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Views on school dress code
Impact of gender on education
Stereotypes of gender in today's society
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Recommended: Views on school dress code
A lot of the time when we think of the word dress code we think “annoying” or “dumb”. But for a lot of women in school it’s a lot more than that. While the purpose of the dress code might be to help women in later life all it does is make a young women feel uncomfortable in her own skin. This sexualization of women doesn’t only affect them in school but for the rest of their life. Even a mother trying to breastfeed her child in public is shameful and inappropriate. This shame and self-consciousness all stems from childhood. Do we really want to tell a little girl she’s a slut when she can’t even spell the word?
The dress code system placed within schools blatantly favors men over women. Schools claim to have the dress code to help young women have the skills to dress professionally in the future, but what does that mean? Is attire the only means a woman has to say that she is a professional? Is her actual skill even a factor? The only real reason we have a dress code is because girls are
Instead of seeing women as equal to men they are almost seen as their species with their exclusive list of rules, and mannerisms that they have to follow. Because of the amount of isolation young women have from the rest of society they are expected to act perfectly, and when they don’t, it’s seen as a mistake of massive proportions. I like to compare a young woman’s role in society to someone walking a tightrope; even the slightest slip can leave you tumbling down the open sky. Not only young women are affected by these ridiculous clothing standards but also grownups, such as women who work in business or government. For instance, women on the Senate floor could wear a pantsuit until 1993! She made this comment: "A lot of Americans, black or white or female, are always told that they don’t look the part. It’s one of the oldest code words,"
George starts with the example of the Christian schoolgirl outfit, once meant to represent sexual purity and chastity, it now has been fetishized to the point where it represents sexuality bursting at the seams. She states that it does not help that older women are now wearing promiscuous outfits adorned with childlike slogans and logos. The increasingly scantily clad nature of grown women acting as role models for children causes them to dress like their role models. That is, in a provocative manner. George says that such clothing blurs the line
Although dress codes promote safety there are some negative affects of it. Dress codes don’t prepare kids for the jobs in the future. “Some employers—some dotcom companies, for example—care less about how their employees dress and more about their work.” (Wilder 4) Even though a lot of jobs don’t require dress
Kim Addonizio gives stereotypes a whole new meaning by closely looking into the most typical clichés there are. Out of the many clichés, she touches the lust for that one tight; flimsy, cheap, revealing dress. These clichés' scorn women for wanting to wear a dress that may be too revealing looks cheap or looks “too” tight. Many women are subjected to this stereotype because it “typically” doesn’t conform to others’ opinions. She mentions this in her poem by saying “ I want a red dress./I want it flimsy and cheap,/I want it too tight, I want to wear it/until someone tears it off of me.” (1-4). Addonizio
Scout is expected to behave like “a lady” but she resists conforming to those roles. For example, Scout faces discrimination because she doesn’t dress how society wants her to dress. More specifically, her aunt Alexandra forces her into a dress that which Scout does not want to wear. “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants” (Lee, 108).
Schools typically justify their dress codes by maintain that it’s important to keep the classroom free of any distractions, however, that language actually reinforces the idea that women’s bodies are inherently tempting to men and it’s their responsibility to cover themselves up.
The speaker repeats herself and states, many times, that all females should always have to behave and act like classy women and not “sluts”; here is an example, “this is how to behave in the presence of men who don’t know you very well, and this way they wont recognize immediately the slut I have warned you against becoming; be sure to watch every day, even if it with your own spit; don’t squat to play marbles – you are not a boy”(Kincaid 33). Kincaid points out specific actions that determine how a lady should act and must undergo to be “classy” in her own perfect world. Kincaid’s narrator puts female teens through a different perspective and environment where they should even be thinking of boys or men, instead, they should be learning how to sew or cook, iron and clean the house. In our generation, society plays a big role where females are subjected and labeled as “house slaves”. They are viewed as workers that must maintain the house impeccable, always have the food ready for the husband and take care of the children.
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.
School is in the 'business' of learning. School is the place where the next lawyers, bankers, CPA's and Doctors are given the fundamentals of working in this economy. One of the basics of our culture in the working world is conservative dressing, dress code, or even uniforms. What is wrong with sending our kids the message that they are in 'the business of learning' by enforcing dress codes?
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." (Zhou, l.) There are more dress code policies for the females compared to the males. For example, girls should not use backless shirts, no spaghetti tops, no crop-tops that exposes the stomach, no short shorts, no miniskirts, etc. Boys on the other hand have no specific dress code policies. Dress codes may come off as sexist for women and they get insulted by it. An article on the problem with dress code from The Daily Princetonian stating "- women are policed so that they are no longer distracting to men, while men, if policed at all, are never told to change for the benefit of the opposite sex. The most prominent example that comes to mind when thinking of male-specific supplements to dress codes relates to sagging pants, an urban trend where pants are worn low to expose many inches worth of boxers. Efforts to ban these practices have never once mentioned how visible boxers would tortuously distract nearby females. Rather, they focus on visible underwear being inappropriate for a learning or work environment.", based on that article, dress codes seem to be a little too specific on what girls should or should not be allowed to wear, while boys only have a few dress code policies to worry
Women used to dress very conservatively and strict before the turn of the decade. Clothing consisted of fitted dresses, long skirts, and corsets in lady like manners. Since the 1920’s brought women’s rights along, young women decided that they were not willing to waste away their young lives anymore being held down to the rules; they were going to enjoy life. The younger generations of women were breaking away from their old habits and their fashion statements changed their roles in society completely. Women were modeling their lives after popular icons...
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.
Also, rules are put into place in schools and states make laws to protect the less educated. If parents don't have the sense to properly dress their boys and girls, then maybe it's time the schools and states to tell parents how to dress their children for in a society which dresses the same there is less to be distracted by therefore people in society will be more interested in what is really important; making a positive change in the lives of those around us.
Women had set principles in society that dictated their education, employment, and even their fashion. Mattie Ross was different from the other women, she was not afraid to do as she pleased without giving a second thought of how she’ll be judged in society. When compared to other women of her time, we got a chance to see what made her so different. Her extraordinary pursuit of education and occupation while others of her social class stayed at home and learn how to take care of a home. Her persistence on standing up to men and letting them walk all over her. Although her fashion was a lot like her peers, she was not afraid to dress how she needed to for circumstances no matter how she may end up looking. Mattie Ross showed tremendous courage and independence for her age and
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.