Jenna Greenfield – LRHS News

(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL) – If 2013 taught Americans anything; it is that Miley Cyrus is vulgar while Robin Thicke is a real ladies’ man. But is that really the best lesson to bring into 2014?

Throughout history women and men have received unequal treatment in and out of the legal system. One common example of this inequality can be seen in double standards as women and men are often treated differently for the same behavior.

Many  LRHS students say they see this daily. Junior Taylor Thompson pointed out one of these double standards, “Any woman who expresses sexuality in any way, willing or not, is demonized.”

Thompson also pointed out the affect this double standard can have.

“When it’s okay to shame and belittle woman on arbitrary standards of appearance you are dehumanizing them,” said Thompson, “This leads into rape culture in questions like ‘why were you wearing that?’ and going on to say that being with multiple people in the past somehow disempowers [you] to say no in the present.”

Advanced Placement Psychology teacher Dave Frantz said the roots of the problem may lie in human nature.

“In psychology, we have an entire approach to viewing human behavior and thought known as evolutionary psychology. This discipline explains that desire for sex is not just for sexual satisfaction. Rather, it is, at its very core, the desire to procreate. Having offspring, and then ensuring their survival, is job one.” said Frantz, “With this directive in mind, it is imperative that women are very selective in choosing a mate, as they must live with the consequences of their choice of the father of their child.

“Women must be very choosy to provide the best possible genetic material for their child. Men, on the other hand do not generally have to worry about such choices.”

However, it is not only women who face double standards.

“It’s also important to note that men face double standards mainly imposed by the same structure of gender role,” said Thompson, “Emotion is so categorized as female and therefore weak guys are shamed for crying and generally expressing emotions.”

Frantz brought up another double standard in society.

“There are many double standards between the sexes…such as the double standard for violence,” Frantz said.  “It’s permissible, generally, for a woman to hit a man, but not so much the other way around.”

Senior Nicole Shaw said aggressive women are often stigmatized.

“Sexually promiscuous women are feared in a culture dominated by patriarchy because those women aren’t afraid to get what they want. They liberate themselves from the misogynic idea that woman should submit to men as second class citizens. It scares men because they are taught to expect the world handed to them on a silver platter.”

Senior Tyler Malaga also saw these double standards as unjust and sexist. “Labels such as slut or whore (if you’re rude enough to use them) should not be isolated to one gender. When you isolate a single negative slur towards one group it generally leads to views on that slur you’re using to be sexist, racist, et cetera.”

The LRHS faculty and staff try not to discriminate. One of the school’s core values is that “all people have value and can add value.”

Even so, there are more dress code rules for girls than boys on campus. Assistant principal Valencia Lowen said, however, that the number of females and males who get dress coded is “about 50/50 with guys with their hats and girls with the spandex.”

Frantz said the gender debate is a prominent subject in his class.

“In my AP class, we say that ‘women choose wisely, and men choose widely’ – implying that men’s evolutionary contributions are largely complete after sex.” Frantz said. “It is this evolutionary belief, sprung from the studies of Charles Darwin in the mid-1800’s that have grown into societal views today. Of course, this is just one explanation. There are several other perspectives in psychology that can explain this sexual double standard.”