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Do Double Standards Still Exist?

Author : Exforsys Inc.     Published on: 13th Apr 2006

Do Double Standards Still Exist?

We’ve all experienced double standards at different times of our lives. What woman, for example, hasn’t become upset that assertive men enjoy the reputation of being “go getters,” while assertive women are considered “domineering?” And almost every man, at some point in his life, has experienced mockery for being more sensitive than society recommends. So, as double standards continue to pervade our lives socially, is it possible to escape them in the working world?

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A double standard is a rule which is applied more stringently to one party than to others. Double standards are seen as unjust, because they violate a principle of justice known as impartiality. Impartiality is the principle that the same standards should be applied to all people, without regard to subjective bias or favoritism. A double standard violates this principle, by holding different people to different standards.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_standard

In a 1994 study done at the University of British Columbia, researchers decided to perform an experiment to determine if double standards influenced the hiring practices of employers. During the study, male and female applicants were compared with very similar (although average) academic records. In one experimental condition, the man possessed the better academic record; in the other condition, the woman possessed the better record. Each was then given a series of tasks to recreate, based on a typical interview experience. When the male subject performed the tasks better, he was consistently chosen by the interviewer as the better candidate. However, when the female subject performed the assigned tasks better, she was much less likely to be chosen. Why is that?

Women

Clearly, double standards (and inequity) still exist in the workplace today. Although women have come a long way in the corporate world, they still only represent only 13.6 percent of corporate board members. Add to that the fact that women still only make 76 cents for every dollar that a man makes, and the inequity becomes clearer. But what about double standards? What role do double standards play in the day-to-day life of a working woman?

Stereotypes

Whether they mean to or not, every employee brings with him/her a set of gender stereotypes that can—and often do—negatively affect the success of women in the workplace. As mentioned earlier, an assertive woman may be considered “domineering” or “pushy, “ causing fellow employees and superiors to dislike her. Assertive women break the society’s stereotype that women should be submissive, eager-to-please, and supportive.

It’s a tricky path for women to navigate, as American management courses typically endorse directness, simplicity, and forcefulness as effective speaking methods—and characteristics of “good” employees. Clearly, women who want to be considered quality employees have to fight with societal stereotypes. Be a good employee, and they risk gaining a negative reputation. Act like stereotypical women, however, and they may never be considered good employees.

Other Women

Women face many of the same obstacles, joys, and burdens of working in the corporate world. So surely they must understand and support each other, right? Wrong. Women are just as prone to enforcing double standards on each other as men are. Consequently, women superiors are just as likely to consider a “typical” female employee problematically unassertive, and an assertive woman too “pushy.”

Men

They make more money, hold more management positions, and rule the corporate board room. However, despite their clear advantage in the workplace, men also face almost insurmountable double standards. This combined with the fact that the social roles of men are evolving, leaves many men wondering if their social evolution won’t ruin their career opportunities.

Stereotypes…Again!

It’s not just women that are stereotyped. Men—expected to be strong, forceful, and direct—are as well. As a result, men who request time to take care of ill children may be viewed as “soft” or not strong enough management material. In a day and age when both parents work, it is becoming more and more common for men to assume many more of the parenting jobs once left primarily to women. Taking leave of work is often a necessity, not just for working mothers, but fathers as well. As a result, men are left trying to balance their new roles in society with old stereotypes at work.

Knowledge is Power

Unlike our mothers and fathers, we exist in a world that (ideally) fosters and accepts change. As the new millennium unfolds before us, our roles as women and men in the social and corporate world keep evolving. Our double standards, however, don’t. As a result, it is important that men and women work together to overcome the double standards that pervade work places around the country.

Open Communication

Start by fostering open communication. In order to overcome standard (and stereotypical) differences of communication between men and women, men and women must learn to adapt each other’s styles. For example, men should attempt to talk more about their feelings, listen more, and eliminate sex-related jokes. Women should speak more assertively, stop apologizing, and not be afraid to take control of a conversation. By “trying on a different style,” men and women cannot only learn how each other relate, but can also learn to embrace communication styles different than their own.

Toughen Up

With so many mixed signals surrounding the whole role of gender in the work place, it often becomes tempting to just ignore the opposite sex entirely. Don’t. Instead, learn not to take things said by the opposite sex as personally as before. Really try to understand their perspective. Don’t always assume, for example,

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that a man’s style of bantering humor is a way of degrading you. Perhaps it really IS just a difference in humor between genders. Staying “tough” ensures that you give others a chance, and that communication remains open.

Despite open communication and the best of intentions and open communication, double standards will most likely remain. The key to overcoming them and putting them into perspective, however, is knowledge. Simply knowing that double standards still exist today can help many avoid the unfair pitfalls that they present. And sometimes knowledge is the most effective tool of all.



 
This tutorial is part of a Career Articles tutorial series. Read it from the beginning and learn yourself.

Career Articles

  1. The Importance of Career Counselors
  2. How You Can Deal With A Difficult Boss
  3. How To Successfully Change Your Career
  4. How To Reach The Top Of Your Career
  5. How To Earn More Money With Your Career
  6. Bachelor of Science Career Possibilities
  7. Career Opportunities With a Bachelor of Arts Degree
  8. Does a Higher Education Mean Higher Pay?
  9. Do Double Standards Still Exist?
  10. Career Strategies for Women
  11. Get Your Foot In The Door With A Great Cover Letter
  12. Cover Letters : Are They Really That Important?
  13. So You Thought You Wanted To Be A Teacher?
  14. Why On Earth Would You Go Into Retail With A Business Degree?
  15. Breaking Into The Entertainment Industry With Your Degree
  16. You Have Your Psychology Degree, Now What?
  17. Don't Know What To Do With Your English Degree?
  18. Adapting To The Real World After College
  19. What Employers Are Looking For During The Interview Process
  20. Do You Really Want To Freelance?
  21. Increase Your Earning Potential With Distance Learning
  22. Is The Workplace Really Welcoming To Women?
  23. What To Do After Graduation
  24. Continuing Education: Moving Up The Corporate Ladder Despite Your Age
  25. Staying Afloat In The Changing IT World
  26. Breaking Into Your Field Of Interest With Education And No Experience
  27. Break Out Of The Rookie Mold
  28. Approaching Prospective Employers With Confidence
  29. Memory Training for Students
  30. Looking for a Promotion: tips to make it happen.
  31. Is It Really a Better Offer?Comparing Compensation Packages
  32. Getting Paid What You're Worth
  33. Career Tips for Older Professionals
  34. Can I Really Get a Signing Bonus?
  35. Targeting your Career and Your Audience
  36. 5 Steps to a Great Cover Letter
  37. Technical Writing: It might just be the foot in the door you need
  38. How to survive the technological trend to offshore outsourcing
  39. Do You Really Want to be an IT Consultant: The Pros and Cons of Being Your Own Boss
  40. Are You Really Listening: The Importance of Strong Communication Skills
  41. Looking into the Crystal Ball: Technology and Trends in the IT Industry
  42. Get Microsoft Certified: Everyone else is!
  43. Caught in a Downsizing: Tips to help you regroup and head back into the IT market
  44. How to prepare for an Interview
  45. Tips on How to face an Interview!
  46. Importance of Body language in interviews
 

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