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Change Your World Week Fall 2021 (Archived)

This site is created by students of Delta College

Dress How You Want

Cartoon headshots of various people. Caption reads This is a Student-Created webpage.

The Problem

Is it really that big of a problem? The question you are answering is about women's dress code in schools and the answer is yes, it really is that big of a problem. I'm going to introduce to you why and how serious this problem is, especially in the state of Michigan.

 After several times of reading a press news story, I can take away that the root cause of the problem is that the schools are trying to limit distractions through clothing, however, in doing-so it is directed towards women which results in harming their self image about what their body represents. According to the article, Kentwood schools of Grand Rapids told their students that spandex related clothing is considered sexually provocative. The article describes this as “. . . harmful message to young women: that they are nothing more than sexual objects distracting male students” (Grand Rapids Press Editorial Board, 2019). The Grand Rapids Press Editorial Board also believes that schools violate Title IX which protects students from being discriminated against based on their sex. 

                                                                             

Another article I found on Newsweek covered a story about a minister at a Catholic High School in Michigan who told his female students that they are looking for objectification from men based on the way they are dressing. That is right, to sum it up a minister told his female students that they are just asking for it because of their clothing and the way that their unchangeable body is represented.  The paper targets used to protest by students at this school read “ . . . teach men not to oversexualize women’s bodies.”

                                                                         

 The same school held a formal dance, the prom, and decided to create their own “modesty ponchos” for women at the dance whose dress might be too revealing in the staff's personal opinion at the school. The seriousness of this issue grew when the ponchos given to the female students made their way to social media to be criticized. Some claimed that it is body shaming. Other women stated that they cannot help it that their body does not present the Divine Child High School's idea of a “modest woman”.

So, I ask you again, is it really that big of a problem? Reading these articles only gave me more questions like, what gives the school the right to deem a woman as “too revealing”? Where are their credentials to do so? There are too many questions for a problem that should be so easily solved. It is 2021, it is time to stop treating women as sexual objects and time to start teaching men the same thing. Women want an education, not an environment to be ridiculed in for their bodies. 

                                                                                           Sixth Grader Fights Back Against School's Sexist Dress Code – SheKnows

Works Cited

Grand Rapids Press Editorial Board (2019, April 03). School dress codes have a serious dress code problem. MLive. https://www.mlive.com/opinion/grand-rapids/2015/09/school_dress_codes_have_a_seri.html

Murdock, J. (2019, June 12). Michigan HS Students Slam Lesson Blaming How Girls Dress for Harassment: 'Teach Men Not to Over-Sexualize Women's Bodies' Instead. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/michigan-divine-child-high-school-sexual-harassment-student-protests-catholic-school-minister-1443519

Zaniewski, A. (2018, April 30). 'Modesty ponchos' to be doled out at Dearborn Divine Child HS prom. Detroit Free Press. https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2018/04/30/modesty-ponchos-doled-out-dearborn-divine-child-hs-prom/566943002/

The Solution

USE POLITICAL PROCESS TO GET CHANGE

  • Protesting, bring attention and spreading awareness through social media and news sources (outside lobbying).
  • Being educated when talking to school the  board (school board meetings with parents and students). 
  • Wearing the "unappreciated" clothes with a statement like " My Body My Choice" to school as an act of protest.
  • Bringing the issue to state legislature (lobbying) in hopes to change the issue for all statewide schools.
  • Female students bring in male students to help strengthen their side regarding "distraction" within schools.
  • Outside lobbying by holding a protest so other school district students come on board and support the issue because they are sympathetic and wanting to implement change.

                                                                                                                  

SCHOOL BOARD

  • Build resources by rallying other students and giving the school an ultimatum.
  • If the dress code doesn't change, the students are willing to unenroll and attend a different school because their per person funding would be different.
  • State legislatures lose money and votes for their campaign if they chose not to address the dress code policies and making them less strict.

Alternative Perspectives

ALTERNATE PERSPECTIVE

Different perspective holders believe that the school dress code should not be revised due to the negative effects it can cause within schools. 

WHY WOULD OTHERS DISAGREE?

  • Decrease in school safety 
  • Students would obtain lack of focus due to "fashion statements"
  • Cause distraction and feelings of discomfort among students and staff                                                  
  • Increase sexual offenses

TRADE-OFFS

A trade off some schools are offering are "Casual Fridays" which allows students to wear what they want within reason of the dress code. However, we don't accept this trade off because it is not changing the rules of the dress code and doesn't prevent students from being sexualized. 

Power

ISSUE

Women's Dress Code in Schools

  • Stakeholder: The Media
  • Their interest in the issue:
    • Students go to news sources in an attempt to implement change.                
    • They have the ability of spreading awareness on the issue                                     

  • Stakeholder: State Legislative
  • Their interest in the issue:
    • They have the ability to implement change regarding the issue.                     
    • They can strengthen or lighten dress code rules statewide.

  • Stakeholder: School Board Members
  • Their interest in the issue:
    • Limit distractions through stricter dress codes.                                         

  • Stakeholder: Parents
  • Their interest in the issue:
    • They purchase clothing for children, and want to be involved in the discussion. 
    • They want their children to feel safe while at school.

  • Stakeholder: Male Students
  • Their interest in the issue:
    • Being blamed for objectifying women                                            
    • Dress code rules also pertain to them.

  • Stakeholder: Female Students
  • Their interest in the issue:
    • It directly affects them and current dress code harms their self image. 
    • Causes them to feel objectified.

Taking Action

How YOU can help to change your world!

WAYS TO TAKE ACTION TODAY

 

What Do You Think?

Take this poll to see how you relate with your world!

Have you ever fallen victim to sexist dress code rules within your school?
Yes: 19 votes (76%)
No: 6 votes (24%)
Total Votes: 25
Would you like to see a change in school dress codes?
Yes: 22 votes (100%)
No: 0 votes (0%)
Total Votes: 22
Do you feel that your schools dress code is sexist?
Yes: 19 votes (90.48%)
No: 2 votes (9.52%)
Total Votes: 21