Lookism

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Lookism ( English look "appearance" and -ism , in German-speaking countries also lookism ) describes stereotyping or discrimination on the basis of appearance . The phenomenon is particularly discussed in relation to English-speaking countries such as the USA or Australia.

definition

A definition often cited there is:

“Lookism is the assumption that appearance is an indicator of a person's worth. It refers to the social construction of a norm of beauty or attractiveness and the oppression by stereotypes and generalizations about people who conform to these norms and about those who do not conform to them. "

Examples

The greater success of attractive people on the job market is cited as an example of Lookism. Appearance and appearance have always played an important role in the world of work. The authors of a study in the tourism sector assume that these external features are increasingly being systematically controlled as part of a corporate strategy. This is intended to convey a specific corporate image and offer customers an appealing service experience. The means for this are, for example, the assessment of the appearance and language of the applicants in the hiring process and precise regulations on clothing and posture during work. Research in higher education found that young female academics downplay their looks because they perceive good looks as a career disadvantage, while male academics do not give such considerations.

Studies have shown again and again that the height of men can have an influence on the salary. The effect does not occur in women.

Measures against lookism

In contrast to forms of discrimination such as sexism or racism , this form of discrimination is usually not prohibited by law. An exception is the Australian state of Victoria , where the Equal Opportunity Act 1995, among other things, prohibits discrimination based on appearance; other examples are the US cities of Washington and Santa Cruz . For a legal prohibition of appearance discrimination, the argument was put forward that recruitment decisions should be based on performance and that appearance has nothing to do with performance. It was argued against such a ban that good or bad looks are very subjective. Even discrimination based on gender, skin color or disability is often difficult to prove, discrimination on the basis of appearance is even more difficult to objectify because of the subjectivity inherent in the term beauty. In the US, it is generally unusual for you to attach a picture of yourself to a job application.

See also

literature

  • Lea Schmid, Darla Diamond, Petra Pflaster (eds.): Lookism. Normalized bodies - discriminatory mechanisms - (self-) empowerment . Unrast Verlag, Münster 2017, ISBN 978-3-89771-139-6 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Louis Tietje, Steven Cresap: Is Lookism unjust? The Ethics of Aesthetics an Pulic Policy Implications . (pdf; 91 kB) In: Journal of Libertarian Studies. Volume 19, No. 2/2005, pp. 31-50.
  2. ^ "Lookism is the belief that appearance is an indicator of a person's value. It refers to society's construction of a standard for beauty or attractiveness, and the resulting oppression that occurs through stereotypes and generalizations about those who do and do not meet society's standards. ”
    Quoted from M. Neil Browne, Andrea Giampetro-Meyer: Many Paths To Justice: The Glass Ceiling, the Looking Glass, and Strategies for Getting to the Other Side (pdf; 2.9 MB)
    also with Mathias Hildebrandt: Multiculturalism and political correctness in the USA . Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2005, ISBN 3-531-14876-1 , p. 125.
    also in James J. Magee: Freedom of Expression . Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002, ISBN 0-313-31384-9 , p. 256.
  3. ^ Dennis Nickson, Chris Warhurst: Opening Pandora's Box: Aesthetic Labor and Hospitality. In: Conrad Lashley, Paul Lynch, Alison Morrison (Eds.): Hospitality: A Social Lens . Elsevier 2006, ISBN 0-08-045093-8 , p. 157.
  4. ↑ Jacqueline Granleese, Gemma Sayer: Gendered ageism and “lookism”: a triple jeopardy for female academics. In: Women In Management Review. 2006 doi: 10.1108 / 09649420610683480
  5. ↑ Salary surcharge for tall men: For the first time, a new study shows the correlation between height and earnings in Germany at: diw.de
  6. ^ Dennis Nickson, Chris Warhurst: Opening Pandora's Box: Aesthetic Labor and Hospitality. In: Conrad Lashley, Paul Lynch, Alison Morrison (Eds.): Hospitality: A Social Lens . Elsevier 2006, ISBN 0-08-045093-8 , p. 167.
  7. ^ Victoria Department of Education and Training: Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 1995. What government schools need to know ( Memento of August 25, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) (pdf) 2003.
  8. ↑ a b Radio transcript from KPBS (public broadcaster owned by San Diego State University ): Legal Update: Workplace Discrimination , February 26, 2007.