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Essay : The effects of a school dress code
The adolescent’s preoccupation with body image and the problems that arise
Effects of body image on young people
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Society today is described as hypocritical and stereotypical. Thousands of students today have reported that dress code is sexiest. Most of the students who get dress coded in schools are mostly girls, who for wearing the most insignificant type of clothing shoulders or collarbone get dress coded. With this discriminatory dress code system, significant results have shown upon students like a low self-esteem and self confidence. Constantly we see in today's society girls continuously being body shamed and punished for the clothing they decide to use to express themselves. To begin with, dress code in the U.S. has led too girls having an awfully low self confidence without having a chance to be able to express themselves to their full potential. Girls especially during student years are trying to find their true identity which seems to be more overwhelming when they are constantly being dress coded for the way they express themselves through clothing. A quote on Huffington Post by Universitized professor's states, “Your style and the …show more content…
Notwithstanding the fact that society today likes to dress according to the fashion trends. Some of the most popular trends are ripped jeans, crop tops, tight fitted shirts, off the shoulder tops, and bralets. All of these fashion trends are most of the time the only type of clothing you find in stores and often times are the clothes people want too wear. However, all of these popular fashion trends would be dress code because they all break the 5 universal rules of dress code. The universal rules of dress code are no see through/revealing clothing or exposed midriffs, no exposed undergarments, attire cannot display offensive slogans or symbols, shorts and skirts must be at least fingertip length, and no spaghetti-strap tops. With all these rules shopping in stores for school is quite overwhelming, as you have too the dress code school
Dress codes are essentials for all schools across America. Dress codes will set the tone for students to be safe because they will help reduce violence, increase student safety, and provide a positive learning environment.
Dress codes have become a typical affair for public schools. The weight of this matter only gets heavier with time, as fashion trends evolve with haste. Accordingly, the debate for and against dress codes still stands. This essay will summarize, make an argument, and analyze Krystal Miller 's article "School Dress Codes."
According to greatschools.org, “Enforcing a strict dress code can place the focus of school on clothing and rules, rather than on education.” Most schools have specific uniforms that a child must wear in order to attend. Many children that go to school, have single parents and / or more than one ...
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.
I disagree with the school dress code because it doesn't allow people to express themselves, people can't dress for the weather, and it doesn't let people choose how they want to look because it's supposedly a distraction. The dress code is "The bottom of your shirt must at least meet the top of your pants or shorts, and undergarments should not be exposed. There must be a substantial covering over both shoulders. See-through clothing or clothing that is so very tight that it draws attention to oneself are also unacceptable. Shorts/skirts must have at least a 4" inseam."
“Dress codes and school uniforms increase school safety by eliminating gang-related clothing and helping aid in the recognition of nonstudents on campus. Other potential benefits cited include better student behavior, more resistance to peer pressure and improved emphasis on academics. About one in four public elementary schools and one in eight public middle and high schools in the USA have policies dictating what a student wears to school.” (Ellis)
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. "
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
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
One of the most striking examples of intergenerational miscommunication is the strained interactions between the Jongs and Waverly’s fiancé Rich. Waverly views her mother's observatory remarks as criticism, which is evident when Lindo compares Rich's freckles to chicken pox upon their first meeting, which Waverly took offense to but kept quiet. Later in the novel, it is revealed that Lindo meant no harm by this comment: “Why do you think these bad things about me”( Tan 181)? Lindo’s insistence that she does not mean to harm her daughter contrasts with Waverly’s belief that her mother does not support her. Waverly is tired of her mother’s criticism, and cannot grasp why her mother is constantly criticizing her.
It is proclaimed that dress codes objectify females in an unfair manner. Ways in which they do this is by making one feel bad about their body and blaming them for publicizing sexual harassment. Dress code violation often results in girls being removed from class and missing the lesson. Females get sent home, given a hideous pair of clothes to change into, or restricted from meaningful school functions like the prom. A student named Marcia Stevens personally experienced this type of discrimination. Before the incident, she was involved in her reputation was different; teachers classified her as “a fine student without behavioral problems.” (Pomerantz 1 ) It wasn 't the clothes she had on but rather the amount of cleavage she was showing. Stevens cleavage was only visible because her chest is a bit larger than the other girls. “She was punished for having the wrong kind of ("fat," "messy") body in an article of clothing that was not considered inappropriate on other kinds of ("thin," "neat") bodies. Marcia 's body was "inappropriate" because it spilled out; it was not "ladylike" or "school like," it was not tidy, and it was not easily contained. In short, her body was visible as a body. And the visibility of a young woman 's body, according to this dress code interpretation, was tantamount to a crime. Her body made "maintaining a suitable school atmosphere"
Slowly growing in popularity, this problem spotlights exclusively one problem in our world today, a problem in today’s society, a problem that urgently needs to be solved. First and foremost, the main problem is how male’s dress code differs from female’s dress code. “Guys can sag their pants down to their knees, but god forbid you see my bra strap” (Teenager Post #16538). On many accounts, schools have been more lenient towards guys dress code violations rather than girls dress contravention. On one account, there were three dress code violations, two of which were guys and the last one was a girl.
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.
First of all, teenage girls are being ridiculed for their body shape at a young age, causing insecurities. Schools are for helping developing brains reaches its full potential and strengthen academic performance. Girls are limited on what attire they are allowed to wear in school based on their body shape, as well as how “distracting” the female boy is to boys. Females have multiple pages of dress code restrictions to reduce distracting clothing, while males have one restriction that applies to both genders,