It’s impossible to talk about the role of beauty in the workplace without bringing up the story of Debrahlee Lorenzana. At 33,the Oueens,N. Y. morn is suing Citibank, claiming that, in peep-toe stilettos (鱼嘴高跟鞋) and fitted turtleneck sweaters, she was fired for simply being "too hot". Now it’s come to our attention, in the weeks since Lorenzana’s story hit newsstands,that perhaps the woman is a little bit media-obsessed. But whatever you think of her, the fact is that Lorenzana is onto something--and it’s far bigger than one plastic-surgery-mad banker fired from a desk job.
Economists have long recognized what’s been called the "beauty premium"--the idea that pretty people, whatever their aspirations, tend to do better in most aspects of their lives. We know that handsome men earn 5 percent more than their least-attractive counterparts; that pretty people get more attention; that even babies stare longer at good-looking faces.
But however hard men have it at work--their beauty premium is higher, say economists--women will always face a double bind: pressured to conform to the beauty standards of the day, yet simultaneously condemned for doing so. Recruiters may think women like Lorenzana can get ahead by looking good,but nearly half also believe it’s possible for a woman to be penalized for being "too good-looking". Attractive women tend to face heightened scrutiny from their female peers. In male-dominated fields in particular,pretty women can be seen as unfit for leadership positions.
One recent study even found that attractive women are likely discriminated against outright when it comes to hiring. The study gave volunteers a list of jobs, along with photos of men and women suitable for those jobs, and then asked them to place the photos with the categories. For jobs with titles like director of security, hardware salesperson, prison guard, and tow-truck driver, attractive women were overlooked, sorted instead into positions like receptionist and secretary. The same was true among more professional categories, like manager of research, director of finance, or mechanical engineer. "In every other kind of job, attractive women were preferred," Stefanie, the study’s coauthor, told Science Daily. "This wasn’t the case with men."
Though looks may be undeniably important, they aren’t everything, and even the most superficial statistics still leave room for talent. Beauty premium notwithstanding, there are still opportunities for people who aren’t runway models--and lots of them.
What does the author mean by saying "This wasn’t the case with men. "(Lines 6～7,Para. 4)