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SPECIAL FEATURE: Women and 'provocative dressing'
Dazzling or Detrimental? (Women and 'provocative dressing')
by Julie Riggert,
Iowa State University, USA.
They are seen every day; magazine covers explode with their pictures;
television and movie screens constantly display them prancing around.
Because provocatively dressed women are seen so frequently, many people
might believe that their impact on others, especially males, is diminishing.
Surprisingly, this is not the case. Many researchers have shown that women
who dress seductively, wearing very little attire or showing ample amounts
of skin, are creating a harmful environment for themselves. This pattern of
dress can encourage males to vent their feelings and emotions by acting out
in violence, often in the form of rape.
"Male sex is huntin! g and scanning: boys hang yelping from honking cars,
acting like jerks over strolling girls; men lunching on girders go through
the primitive book of wolf whistles and animal clucks. Everywhere, the
beautiful woman is scrutinized and harassed. She is the ultimate symbol of
human desire" (Paglia 32).
Why is clothing so important and have such an impact on others? Clothing
plays a significant role in the socialization process that leads to the
development of one's self. It is seen as a "second skin" or extension of the
bodily self (Sweeney 411).
Clothes' characteristics transmit information about age, sex, personality
traits, socioeconomic status, values, political ideologies, etc. They may
also indicate inter personal attitudes, such as, aggressiveness,
availability, gracefulness, arrogance, etc. (Satrapa 159).
At times this form of expression may result with what some perceive as
negative consequences. When strategically ! surrounded by clothing, many areas
of the body may function like traffic lights, stopping and starting points
that direct the eye to a further destination-thus fulfilling what Freud
regarded as a major component of the sex drive, "the libido for looking"
(Dyett 14).
After establishing that clothing is an essential aspect of appearance, it is
now necessary to investigate its importance in forming first impressions.
Frequently, the impression that a woman may be trying to portray isn't the
same impression that is interpreted by others as seen in one experiment.
Introductory psychology classes were shown one of two slides: one slide
represented a female model wearing 'conservative' clothing while the other
slide depicted the model in sexually provocative clothing.
Questionnaires were filled out indicating impressions of the female. The
model in the sexy clothing was judged to be more attractive and sexually
appealing to men; she! was viewed more negatively with respect to age of
first intercourse, sexual teasing, extent of sexual activity, using sex for
personal gain, and faithfulness in marriage.
The sexy model was also viewed as more likely to be raped or robbed (Cahoon
65). Many people doubt that a woman's attire could drive a man to rape, but
studies prove that clothing could be a major factor in motivating a male to
act out in this manner.
An experiment done at Augusta College drew up the following results: the
relationship between sexy clothing and robbery/rape supports the assumption
that the culture views women who choose to be sexually attractive as being
suitable objects for male aggression. Females who enhance their sexual
appeal to males are viewed as somehow "asking for it."
In summary, the study seems to indicate that females wearing sexually
oriented clothes are perceived by both men and women as being "more
vulnerable to victimiz! ation and more responsible for crimes committed
against them than are women who dress more conservatively" (Edmonds 446).
Arguments arise as to who is responsible for the rape: the provocatively
dressed female, or the assailant. The opinions of some senior high school
students were recorded in the following experiment.
Each student was given the same scenario involving a woman their age who was
raped, and then they were to decide who was responsible for the behavior.
In order to investigate the influence of the victim's attire on the
subjects' responses, the story was accompanied by either a photograph of the
woman dressed provocatively, a photograph of the woman dressed
conservatively, or no photograph at all.
Results found that the victim wearing provocative dress resulted in a
greater likelihood that the subjects would attribute responsibility for the
assailant's behavior to the victim for the date rape. Provocative! clothing
was also associated with a greater tendency for subjects to agree that the
behavior of the assailant was justified.
Further, the results indicate that the subjects were less likely to make
judgments of rape when the victim was dressed provocatively (Cassidy
319-323). This experiment showed that the impression the victim presented is
interpreted as evidence for her willingness to have sex.
Everyone has his or her own opinion of who is responsible for the rape in a
case similar to the one previously described, but what does the law say
about a woman's responsibility for the actions of others as a result of her
style of dress?
In 1986, the U.S. Supreme Court endorsed guidelines on sexual harassment,
and in this decision it was said that evidence of a "woman's allegedly
provocative conduct or clothing might be relevant evidence in some cases in
determining whether she found particular advances unwelcome" (160 Johns! on).
This decision supported the notion that victims of sexual harassment, as a
result of their choice of clothing, should be held at least partially
responsible for their own harassment.
As I reflect on the data that was collected from numerous experiments,
including my own, I have drawn several conclusions.
First, it is important to state that no woman is ever safe from harassment
and rape.
"By rating the provocative model as likely to provoke sexual harassment,
subjects are able to dissociate themselves from a similar occurrence by
stressing that the female provoked the incident and reasoning that if they
avoid 'provoking' behaviors, such as dressing in provocative clothing, they
can prevent sexual harassment" (Johnson 170).
Although no woman is ever completely safe from this violence, there are
certain precautions that can be taken to minimize the amount of harassment
that will take place.
As the s! tudies showed, women who dress provocatively have a higher rate for
getting raped and robbed for various reasons. As stated earlier, males are
attracted to certain features on a female, and when a woman accents these
features with her style of dress, it entices males to stop and take a closer
look.
I am impartial as to whether it is "ethical" or not to dress seductively,
but I do believe every person has a right to do with his or her body as he
or she pleases. I feel it is never right to physically or emotionally harm
anyone knowingly. Females need to realize, though, that they are putting
themselves at a higher risk for violence when they dress in a sexually
oriented manner.
Is the price a woman pays to look dazzling worth the detrimental effects it
could have on her life? The decision is in her hands.
References
Cahoon, D. D. "Estimates of Oppostie-Sex First Impressions Related to
Female' Clothing Style." Perce! ptual and Motor Skills 65 (1987): 406.
Cassidy, Linda, and Rose Marie Hurrell. "The Influence of Victim's Attire on
Adolescents' Judgments of Date Rape." Adolescence 30 (1995): 319-323.
Dyett, Linda. "Desperately Seeking Skin." Psychology Today 29 (1996): 14.
Edmonds, Ed M. "Attitudes Concerning Crimes Related to Clothing Worn by
Female Victims." Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society 24 (1986): 444-446.
Johnson, Kim K., and Jane E. Workman. "Clothing and Attributions Concerning
Sexual Harassment." Home Economics Research Journal 21 (1992): 160-172.
Paglia, Camille. Sexual Personae. New York: Vail Ballou Press, 1990.
Satrapa, Andrea, et al. "Influence of Style of Dress on Formation of First
Impressions." Perceptual and Motor Skills 74 (1992): 159-162.
Sweeney, Maureen M., and Paul Zionts. "The "Second-Skin": Perceptions of
Disturbed and Nondisturbed Early Adolescents on Clothing, Self-Concept, and
Body Imag! e." Adolescence 24 (1989): 411-420.
Source: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jriggert/english105.html
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