Public engagement and climate change: exploring the role of hairdressers as everyday influencers
Public engagement and climate change: exploring the role of hairdressers as everyday influencers
Public engagement has a key role in the social transformations needed to address climate change, one form of which is climate conversations. This research focuses on a widespread and conversational space - hair salons. It engaged with sustainable salons across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland to explore these conversations in two studies. Thirty salon owners/directors were interviewed about hairdressers’ engagement with clients about climate change and sustainability (GoZero), and an intervention was conducted with 25 salons using eco-tips on mirrors to prompt sustainable hair care conversations (Mirror Talkers). The results show that hairdressers already have a strong understanding of public engagement, are able to ‘read’ clients and maintain trusting relationships. Climate and sustainability conversations are happening in sustainable salons and impacting clients’ mindset and behaviour, with the intervention viewed positively. This paper argues that hairdressers are a prime example of ‘everyday influencers’ on climate change, but their potential has not been fully realised.
climate, climate communication, conversations, hair salons, hairdresser, influence, public engagement, sustainability
Latter, Briony
7ffefc11-0790-452d-aa8d-bc012184a07b
Hampton, Sam
3acf1559-1e5f-47df-87bd-6b2864f5c751
Baden, Denise
daad83b9-c537-4d3c-bab6-548b841f23b5
Hodgson, Stephanie
8b03a207-71c2-4fc6-95e6-5051bd351ddf
April 2026
Latter, Briony
7ffefc11-0790-452d-aa8d-bc012184a07b
Hampton, Sam
3acf1559-1e5f-47df-87bd-6b2864f5c751
Baden, Denise
daad83b9-c537-4d3c-bab6-548b841f23b5
Hodgson, Stephanie
8b03a207-71c2-4fc6-95e6-5051bd351ddf
Latter, Briony, Hampton, Sam, Baden, Denise and Hodgson, Stephanie
(2026)
Public engagement and climate change: exploring the role of hairdressers as everyday influencers.
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 13 (1), [415].
(doi:10.1057/s41599-026-06781-4).
Abstract
Public engagement has a key role in the social transformations needed to address climate change, one form of which is climate conversations. This research focuses on a widespread and conversational space - hair salons. It engaged with sustainable salons across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland to explore these conversations in two studies. Thirty salon owners/directors were interviewed about hairdressers’ engagement with clients about climate change and sustainability (GoZero), and an intervention was conducted with 25 salons using eco-tips on mirrors to prompt sustainable hair care conversations (Mirror Talkers). The results show that hairdressers already have a strong understanding of public engagement, are able to ‘read’ clients and maintain trusting relationships. Climate and sustainability conversations are happening in sustainable salons and impacting clients’ mindset and behaviour, with the intervention viewed positively. This paper argues that hairdressers are a prime example of ‘everyday influencers’ on climate change, but their potential has not been fully realised.
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Accepted/In Press date: 13 February 2026
e-pub ahead of print date: 26 February 2026
Published date: April 2026
Keywords:
climate, climate communication, conversations, hair salons, hairdresser, influence, public engagement, sustainability
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 511242
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/511242
ISSN: 2662-9992
PURE UUID: 1e8d2006-80b8-409d-a04e-193b3e43dc6f
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Date deposited: 08 May 2026 17:01
Last modified: 09 May 2026 01:38
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Contributors
Author:
Briony Latter
Author:
Sam Hampton
Author:
Stephanie Hodgson
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