Everyday Ethics

The weather is starting to get warm, and sunny days are causing many of us to break out our shorts, sandals, and other warm weather clothing. As a college student here in Colorado, I obviously attend classes with a large number of young women. The spring & summer has given rise to a rather shocking phenomenon. Apparently, it is now fashionable for young women to dress like prostitutes and display their distinctly female parts in a manner that is, frankly, a bit too much. The sensory assault that has become my daily experience leads me to ponder when modesty ceased to have any meaning.

Don’t get me wrong, admiring the physiques of attractive women is not something that I am normally averse to, and I support a woman’s right to dress as she chooses. I am also sensitive to the notion that dressing provocatively is equated with some version of women’s liberation for many females, though I fail to see how depicting yourself as a sexual object is an effective statement against being treated as a sexual object. My concern is with the pervasiveness of this tendency. Rather than the extreme, it is something of a norm for young women to dress like sluts.

This is a moral issue on multiple fronts. First, the rampant depiction of women as sexual objects is a contributing factor to sexual violence against women. This is not to say that women are at fault for sexual crimes committed against them. Individuals are still ultimately responsible for their behavior. But it would be silly to suggest that this saturation of scantily clad women has no effect on this phenomenon. An excessive tendency to depict oneself as a sexual object makes a negative contribution to the propensity of sexual violence against women.

Another concern is that depicting oneself as a sexual object has a negative impact upon the legitimate effort to combat sexism. To paraphrase comedian Chris Rock, although dressing a certain way does not entail that you are a certain way, please understand that this behavior is confusing. Simply, dressing like a streetwalker does not make you a streetwalker, but it’s reasonable for me to conclude that you might be one. We should also note that this attitude is prevalent among both sexes, as both males and females are guilty of treating women in a certain way based upon their attire.

The obvious objection to my claims is that I am essentially blaming the victim. I wish to respond that I am not attempting to blame anyone, but to give a realistic social commentary based on the reality of our choices, and to consider the moral significance of these social realities. Is it fair that how women dress affects how they are viewed? Obviously not. However, this does not change the reality that how one dresses does make a difference in how one is viewed. I am not perceived in the same manner when wearing a suit as I am when I wear torn jeans and a t-shirt. Is that fair? Doesn’t matter, because it’s what happens.

Do social realities make a moral difference in our individual choices? Of course they do. Wasting food is not as morally objectionable in an affluent society as it is in a society where food is a scarce resource, because the consequences are not as severe. Consequences are not the only factor in our moral decision-making, but it is simply false to claim that consequences make no difference, and that social factors don’t make a relevant impact.

To the women who are offended by this article, my apologies, but this is the world we live in. Sexism and objectification of women are alive and well, and they have significant moral consequences. Contributing to this problem is therefore also morally relevant. If someone can give a compelling argument for why dressing exceedingly provocatively makes no impact upon how women are perceived, I am certainly willing to listen. However, my skepticism that this can be done is overwhelming, and if you find yourself unable to provide such an argument, you may want to give pause to how your wardrobe is affecting the cause of equality for women and the general manner in which women are treated.

About the Author

Elijah Weber is a graduate student at Bowling Green State University. He holds a Master's degree in philosophy from Colorado State University, and Bachelor’s degrees in sociology and philosophy from Chapman Univerity. He currently lives in Bowling Green, Ohio with his wife Laura, his newborn son Brandon, and his feline life-partner Monte.