Lookism
Lookism, also known as body fascism, refers to the discrimination or prejudice faced by individuals deemed unattractive according to societal standards. This bias is particularly prevalent in social settings like the workplace, where people may experience unequal treatment based on their physical appearance. Despite some state and local laws addressing appearance-based discrimination, there is currently no federal legislation in the United States that explicitly prohibits such practices. The term "lookism" emerged in the 1970s, but its roots can be traced back to the late 19th century, when cities implemented "ugly laws" that enforced public appearance standards.
The impact of lookism is significant, with studies indicating that attractive individuals often receive preferential treatment in various scenarios, including job offers and customer service interactions. However, proving discrimination based on appearance is challenging, as beauty is subjective and varies across cultures. Many advocates argue for the need to protect individuals from lookism, especially in employment contexts, where biases can lead to unjust outcomes. As awareness of lookism grows, discussions surrounding the need for legal protections continue, highlighting an ongoing struggle against this form of discrimination.
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Lookism
Lookism, also known as body fascism, is the discrimination or prejudice of people who are considered physically unattractive by societal standards. It applies to social settings but is most common in the workplace. In the United States, federal laws do not exist that make appearance-based discrimination illegal, although a few state and local laws have been enacted to prohibit the practice. Several people have filed lawsuits against employers for alleged discrimination against them based on their appearance. However, lookism is hard to prove since attractiveness is considered mostly subjective compared to other tangible, verifiable factors such as age or gender.
Background
While the term lookism was coined in the 1970s, the concept dates back to the late nineteenth century in the United States when several cities across the country began enacting what became known as "ugly laws." Places such as San Francisco, California; Portland, Oregon; and Chicago, Illinois, had ordinances in place to ban people with physical disfigurements, diseases, and deformities from appearing in public because many individuals felt that their conditions rendered them unpleasant to look at. Other cities rushed to pass these laws. Some included them as part of other ordinances that barred begging on the streets. These laws all had one similarity: they were a form of discrimination.
Many individuals advocated against these laws and fought to end them. The ugly laws persisted into the 1970s. In 1973, the Vocational Rehabilitation Act was passed to end discrimination against people with disabilities. However, prejudice against disabled people continued.
An arrest of a homeless man with scars and marks on his skin in 1974 in Omaha, Nebraska, prompted city officials to question what the term ugly actually meant. The police officer who arrested the man cited the so-called ugly laws, which were still active and legal in the city at the time, as the cause of his arrest. A judge and prosecutor declined to file charges on the man on the basis of the ugly laws.
Activists continued to fight for laws to protect people with disabilities. In the late 1980s, one of these advocates, disability lawyer Robert L. Burgdorf Jr., who lost most of the use of his arm due to an illness, wrote the draft of what became the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The purpose of the bill, which became a law in 1990, was to end discrimination in all facets of public life, including at work, at school, on public transportation, and in public places. Burgdorf, like many others, wanted to ensure people with disabilities were given the same civil rights as all other Americans.
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While the ADA protects disabled people from experiencing discrimination, many people question whether ugliness can be and should be considered a disability. For example, an older individual not receiving a job based on his or her age is considered discrimination, and the person is protected under the ADA. The cause of the discrimination—being a certain age—is relatively easy to prove.
Lookism is not as easy to prove. What constitutes ugliness? Much debate exists as to what is considered unattractive and whether people are discriminated against because of their looks. Most people do agree that individuals need to be protected from all types of discrimination.
Many studies have shown that beautiful people—defined by societal standards—receive better treatment in many situations, such as at work and school. They receive more lucrative job offers, exceptional service at restaurants and shops, and other benefits that "average" or "ugly" people do not. In addition, studies have indicated that many individuals assume that attractive individuals possess other desirable qualities, such as intelligence and competence, which is why they believe good-looking people deserve preferential treatment. Studies also have proven that overweight men and women and short men faced the most discrimination in the workplace.
The television show 20/20 conducted an experiment to test if good-looking people received preferential treatment. They hired an average-looking woman and a more attractive woman as job seekers. They both had the same skill sets, and both women interviewed for the same job. The more attractive woman received friendlier treatment from the employer. The employer also offered the prettier woman better benefits. The average-looking woman was not chosen for the job, but the attractive woman was hired.
Even if beautiful people do receive better treatment, how can less attractive individuals prove this? For example, how do individuals prove they were passed over for a job because of the way they look since beauty cannot be easily measured and is subjective? Employers can prove that they did not hire certain individuals because they did not have the required skills; but how can it be proven that they did not employ certain individuals because of their appearance? This is why image-based discrimination laws can be difficult to create and enforce.
Another factor concerns what is considered beautiful. Beauty cannot be measured; and it varies across cultures. Individuals do not want to admit or believe they are unattractive. They are taught from a young age that what a person looks like does not count as much as the other qualities they possess.
Some people believe that lookism occurs and individuals should be protected from prejudices, especially in the workplace. Several people have filed lawsuits claiming that they were victims of appearance-based discrimination. A man from Connecticut sued a McDonald's restaurant after he was hired and the job never materialized. After pestering the company about a start date, the restaurant claimed that the man's uniform was not ready. The man, who was obese, claimed that McDonald's was discriminating against him based on his appearance. He filed a lawsuit against the company that stated McDonald's violated the ADA.
While some states and municipalities have laws that protect a person from being discriminated against based on their appearance, no federal law exists. This means that people must prove the discrimination occurred because of other factors and that the discrimination is a direct violation of the ADA. The man who sued McDonald's claimed that he was not hired because he was perceived to have a disability because of his weight. This is only one example of several cases filed against lookism, and many people continue to fight against the prejudice.
Bibliography
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Furnham, Adrian. "Lookism at Work." Psychology Today, 22 Apr. 2014, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sideways-view/201404/lookism-work. Accessed 14 Nov. 2017.
Laham, Martha T.S. "Body Fascism: The Ugly Truth about Appearance in the Workplace." Huffington Post, 8 Oct. 2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/martha-ts-laham-/body-fascism-the-ugly-tru‗b‗8262946.html. Accessed 14 Nov. 2017.
Marks, Emily. "The Modern Workplace: Beauty Bias or 'Lookism' in the Office May Still Exist." University Herald, 10 Apr. 2017, www.universityherald.com/articles/72324/20170410/modern-workplace-beauty-bias-still-prevalent.htm. Accessed 14 Nov. 2017.
Schweik, Susan M. The Ugly Laws: Disability in Public. New York UP, 2009.
Stossel, John. "The Ugly Truth about Beauty." ABC News, 23 Aug. 2002, abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=123853&page=1. Accessed 14 Nov. 2017.
Talley, Heather Laine. "The Ugly Side of Lookism and What We Can Do about It." Huffington Post, 22 Jan. 2017, www.huffingtonpost.com/heather-laine-talley/the-ugly-side-of-lookism‗b‗9042114.html. Accessed 14 Nov. 2017.
Valenti, Catherine. "Victims of 'Lookism' Face Uphill Battle." ABC News, 21 May 2003, abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=86602&page=1. Accessed 14 Nov. 2017.