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?

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,

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.