Double Standards

Double standards are principles that are unfairly applied in different ways to different people who are in similar situations. They can be applied to races, cultures, but most of all, men and women. It is a common misconception that women are the only people who endure double standards, but in reality, both sexes deal with having to be judged or “defined” by double standards.

A common example is marriage. If a man is entering his 30’s and still isn’t married, he is seen as a driven individual focused on his career. Whereas if a woman isn’t married by the time she’s in her 30’s, something must be “wrong” with her because nobody asked for her hand in marriage. Age difference between couples is also judged according to gender. It’s becoming socially acceptable for a man to date or marry a woman 20 years younger than him but a woman is “cold-shouldered” or shunned down upon if she chooses to date a younger man. Men on the other hand could be seen as ‘the bad guys’ in situations where women are seen as victims. For example break ups, if a man ends a relationship he’s seen as a jerk, regardless of what the legitimate reasons might have been. However, if a woman ends the relationship the man ‘must’ have done something wrong for her to end it. Men are also belittled if they decide to take on the role of homemaker while their wives financially support the family, however society has deemed it more than socially acceptable (if not preferred) that women tend to household duties while the men work. Working women who are in relationships with working men, still expect them to pay when they go out or indulge them with presents and flowers, while at the same time, still wanting to be treated as an equal in other aspects of their relationship.

The media is also a very powerful tool in reinforcing double standards. Women are constantly portrayed as beautiful, thin and perfect, an impossible ideal that many young women strive to achieve. Although there are “model-like” ideals for men in the media there’s still a much wider range presented. Male actors can be older, chubbier, bald and not necessarily attractive to sell a product. This confuses young girls in particular because they are constantly told their character is based upon their physical attributes.

The list of double standards men and women undergo is endless. They happen more often than we might think, but the stereotypes and labels we grow up with over the years play a huge role in distracting us from noticing them immediately.