Final answer:
In 'The Outsiders', Ponyboy believes that a military or prison haircut serves as a method to break young men from their social class, as it strips them of their personal identity and markers of their former social class, and forces them to conform to a new identity.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the book 'The Outsiders', Ponyboy resists cutting and bleaching his hair with peroxide, as he believes that altering their appearances through a military or prison haircut is a way to break young men from their social class. This is because such haircuts strip individuals of their personal identity, markers of their former social class, and force them to conform to a standardized appearance. It serves as a method to resocialize them into a new identity that aligns with the expectations of the military or prison institution.