Lookism: Prejudice Or Discrimination

When a person hears the word lookism, they might think it is a way of describing how we look at someone or something in order to describe them. Although that is a good assumption, the Merriam-Webster dictionary tells us that lookism is actually prejudice or discrimination based on physical appearance and especially physical appearance believed to fall short of societal notions of beauty. This may seem like a relatively new word to add to your vocabulary, however it has actually been around since the 1970s. The word was first used when describing a person who was heavier set. (Lookism) While it is somewhat of an automatic response to assume that this prejudice is isolated to those less desirable in society, it can actually be transcended across

That passing of judgment is considered lookism. Some might go as far as to say that lookism has taken the place of racism in our society (Salkeld). It is known all across the world that different races of people are known for having distinctive characteristics such as tiny figures, long legs, larger noses, or big lips. Similarly, different races or nationalities might also have a distinctive way of dressing or choice of fashion. A study published in the journal Psychological Science found that when we are asked to describe a group we belong to, we tend to attribute our own features to that description (Salkeld). When we see that others do not fit into our group it is a human tendency to want to reject them. Equally thought provoking is the fact that there is a cross-cultural agreement about attractiveness and the belief that good-looking people are judged more positively than those less attractive (Furnham). If this is the case, then that feeling of judgment upon introduction to an employer is more impactful than ever imagined. It is our duty to accept those different from us and see diversity as strength not a weakness and not judge others through the eyes of lookism. Although race is a front running defining factor in our society for lookism, gender is also a defining

If so, does this advantage female workers more than males or vice versa? It is a well-studied fact that attractive individuals are judged to be more intellectually competent, emotionally adjusted, and socially appealing. (Furnham) The answer to the questions is this; it is mostly dependent on the career field of topic. Certain jobs such as sales, theatre, fashion, or media are dependent upon physical attractiveness. In most instances humans are naturally attracted to the opposite sex, so having men marketing sales to women might be to a company’s advantage or having a woman covering the media for Monday night football rather than an equally qualified male coworker. The fact is both male and females alike are subjected to lookism in the work place. So much so that those with “above average” appearance earn approximately 5% more than their coworkers and those with “below average” appearance earn another 7-9% less than those with “average” looks.