Christy Hacker Mis. rose History 10B 2nd hour 11 January 2017 The Dress code is unfair Famous philosopher thomas jefferson said “all men are created equal and have the right to “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Yes a dress code is necessary to introduce children into the workforce but it should not be so forcefully enforced and sexist. So conclusion the dress code is unfair and is preventing from there right to live life. Over the years, schools have used student dress codes to address a wide range of issues, some of which have been quite controversial. In recent years a desire to stop conflict over designer labels and create a more professional school environment resulted in dress codes and uniforms becoming more and more popular. Student dress codes recently made headlines because several groups of students began to question and protest school dress codes because they thought the policies were unfair. The dress codes unfairly target girls and transgender students. they send a message to girls that if they are harassed by boys, it is their fault. Also they feel judged and shamed by the dress codes. One example is at Haven Middle School in Evanston when …show more content…
over half of public schools have a dress code, which frequently outline gender-specific policies. “I’ve never seen a boy called out for his attire even though they also break the rules,” says Sunseri, who last summer produced Shame A Documentary on School Dress Code, which is a film featuring interviews with dozens of her classmates and her school principal, that explores the negative impact biased rules can have on girls’ confidence and sense of self worth. For students who attend schools with particularly harsh rules like that at Woodford, one of the key concerns is the implication that women should be hyper cognizant about their physical identity and how the world responds to it. “The dress code makes girls feel self-conscious, ashamed, and uncomfortable in their own
Dress codes can be deceiving as Laura Bates claims her view on school dress codes, “ While the principle of asking students to attend school smartly dressed sounds reasonable, the problem comes when wider sexist attitudes towards women and their bodies are projected on to young women by schools in their attempt to define what constitutes smartness”(Bates, 2015) Within this she is supporting school dress codes, but only to an extent. As soon as the dress code is later seen as sexualizing woman, and what they define as ‘intellectual looking’ she adds certain standards to her claim of supporting dress codes. Now laura bates seems to receive the short end, but other parents seem enlightened when it comes to school uniforms and dress codes. “With uniforms parents and students feel that students are seen for who they are and not by what they do or don’t wear”(McEntire, n.d.). Those who find dress codes beneficial, see the satisfactory within a school uniform, by how the true characteristics of students are seen through actions rather than appearance. Some teachers, and school faculty also see the positive side to school
In Zhou, Li’s article “The Sexism of School Dress Codes,” she explains how the dress codes are diminishing children's self-esteem and, is mostly sexist towards girls as well as the LGBT community. To reach a wide audience including students, parents, and high school administrators, she relies on a wide variety of sources from high school students to highly credited professors. Zhou creates a strong argument against strict dress codes and encourages audience to take a stand against out of date dress codes that schools implement, using the rhetorical tools ethos, pathos, and logos to advance her argument.
Varying Issues Corresponding to the School Dress Code Numerous cases have been presented and highlighted in the media based off of accounts from angered parents and students protesting the school dress code. Multiple reports are taken from females who experience the shorter end of the stick due to increased fashion interests and sexist mindsets of their school staff. Shame suits are humiliating outfits that those who break the rules must wear as a form of punishment, most of the time these consist of extremely unflattering clothes that have written phrases on them indicating that their appearance is due to their violation of the school rules. Punishments indicated a risk to the violators education caused by missed classes. Few in society do approve of the dress code as it controls female students’ modesty, banishes distraction, and preserves the professional atmosphere inside a school.
Schools have put a new meaning on sexism and double standards. An example of this is having double standards and sexism towards the dress code. Students who have families well known or the student is well liked by the teachers, do not receive the same punishment for breaking the dress code as an ordinary student. This demonstrates that schools are not fair in setting rules for dress codes. Particular students are allowed to wear certain clothing, whereas other students are punished for wearing similar clothing. Schools have double standards as to what is appropriate and what appears to be revealing and how the following student should be punished. Maggie Sunseri produced a video that led to a change in her school's dress code exemplifying why
Web. 18 Feb. 2016. In this article, Bates argues that today’s school dress codes are sexist and leave a lasting impression on young girls. Bates explains that there are several cases where girls are being punished for their adolescent bodies being distractions to boys. Also, it can teach a young girl that her body is dangerous and that a young boy automatically has the right to sexually diminish and harass adolescent girls in schools.
Dress codes regulate what can be worn in certain places, such as schools and facilities. These codes are controversial where ever they are enforced. People tend to think that the government does not have the power to tell them they cannot wear certain articles of clothing and the fact that some schools do it can throw people into a fit. Some people believe that dress codes stifle personal expression, that a dress code is the same thing as a uniform. Many people do not remember that individualism goes beyond clothes, and that a dress code will help kids to be more than the clothes they have or do not have. Dress codes allow students to set themselves apart from others by their actions not their appearance.
