Individuality or Conformity: Where Should Dress Codes Fall?
On a particularly muggy spring day, a high school student decides to dress to keep cool in class. In choosing her outfit, she ensures that regions of privacy be appropriately covered. Upon her arrival to school however, she is called aside by an administrative staff member. Her shorts aren’t fingertip length, her top has straps that are less than the one-inch minimum, and her bare shoulders are visible; she must change immediately. Do dress codes need to be so particular? Are the rules of common sense not enough? Dress codes are a form of control for a venue. They may serve a purpose, yes, but is that purpose more important than promoting self-expression and individuality among our …show more content…
At their core, they establish a baseline to uphold in terms of modesty for the facility. In more common terms, the goal of dress codes is to create a distraction-free learning zone. According to the student handbook, students are expected to “dress in appropriate attire which does not distract or offend others” (Source G). Gregg Ingersoll, the superintendent of Anglophone East School District, states that most dress codes are designed to try to keep the focus on the learning instead of the parts of a body that may or may not be exposed (“"School dress codes 'demeaning'”). The underlying reason for such an environment, as deemed by many schools, is the intent to protect girls from the biological impulses of their male peers. In terms of dress, most school administrators agree that “it is naïve to think that how girls dress does not distract boys. Males react to females — it’s basic biology” (Times Colonist). If a female student were to attend school in an outfit deemed “sexy” or “provocative” by her male counterparts, not only would it divert the male attention from the lesson, but it also puts the female student in danger of serious allegations like sexual harassment. To avoid legal issues and generally keep the classroom in effective function, schools erect dress …show more content…
In the 1980s, when street gangs began wearing clothing in specific styles or colors, schools acted and imposed a dress code (and in some cases, a school uniform) to ensure student safety. Some schools have deemed oversized or baggy clothing a safety hazard as well; administrators fear that the excess material might get caught on school equipment or conceal a weapon. In certain schools, fashion statements like chains, spikes, pins, and fishhooks are banned for their potential use as a weapon, and tattoos and piercings are often asked to be covered (in the event they are related to a greater, more dangerous message (““School Dress Codes."
On a particularly muggy spring day, a high school student decides to dress to keep cool in class. In choosing her outfit, she ensures that regions of privacy be appropriately covered. Upon her arrival to school however, she is called aside by an administrative staff member. Her shorts aren’t fingertip length, her top has straps that are less than the one-inch minimum, and her bare shoulders are visible; she must change immediately. Do dress codes need to be so particular? Are the rules of common sense not enough? Dress codes are a form of control for a venue. They may serve a purpose, yes, but is that purpose more important than promoting self-expression and individuality among our …show more content…
At their core, they establish a baseline to uphold in terms of modesty for the facility. In more common terms, the goal of dress codes is to create a distraction-free learning zone. According to the student handbook, students are expected to “dress in appropriate attire which does not distract or offend others” (Source G). Gregg Ingersoll, the superintendent of Anglophone East School District, states that most dress codes are designed to try to keep the focus on the learning instead of the parts of a body that may or may not be exposed (“"School dress codes 'demeaning'”). The underlying reason for such an environment, as deemed by many schools, is the intent to protect girls from the biological impulses of their male peers. In terms of dress, most school administrators agree that “it is naïve to think that how girls dress does not distract boys. Males react to females — it’s basic biology” (Times Colonist). If a female student were to attend school in an outfit deemed “sexy” or “provocative” by her male counterparts, not only would it divert the male attention from the lesson, but it also puts the female student in danger of serious allegations like sexual harassment. To avoid legal issues and generally keep the classroom in effective function, schools erect dress …show more content…
In the 1980s, when street gangs began wearing clothing in specific styles or colors, schools acted and imposed a dress code (and in some cases, a school uniform) to ensure student safety. Some schools have deemed oversized or baggy clothing a safety hazard as well; administrators fear that the excess material might get caught on school equipment or conceal a weapon. In certain schools, fashion statements like chains, spikes, pins, and fishhooks are banned for their potential use as a weapon, and tattoos and piercings are often asked to be covered (in the event they are related to a greater, more dangerous message (““School Dress Codes."