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ARE DRESS CODES IN SCHOOLS ETHICAL?

Pearl Whooley

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INDEX:�

What is a dress code?
Dress codes world wide
History of dress codes
Cultural influences
Controversy
Oscar Wilde Philosophy of dress
Dress codes in society
Benefits of dresscodes
Philosophical approaches
Authors opinion
Conclusion

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WHY I CHOSE THIS TOPIC

I chose this topic because I find myself often thinking about rules. In our schools, in our social groups, in our society, rules are relied upon to guarantee our safety and comfort so we don’t need to be worried about being put harms way. But there are some rules to me, that do not make sense at all. That are brushed off as ‘just a part of life’ completely unquestioned and uncontested. How did these rules come to be such an ordinary part of living? I combined my curiosity with my love for fashion and created my topic ‘Are dress codes ethical?’

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WHAT IS A DRESS CODE?

According to the Cambridge dictionary, the definition of a dress code is a set of rules about clothing and appearance in a school or place of work. These policies are meant to provide guidelines on what students can and can’t wear, including specific pieces of clothing, hairstyles, and accessories. Dress codes can vary widely in what they restrict. Some schools even require students to wear uniforms. Most often, though, dress codes ban clothes that the district considers revealing, distracting, controversial, or pose a safety threat to students.

Some examples may include:

Prohibition of offensive, violent or political references on any pieces of clothing
Skirts must be at a certain length (usually just above the knee)
No dangling or chunky jewellery permitted unless for religious, ethnic or cultural purposes
Shoulders must be covered at all times this includes tank tops, tube tops, and any kinds of sleeveless tops (usually) regardless of gender/identity

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��DRESS CODES CAN VARY WORLDWIDE DEPENDING ON WHAT PART OF THE WORLD YOU LIVE IN. WHETHER IT’S CULTURAL, RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL, OR JUST WEATHER PERMITTING, THERE ARE A DIVERSE RANGE OF DRESS REGULATIONS ACROSS THE GLOBE IN AND SOMETIMES OUT OF SCHOOLS

AUSTRALIA

All students must wear a hat when outside because of the sweltering heat in Australia. Depending on the state, it is compulsory to wear all year round in schools.

NORTH KOREA

In North Korea all students from when they start school to when they leave have to wear a red scarf around their necks to indicate the republic

In many states around the US girls were not aloud to wear clothing that was considered too ‘revealing’ as it diverted the attention of fellow students especially male students which prevented them from being able to learn properly. After years of protesting some schools have revoked/ adjusted this rule .

Dress codes worldwide

THE US

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HISTORY:

The first time a dress code was added in a school was in 1969 by the U.S. Supreme Court. Students at multiple high schools in Des Moines Independent School District wore black armbands during the Vietnam War to protest against it.

Since then dress code policies have been implemented across schools around the world. Shifting to become less about protesting and political views and more about modesty and decency

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INTERVIEW WITH MY DAD

Q1- What was the dress code in your secondary school like when you were a boy?

There was a set uniform of same colour shirt, trousers, tie and jumper for boys and a skirt for girls which had to be cut below the knee. There were also strict rules on length of hair for boys, restrictions on jewellery and high laced boots such as doc martens were also not allowed.

Q2- How did you feel about your school’s dress code when you were younger? At the start, I was proud to wear the uniform, the same uniform as my older brother and sister. It made me feel connected to something bigger and gave me a sense of equilibrium with my school mates. As I grew older my uniform became more akin to a prison uniform, as I felt the restrictions more accutely. Like my friends I wanted to modify my uniform to help me express my sense of style in opposition to conformity. Dresscodes restrictions prevented that, however, it’s fair to say I didn’t lose sleep over it. Uniforms were the norm for everybody and we didn’t think about them too much
Q3- How do you feel about them now? I dont favor the concept of uniform for school kids, because for me overly strict dress codes such as school uniforms exist to exert control and restrict indivualism. That being said my view can’t deny there are some posetive associations with school uniforms such as fostering a school identity and connection with the institution and school mates
Q4- Do you think school dress codes are ethical?

There are question marks in relation to how dresscodes are applied and the impact they have on different groups of people. What may have been supposedly ethical policies in the past may now pose different ethical questions as to their fairness, equality and suitability. Examples of this imbalance can be seen in relation to gender, racial background, sexuality, cultural background etc

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ANALYSING MY DADS RESPONSES

As I was looking at my dads responses I was interested even a little surprised to see that his personal views on dresscodes and my personal views on dress codes were quite similar, despite never previously conversing on the specific topic. And it made me think about the famous philosophical questions around how much influence our parents really have on our lives. Do they plant these ideas, concepts, and opinions into our minds which are then tattooed into our versions of reality or are we a little more independent than that?

