Aspectism: Discrimination Based on Physical Appearance

As we enter the 21st century, greater sensitivity is developing towards the dynamics of discrimination against certain population groups.

This fact, added to the increasingly unstoppable “empire of the image” in which the value of people is related to their aesthetics, has given way to the emergence of a new concept: aspectism

What is aspectism?

The term “aspectism” is a translation of the word lookismand it is discrimination based simply on aesthetic reasons.

It is a form of invisibility of certain people which, in addition, can be based on the most unpredictable aesthetic criteria. For example, it can go against people who are not tall, against people who, regardless of their physique, dress in a certain way, or against people who do not fit with a class of beauty rigidly marked by a very specific trend.

In fact, regardless of the degree of intensity of how harmful its effects are, aspectism is considered to be one of the most widespread forms of discrimination on the planet, and It has a devastating effect on self-esteem but also about living conditions in general.

The effects of aspectism

Aspectism is especially harmful because it acts practically automatically, and is often independent of people’s will. Someone’s personal image is something that is captured instantly, with a simple glance. It does not require any effort or spending time to aim to study the appearance of others, but rather it is captured spontaneously.

This means that, once a social dynamic has been created in which the personal aspect is decisive, This discriminatory bias occurs in all facets of life

Just as in the case of discrimination against, for example, homosexuals, it does not occur instantly until the person’s sexual tendency is known, aspectism makes its influences noticeable from minute zero in which eye contact is established. That is, in most of the social interactions that an average person establishes in a day.

But, furthermore, another effect of aspectism is that is complemented by the halo effect

The halo effect

The halo effect is a psychological phenomenon by which a specific characteristic of someone determines whether we will judge the rest of their characteristics more positively or more negatively and, ultimately, the person as a whole.

For example, people with a personal image that is considered neat, elegant or attractive can benefit from the halo effect both in their personal relationships and even when looking for a job, since some recruiters will tend to think that these candidates are more social, creative, etc.

Thus, due to the intersection between aspectism and the halo effect, not only is appearance considered very relevant and tells us about the value that a person has, but also, It is assumed that the rest of that person’s qualities are also very good and desirable.

Faced with this disadvantage, people with less socially valued aesthetic characteristics find themselves increasingly cornered and with less room for maneuver in many areas of their lives.

Fighting this type of discrimination

Currently, English-speaking societies, and especially the United States, are the area in which the most effort is put into combating aspectism.

The workplace is where most efforts are concentrated, since keeping people out of the labor market based on criteria based on aesthetics can be very harmful not only for individuals, but for society as a whole. That is why it is increasingly required to only request resumes without a photo, so that they can be selected in the most equitable way possible. without relying on superficial characteristics

However, it is very difficult to confront aspectism, because it is rarely clear that discrimination is being made because of image. On the other hand, companies can come up with excuses to fire people because of their physique, something that they try to prohibit by creating laws.

Avoid inequality through culture

In any case, it seems evident that part of the battle against discrimination should not be legal, but cultural, and it is necessary to educate and educate ourselves in the value of equality.

This, however, is not easy when there is a large advertising and propaganda machine that reaffirms the validity of absurd beauty canons an elegant wardrobe that is not strident and, in general, an image close to the average in practically everything (in fact, the faces considered most attractive are those that have many physical characteristics located in the statistical average in terms of size and proportions ).

For all this, it is necessary to work in coordination to create more inclusive cultures in which beauty standards do not constrain our self-esteem or our personal, work and economic freedom.