Double standard facts for kids

A double standard is when you treat two similar situations or people differently, even though they should be treated the same. It's like having one rule for one group and a different rule for another, even if the situations are basically identical. This often means one group gets more freedom or a better deal than another.

A double standard happens when two or more people, groups, or events are handled in different ways. This is unfair because they should be treated equally. When a double standard is used, it means that two things that are alike are judged by different rules.

Sometimes, applying different rules to similar situations is actually fair. This happens if there's a real reason why the situations are not truly the same. For example, a physical difference or a moral duty might make two situations distinct. But if similar situations are treated differently without a good reason, then a double standard is being used.

If a double standard is correctly identified, it usually shows that someone is being hypocritical, biased, or unjust.

Why Do Double Standards Happen?

Double standards can form in people's minds for many reasons. Sometimes, it's to find an excuse for oneself. Strong emotions can also cloud judgment. People might twist facts to support what they already believe. This is called confirmation bias or cognitive bias. We also tend to judge people's actions based on who they are.

How Status Affects Standards

In a study from 2000, Dr. Martha Foschi looked at double standards in group tests. She found that things like gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic class can lead to double standards. People seen as having lower status often face stricter rules. Dr. Foschi also noted that double standards can form based on other valued traits. These include beauty, morality, and mental health.

Gender Bias in Decisions

Dr. Tristan Botelho and Dr. Mabel Abraham are professors at Yale School of Management and Columbia Business School. They studied how gender affects how people are ranked in financial markets. Their research showed that men of average quality were often given the benefit of the doubt more. Women of average quality, however, were more often "penalized" in judgments.

Their study also showed that women and men take similar risks. This goes against what many people believe. Overall, their research proved that double standards exist around gender, especially in financial markets. They suggest using controls to remove gender bias in hiring and evaluation. For example, using only initials on job applications can hide an applicant's gender. Auditioning musicians from behind a screen helps ensure skill, not gender, decides who gets accepted. Many organizations are already using these kinds of practices.

Common Examples of Double Standards

Gender Differences

People have long discussed how someone's gender role affects how others see them. This includes moral, social, political, and legal responses. Some believe that differences in how men and women are seen and treated are due to social norms. This points to a double standard.

One study suggests that women are held to stricter standards of skill than men. This was seen in tasks where people had to complete certain activities.

In the Law

A double standard can appear if two groups with equal legal rights get different amounts of legal protection. Or they might get different legal representation. Such double standards are unfair. They go against a main rule of modern law: everyone should be equal before the law.

Judges are expected to be fair. They must apply the same rules to all people. This is true no matter their own personal biases or favoritism. This applies to social class, rank, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, or other differences.

In Politics

A double standard happens in politics when similar political issues are handled differently. This can be seen in how two parties respond to a public crisis. Or how funding is given out. This might happen because of relationships between politicians. It could also be due to the reward or power that can be gained or lost. Or it could be because of politicians' personal biases or prejudices.

Double standard policies can also happen in international relations. A country's or commentator's view of an event might depend on their relationship with the groups involved. As Gerald Seymour wrote in Harry's Game (1975): "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter". This means the same person or action is seen differently depending on your side.

Based on Ethnicity

Double standards exist when people are chosen or rejected based on their ethnicity. This is unfair when ethnicity is not a good reason for the choice. For example, it might be unfair in a job interview.

Sometimes, efforts to fight racism can be seen by others as creating new double standards. Rod Dreher wrote in The American Conservative about Coleman Hughes. Hughes is a black student at Columbia University. He was asked to play in a band for pop artist Rihanna at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. Hughes said one of his friends was fired and replaced. This was because his friend's white Hispanic background did not fit the all-black look Rihanna's team wanted. The team decided all performers on stage, except Rihanna's main guitar player, should be black.

Hughes wondered if this was wrong. He saw it as a double standard in entertainment. He said, "if a black musician had been fired to get an all-white look, it would have been big news. It would have been seen as clearly wrong." Dreher says Hughes's thoughts show how hard it is to tell the difference. Is it excluding one group to celebrate another? Or is it racism or a double standard? The public discussion about ethnicity and double standards is still ongoing.

See also

In Spanish: Doble moral para niños