Guest Post: Heightism

The following is a guest post from my good friend Lindsay, who writes her own blog And How Do You Feel About That. She has written about the perception of height in our society.  Enjoy!

"Very few people want to admit how readily they judge others. I’ve discussed some of the subtle discrimination in our society, like the couching of racist remarks in “jokes” and descriptions, in my blog, which you can find here. But one lucky type of discrimination still enjoys a special place, still funny and socially acceptable. And it falls on the short guys.


In our society, we have many gendered expectations, and height comes into play as a masculine trait. Men who are taller are considered more assertive, powerful, and attractive, all because of certain genes that put them above the average height of 5’8’’. Connecting manliness with height in our society can affect people’s job credibility, their attractiveness to romantic partners, and their self-esteem.

These men have very few options when it comes to responding to others’ jabs at their height. If they laugh it off, they land a spot on the comedic roll, and risk being objectified by their height permanently. They become “cute,” “goofy,” not taken as seriously. If they respond seriously or try to defend themselves, they are told that it’s “just a joke,” not to take it to heart. Now they’re saddled with a Napoleon complex, so whenever they get touchy about jokes it’s their own fault, not the insensitivity of the joker.

That this prejudice can also be unconscious creates serious problems in the workplace, when men are considered less qualified for a position of leadership because of the lack of respect their stature demands. I believe if people are aware of the ramifications of this heightist approach, our society could make steps towards amending the situation.

If you are interested in pursuing the topic of heightism, The Social Complex has a wealth of information about the various impacts on society. Also, Sociological Images is a great place to find examples of prejudice and discrimination in our culture."

A Feminist Look at the Causes of Depression

The general perception of depression is steadily improving. More and more people are beginning to recognize it as a treatable medical condition rather than a character flaw, but the stigma remains and the disease is still misunderstood. This is especially troubling for women, since according to the American Psychological Association they are twice as likely as men to develop depression and one in five women are expected to be diagnosed with depression (even though the APA also claims that 30-50% are misdiagnoses).

A combination of biological and social factors lead to increased depression rates in women, this article from the Mayo Clinic describes how things like pregnancy and menstruation can lead to depression in some women because of the major hormone changes that occur during each event. There are also social factors that contribute to women's propensity for depression. Women are more likely to have to care for children and balance work which causes stress, one of the major factors in developing depression. They are also more likely to be single parents. Women also typically make less money than men and people in tough economic situations are more prone to depression. But wait...there's more. Married women are more likely than single women to be depressed; despite social pressure for women to be married, it may not make them happy. Also, 90% of women with eating orders develop depression. Finally, women are more likely to be sexually assaulted or abused, and victims or any type of sexual abuse are very likely to develop depression. For a more in depth analysis of these causes, check out this article.

This is a vicious cycle, not only do traditional gender roles help lead to depression, but depression itself reinforces those same gender roles by making women seem emotional and physically weak. We need to make it clear that depression is not weakness, it is a treatable disease that our own culture has made women susceptible to. The words we use, whether we call it a disease or not have real consequences.