Discrimination based on physical appearance is legally actionable just like any other form of discrimination because it undermines an individual’s right to self-expression and self-determination. Often the victim has no control over attributes that are discriminated against and should not be pressurized to change them in order to confirm to societal norms. This holds true even in cases where employers hire or reject applicants based on their physical attributes. This essay argues that this kind of discrimination by employers harms its victims who are then entitled to reparation through legal actions.
Its against the law for the employer to discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race, color, nationality or physical disability, as these are ‘protected classes’ that aren’t personal choices and don’t apply equally to everyone. Appearance on the other hand, is not considered a ‘protected class’ under the law because a person can have control over it. However, this is not always the case.
Appearance can be broken down into physical features that the applicants have minimal control over, like height, skin color, facial features and texture of hair, and those that they can control like grooming. It is mainly the attributes that one can’t fully control that makes this discrimination unjust.
Deborah Rhodes argues in her book, “The
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For example, those with kinky hair spend more resources to get cornrows or other services that make their hair look tidier than those with straight hair. There are also different grooming requirements for different genders based on unequal standards, female employees are also more susceptible to sexualized standards in some cases. These cases of discrimination are unequally distributed in society and put the unattractive or the disadvantaged at a comparative downside than the attractive, even though it wasn’t their
Currently television networks and stations require a set appearance and weight standards for news reporters, newscasters, weather forecaster. Our society looks at the news and weather to see not only the news and weather but the persons. They believe that physical attractiveness and pleasing body image have long been known to have marketplace advantages. Therefore many organizations set appearance standards for their employees, because they think that will project a particular image and as well as a favorable working environment. (Harvey & Allard , 2012, p. 231)
In today’s job market, there are many reasons an individual could be turned down for employment. According to Deborah Rhodes, author of “Why looks are the last bastion of discrimination”, appearance should not be one of them. Rhodes is a law professor at Stanford and holder of numerous titles for her outstanding work in legal matters. She is also the author and co-author of over 250 articles (Directory). In this article, she addresses an issue with profound impact on today’s society. She proposes that appearance discrimination should be included in anti-discrimination laws in addition to what is already accepted and legalized in today’s workplace. While it is a seemingly “silly” concern, it is actually quite valid. There has been many a concern over discrimination. That is, discrimination based on race, color, gender, and others of a similar nature in the work environment.
As stated, Benokraitis and Feagin examine multiple forms of sexual discrimination. These different types included, blatant sex discrimination, subtle, and covert. Within each realm, the authors reviewed the steps of each discrimination and gave real life examples for each. Along with blatant,
All human beings are conscious of their appearance. Society conditions the individual to meet distinct appearance criteria and sets forth an image that is deemed “attractive”. This struggle to fit norms, known as lookism, is discriminatory in its nature. Defined in 2000 by the oxford dictionary as “’prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of appearance’”, this new “ism” has risen to the surface in recent years (Ambrosetti 52), showing the prominence of its affects. Human beings construct circumstances that rule their realities. Gender, ethnicity and culture are all cultural constructions that have no true meaning once removed from society. That being said, lookism is biases of identification that influence one’s
I personally do agree with the reasoning because I believe that everyone should equal rights. Race, size, and weight should not discriminators to someone who is seeking employment in a certain field. As long as a man or a woman meet the minimum qualifications and
Much like Dr. Seuss’s Star-bellied Sneeches, people are all the same at their core despite appearances. Fictional characters and humans alike still face discrimination because of biological differences. Women in particular face prejudices globally. Issues such as wage discrimination, arranged marriages, and poor sexual health awareness effect over the half the world’s population. In order for total equality to exist, these problems must be addressed and conquered.
Discrimination, positive or negative, is an action toward people based solely on their group membership. People can discriminate against a person based on the person’s gender, race, nationality or look. Someone might not hire a Hispanic person, because of his nationality even if he is qualified, which is negative discrimination. However, when someone receives preferential treatment, for example, someone hires an Asian, believing that they are better at math than others, could be positive discrimination. In the case of Debra Lafave, she received a lighter sentence, no jail time, only probation and house arrest, because of her looks. Her lawyer believed that because she was blond and pretty, she would be in danger if sent to a women’s penitentiary. This is positive discrimination, receiving a lighter sentence due to her looks, while other women, who commit similar crimes but are not as pretty, do not receive such special
Discrimination in the workplace occurs when an employee experiences harsh or unfair treatment due to their race, religion, national origin, disabled or veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Discrimination is one of the biggest problems people face in the workplace and it must be dealt with forcefully.
