Jenn Hyslip Response to “Tuck in That Shirt!”
In the article “Tuck in That Shirt!”
Edward Morris outlines his experiment and findings after he developed his
theory that schools reproduce race, class, and gender inequality by means of
daily regulation of a student’s body. He takes the basic conclusion that
wearing baggy pants can be interpreted as being sloppy and lazy to another
level by incorporating racial inequalities. The first finding of his experiment
was that school instructors targeted African American woman for not being
feminine enough. Personally, I disagree that this is confined to just the
African American female. While it may be the case at this school, considering
it was 47% African American and 40% Hispanic, I have experienced similar
demands. I believe that it is an issue for middle school aged students, in
general. It’s a time when girls start to have feelings for boys, and a lot of
the time, it is when parents begin to let their children make their own
decisions. Girls see images on television and see older girls wearing more
revealing clothing and unfortunately aspire to be like that. So, I believe that
it is only natural for a teacher to attempt to have their female students deem
a more “lady like” style.
An element
that Morris left out was the stereotype that is tied in with white students. I
grew up in a well to do neighborhood and was fortunate enough to be given
innumerable clothing for birthdays and Christmas. I went to a high school that
had a dress code. While it didn’t require me to wear only skirts, I did have to
dress neatly and everything had to be tucked in (for boys and girls). So, when
I went to college, it was a free for all in the idea that I could wear whatever
I wanted. However, considering I grew up wearing tucked in blouses and nicely
ironed pants, I continued this trend. Additionally, I was opened to a wide
variety of fashion. But, this meant that I stood out more, as wearing “preppy”
clothing most of the time. The significance of this is that the judgments that
are attached to the pink and green combination, and patterned pants, is that
you are snotty, stuck up, and patronizing. It’s important to recognize that
there are assumptions made of almost every style of clothing.
The most
important thing that I got from this reading is that while teaching students
the idea of “dress to impress” or “dress for success” can be effective, I
believe that the key aspect is awareness.
Stereotypes have been socially constructed in our society and engrained in many
of us. I will be the first to say that when I see a male who is dressed in
baggy clothing, thoughts of laziness do run through my head. When a female is
walking in broad daylight on the street decked out in a tight dress and high
heels, I might believe that she is overtly sexual. While this may be judgmental
of me, they are inevitable thoughts due to these social constructions of what
it means to be sexy and what it means to be lazy. I think it is extremely
important for students across the board to be aware of these socially
constructed stereotypes, but ultimately should be able to choose the way in
which they dress. As someone that is interested in fashion, and keeps up on
trends and styles, fashion is constantly changing and consequently, social
constructions. There have been instances in time when baggy pants and mini
skirts have been deemed fashionable. Kids during their school years are going
to listen to these trends and abide to them. But what won’t change is that
“dress for success” means navy or black; pant suit, or a-line skirt. Overall,
it should be a lesson included in school curriculum, but should not bring along
disciplinary actions. But how will this happen? Is it possible?
Jenn brings up a few great arguments in her post. Firstly she addresses the point that all forms of dress have stereotypes attached to them. I too dress in a way that would be considered “preppy,” and I have experienced the way people view this kind of dress in a stereotypical manner. For instance, while a popped collar or pearls might be acceptable here at conn, when I went to New Zealand I did not dress in a flamboyantly preppy way because if I did my roommates treated me as an entity to be judged, ridiculed and complimented. When people dress differently than the people around them, then their humanity is lost in the eyes of the people around them because they are not able to relate. This is a sad phenomenon but a true one. Secondly I agree with Jenn’s closing argument, that uniforms and proper dress should be a lesson not a punishment. I am also curious why administrators who assign uniforms with good intentions, treat this assignment as a punishment or something they are inflicting on their students, rather than something they are teaching them.
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ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting to note that dress codes are assigned under two very different circumstances: situations of privilege and poverty. Many private schools require students to follow a dress code. However, this dress code, I believe, is usually meant to be seen as a symbol. It usually requires students to look their best to instill in them the sense that they are the best. However, in public school systems in low income areas, dress codes are assigned for very different reasons. Typically, it's to demote gang behavior and to erase signs of class differences. I think this distinction plays an important role in how a student responds to having a dress code. A private school student may respond more positively because their uniforms are ultimately a sign of privilege. On the other hand, a student in a low income are who is made to wear a uniform in a public school may respond to the idea negatively because they view it as more of a punishment or a reflection on their low socioeconomic status.
ReplyDeleteJenn makes a great point in noting that there are inevitable and toxic stereotypes associated with every form of dress. I serve on the Student Activities Council, and earlier this fall we hosted a 'High School Dance' in which students were encouraged to dress up as stereotypes from their high school days. After the event, however, SAC received several emails from students arguing that they were hurt by some of the stereotypes that were emulated. The 'nerds' in suspenders and glasses, the 'burnouts' in baggy sweat clothes, or even the 'foreign exchange students' in cultural attire were, according to several students, grossly offensive. But what struck me most about this particular event was how quickly people associate clothing with groups of people. Yes, Jenn is right that classically preppy clothing can have a stigma attached, as can baggy or athletic clothing. This stigma is an example of the fundamental attribution error, in which people may see a girl in pearls and assume she is snotty, whereas that same girl will put on pearls in the morning because she feels like dressing with some glamour that day. It's all in the way people judge others, which is fundamental in the field of gender Sociology.
ReplyDeleteJae Majors
ReplyDeleteI agree that the awareness has to be made to issues of the stereotypes that have been made by society.I am also aware of how despite the awareness the stereotypes will still be there. We have to start breaking there's stereotypes now if we hope to change future stereotypes. I think this is more important to realize than anything else. Even if people are aware of these stereotypes it is not enough to change them. By breaking stereotypes everyday we can change some of these stereotypical views.