beard is a symbol of the diversity of male life and doesn’t appear to be getting shaved off any time soon. 

Bibliography

1. Greg, Brian. "Growing a Beard: The History and Philosophies Behind the Current Trend." Associated Content from Yahoo! - Associatedcontent.com. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/527083/growing_a_beard_the_history_and_philosophies.html?cat=69>.

2. Daoud, Abu. "The Beard Divide." Islam and Christianity. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://islamdom.blogspot.com/2007/08/beard-divide.html>.

3. "Beard." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beard>.

4. "Beard: Encyclopedia II - Beard - History." Enlightenment - The Experience Festival. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Beard_-_History/id/1286219>.