Not putting legislation on discrimination based on appearance leads to bad societal affects that reinforce harmful, unrealistic beauty standards that is harmful to an individual financially. Take for example African American women, they have a financial burden placed upon them for their hair; in order to meet societies Caucasian standards of beauty, they must spend twice as much on beauty supplies and such to meet them. Afro’s, dreadlocks, cornrows are deemed unprofessional, which results in discrimination against the African American race. Women also suffer financially when they try to meet society’s beauty standards, i.e. dieting, wearing heels, buying makeup, and the amount of time it takes them to get ready compared to a man. As Honore mentions, under tort laws, individuals should have the right to seek compensation when they have been harmed and their rights have been infringed—when discriminated upon the basis of appearance. The tort system seeks to reduce conduct that is seen as detrimental, tort law and criminal law distinguish from other laws by controlling our behavior. Outcome responsibility coined by Honore, is justified on the basis of corrective justice—victims
In sports, education, and careers, there have always been moments where a woman who takes part in these is discriminated solely for their gender. What makes a male physician discriminate a female peer in the first place? If they were able to work to the same level as a male physician then that should be enough. Nevertheless, that is not the case in a career that dominated by men; to men, they judge women based on their appearances and their personalities rather than focusing on the knowledge and proficiencies that they can contribute to the workplace. Regarding appearance, many people will judge others based on their physical appearance. This, in turn, influences the way other peers or subordinates will respond or act when around the individuals being judged. For instance, when a female physician begins her residency or career, the men who work there will not concentrate on the skills that got her to this stage of medical education but only on what is seen on the outside. According to Michael Kimmel’s article Fired for Being Beautiful, “discrimination based on beauty is rooted in the same sexist principle as discrimination against the ugly.
Job discrimination has been a poison polluting the atmosphere of the workforce for a countless number of decades. Unfortunately, it is a poison that still lingers in today’s modern workforce. To combat this threat, and to aid those individuals affected, several Federal laws have been implemented to prohibit job discrimination. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, as an example, is a Federal legislation that outlawed unequal opportunities and rights in the workplace. The purpose of this legislation is to prohibit employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin ("Federal laws prohibiting," 2009). However, is it a justified action for a business to hire staff based solely on the fact that they are Christian? After all, Federal law prohibits employment discrimination based not only on color, race, sex, or national origin, but also based on religion. How should an employer respond that is proposing for their hiring policy to target dedicated Christians only?
The author chose a cruel quote from the CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch to show people that discrimination is still vastly alive in the workforce. The point of communication is that people like Mike Jeffries are still out there discriminating against anyone who is not “good looking” in his eyes. It relates to “”Going for the Look” because Mike Jeffries personal beliefs about marking are shared in the article. The author uses a quote that a business man said to communicate how there really is discrimination of obese people in the workforce. It's effective because it's a fact that was actually said by a CEO of a major
Frankly, when people hear or think of the word "discrimination"; they some times automatically assume it is a Black and White race issue. Contrary to the belief, discrimination is an unjust, unfair or unreasonable favoring of characteristics, such as race, sex, age, gender, caste or disability over another. The signs of discrimination can be subtle or bold, a statement or ruin gesture. Moreover, it can be an indirect or directed act towards women or men; as well as the young and the elderly.
...th their appearance but when it comes to having and keeping the job, it is the employers basis on who and how you are as a person. A person’s physical appearance reflects oneself, how he or she carries himself or herself. It shows how confident the person is. With professional appearance, it could higher your chances of getting hired, keeping your job, good customer service, and most importantly a positive outlook on yourself.
Many brands do what they can in order to attract customers. An example to this would be like the clothing stores Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister, which only hire people who they consider attractive to represent their store. It is a requirement to maintain this rule in order to increase the number of customers coming in and the number of sales that are being done. People are being discriminated against not being “good looking” enough to be hired, which is morally wrong.