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CONTROVERSY

Dress codes have had many controversial opinions in recent years. Indicating that certain rules or policies are targeted towards girl, ethnic groups, members of the LGBTQAI+ community, and people of colour. In a survey done by gitnux.org, 54% of girls felt that they were targeted by the dress code more than boys. When researching I stumbled upon an article by the Irish times which asked people of Ireland about their opinions on school uniforms and dress codes and whether we should remove them altogether.

One woman from county Louth explained how she loved uniforms as they were less fuss and if you had a problem with your child’s uniform you should run it by the board of management.

However, a post primary teacher from county Mayo felt very strongly against uniforms and described them as ‘ a repressive tool of control’

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HOW DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACHES MIGHT SEE IT:

THE BELIEF CONCERNED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF HUMAN EXISTENCE WHERE INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM IS ALL AND TRADITIONS OF CONVENTIONAL MORALITY ARE DISCARDED

Absolutely not. All humans not just some should be free to express themselves. If you want children to have fulfilling and creative lives than you cannot suppress their individuality. Our society is built on suppression of expression which takes its form in dress codes. Those who do not agree with the rules they have been informed on should not be obliged to follow them

Stoicism

A POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY WHICH UPHOLDS PERSONAL FREEDOM AS PRIMARY AND OPPOSES STATE INTERVENTION.

A libertarian might think no they are not ethical at all. Similar to Existentialists, libertarians believe in the absolute importance of the individual and the responsibility of own self. Because of this they might see dress codes as harsh and unnecessary. However other libertarians might not be as bothered by dress codes because they are one of the smallest levels of governmental control.

Although unlike some approaches libertarians do not feel the need to enforce their beliefs onto others as free thinking and independent thought are more important.

THE ENFORCEMENT OR ADVOCACY OF STRICT OBEDIENCE TO AUTHORITY AT THE EXPENSE OF PERSONAL FREEDOM.

Whether it is ethical or not does not matter. There are rules for people to follow throughout their entire time of existence on this planet. Uniform, structure, and order is key. It ensures our safety, our learning capability, and gives us respect and decency for our communities. Children who have the freedom to dress however they choose whenever they decide to is very unsettling to their well-being as students. And must be restrained

TEACHES THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF CONTROL AS A MEANS OF OVERCOMING DESTRUCTIVE EMOTIONS .

Are dress codes ethical?

Existentialism

Stoics might think that dress codes are ethical.

They might feel that people should feel compelled to follow the rules without having the need to be told by an external source.

If you dress for who you are, and go against the rules of a dress code this is a selfish act, and neglectful of your duties as a citizen.

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WHAT FAMOUS PHILOSOPHERS MIGHT THINK ABOUT SCHOOL DRESS CODES�

Jean Paul Sartre 1905-1980

Mary Wollstonecraft 1759-1797

I think Mary Wollstonecraft would say that school dress codes are not ethical because a lot of school dress codes have very traditional beliefs about how girls should dress, resulting in girls feeling a target to the strict rules of some school dress codes. She was a firm supporter of women’s rights and believed that women should not be treated as second class citizens. One of her most famous quotes is‘ I do not wish women to have power over men, but over themselves’. She might think that in order for dress codes to be ethical, a set of rules must be agreed upon by all members of the school community, girls and boys before passing as an official dress code.

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Jean Paul Sartre, who believed that identity is solely based on individual choices and behaviours, would have welcomed the dress code’s removal of the burden of individual choice, however would have dismissed the relevance of dress codes entirely. For Sartre, there is no collective identity that dress codes try to enforce, and therefore I am confident he would regard dress codes as wholly unethical

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AUTHOR’S THOUGHTS AND CONCLUSION�

Authors opinion) I personally am on the fence.

There are certainly some very positive aspects to school dress code along with some negative or outdated ones that could be altered to fit not just what the members of authority deems appropriate but the entire school should have some say on what they feel fits the ethos of the school. This has been implemented in some schools but should be more common.

I discovered in the making of my project that there are many different views on dress codes. The core philosophy of my project centres around personal choice and freedom versus group conformity which can be used as a form of control , often applied differently in relation to gender and ethnicity.

I do not believe school dress codes are ethical, nor are they unethical. The more research I did the more complicated my final answer became, and I think that is what makes a good philosophy question.