First of all, if students want to attend class in the clothes that make them feel comfortable, then they should be able to do so. In the 2015 article on The Atlantic on The Sexism of School Dress Codes, stating that "Many of these protests have criticized the dress codes as sexist in that they unfairly target girls by body-shaming and blaming them for promoting sexual harassment. Documented cases show female students being chastised by school officials, sent home, or barred from attending events like prom. "
Us girls feel personally attacked by the dress code policies simply because even if so much as a centimeter of skin from under our jeans, or a portion of my bra strap is showing we get sent to the office and we are given the lecture of needing to keep a better image of ourselves, and being more conservative about our bodies. Well from coming from a girl's perspective, we feel like we have to bow down to the boys just because they think inappropriate thoughts if any part of a girls skin is showing. Well, we have society and adults to thank for this simply because when boys are caught doing something they aren't supposed to do or watch something they are not supposed to be watching, adults simply say, “Oh boys will be boys.”. Now adults have conditioned boys to think that thinking these thoughts is a way of life and that it is okay to think them just because they are boys. God made us girls the way we are for a reason, why are we letting guys discriminate us women in such a way that we basically have to dress like a boy in order to keep them from thinking these sinful
In elementary school there was a dress code, but it was not enforced, not even by the principal. One day after recess, a student was walking up the stairs wearing sandals and she stubbed her toe. When she hit the step, her toenail broke off and started to bleed. Catching a peek at her toe, it seemed as if it could be broken as well. Due to the blood and the possibility of a broken toe, she had to be sent to the nurse’s office right away. As the rest of the class went back to the classroom, the other students could not stop thinking about the accident, and how any one of them could have a broken and bleeding toe right now. In addition, all of the students knew that the situation was avoidable, although they were too late to help the girl with the broken toenail in the nurse’s office. The situation became even more intense when the girl’s mom picked her up and drove her to the doctor’s office. Two of her toes were broken from the hit on the step, and half of her toenail was broken off. The school didn’t get in any trouble, however, most other schools in the area do have dress codes that are enforced.
Both Male and Females have complained that the dress code is “sexist and “biased” toward young women. One teenager said that the school should be an all-boys school. Since the code only applies to women. Another student said that “it was humiliating to be pulled aside like an object” to be told that her outfit is inappropriate.
Parents and their children are constantly arguing about the way students dress in school. This debate has become a national conversation which has been going on for more than a decade. However, there still hasn’t been a final resolution. The questions “Why do I have to wear the uniform today?” or “Can I wear this t-shirt because the color matches with my school t-shirt?” have become part of our everyday lives. Before we go any further, we have to understand the difference between uniforms and dress codes. A uniform is simply a garment worn that is the same in all cases and at all times. Whereas, a dress code is a set of rules regarding the required manner of clothing in a certain context. For instance, a school might not allow students to wear
Many school administrators are going off of what they see online. Yes many people will look up to their favorite celebrity, but this doesn't mean that the want to dress exactly like them. Sexualizing girls can leave a negative effect on them as they grow older. All dress codes show girls is that they are sexual objects and we don't have any control over our body and feelings. We're being punished for what others do to us, we don't want this to happen
Choosing what to wear for the day. This is what most students are thinking about when they wake up. Students need the latest fashion in order to fit in, but some clothing may not be acceptable to wear in school. School dress codes are denying students their right to dress how they want, but the dress code is important for the students and their learning. Students are beginning to stand up and want to be heard. Some students are taking action and want the dress code to become less strict but some schools are doing the opposite for safety issues and for the students healthy learning environment. Dress codes are important for a strong and healthy learning environment and is also reducing violence in many schools around the country.
We see stories Social media has more stories of girls being sent home because of dress code violations. Maybe the problem isn’t the students, but dress codes in general. Dress codes ultimately disrupt the pursuit of knowledge for the students, encourage gender bias, and can be dangerous. If we want the younger generations to succeed in the education system, we should utilize school uniforms. Uniforms in schools from elementary to high schools, will promote gender equality and facilitate student safety.
While dress codes are a necessity in schools to regulate what is and is not appropriate for the learning environment, the fact that they place blame on females for how they are treated because of their clothing is completely sexist and unfair. Hardly ever is a boy busted for wearing athletic shorts or bro-tanks when he should not be, but as soon as a girl wears leggings or shows her shoulders, she is persecuted and given punishment. This is about as unfair as school systems can be, and it also sends the message to girls that what they perceive as being cute and fashionable is perceived by others as “offensive” and that it is their fault for anything bad that happens to them. These ideas should be changed so girls do not have to feel guilty and boys can stop thinking that their behavior in these situations is acceptable.