Research Question: Does requiring stricter regulation on women's dress code in the work place and in their place of education cause the promotion of rape culture, while also bringing about the controversy of institutionalized sexism?

I am interested in this question because I am a woman who has been affected by the harsh rules of dress codes. I have also watched my friends be shammed for what they are wearing because it is "too revealing" when in reality the garments they were wearing was perfectly acceptable. With the spotlight especially on cases of girls being sent home from school because their dress was against the dress code, I feel like this epidemic needs to be deeply researched and questioned as to why women must conform to the eye of a man. I feel that this topic does affect my values for while I believe that women should dress for the occasion, that is, appropriately and respectfully in places of work and education, I still feel that women deserve the same treatment as their male counterparts when it comes to dress codes. Women shouldn't have all the attention when it comes to enforcing the rules associated with their uniform. I am qualified to write on this topic because I am a woman who feels that this double standard brought upon women is sickening and frustrating and needs to be addressed. I also recently graduated from an all girl's catholic school that was extremely strict when it came to dress codes, so I have experienced this in my own personal life.


In this article Laura Bates, a writer for Time, explains how patrolling the way girls dress and sending them home deeming they have too short of skirts or are showing too much skin promotes a culture where it is the victims fault. By doing this, teachers and authorities are telling the victim that she must cover up because boys cannot handle their thoughts, therefore becoming the girl's problem. This article contains multiple testimonies from young girls who were affected by this epidemic. This shows the absurdity in the way this issue is being addressed.

The major values and interests at stake for this article are that the author believes that women should not have to go through this promotion of rape culture at any time in their life, especially not at a safe place like their school. Bates is encouraging the reader to rethink the way dress codes are set up, and how they are unequally enforced.

Laura Bates is a writer for Time, but she also founded The Every Day Sexism Project this is a feminist movement looking to abolish the inequalities among genders. It is a website where women can post their daily experiences with sexism. Bates is somewhat biased in that she wants the reader to come to her side and agree with what she is saying. She also doesn't address any counterarguments. Bates is biased in the fact that she has a book on feminism and is an avid advocate of that cause.  Although these can be seen as factors that add to her bias they also add to her credibility and the credibility of this work in that she knows what she is talking about when it comes to this issue.


The central claim and major evidence in this article is that women being insulted and regulated on what they wear in the work place comes across as if they were better off outside of the work place. The author discusses the different strides women have made in the workplace throughout history, and categorizes this era where women are looked down upon by men on what they are wearing as just another part of the history of women being oriented into a once only male workplace. 

The major values and interests at stake for this article are that women walk a fine line when it comes to what they wear in the professional field. Covert explains that women are looked down upon if they do show too much skin, and are called out if they wear clothing that is too manly. The author takes Hillary Clinton for example. 

Bryce Covert is the author of this article. Along with being a contributor for TheNation.com, she has also written, and appeared on other accredited news mediums like The New York Times and ABC. This article does not come across as biased, but as informative. The author leaves the reader with a question instead of a call to action.


This article is about how girls are being "slut shamed" when they are reprimanded for disobeying the dress code. The author gives multiple examples of girls being sent home as result of wearing clothing that is said to be too distracting for their male counterparts. This article begs the question of why isn't the dress code being equally enforced on males and females, and why is it that the dress codes are being used to discuss how women's body's are portrayed instead of showing respect for the school. The author, Eliana Dockterman, discusses that dress codes are made for the "male gaze", and that girls should not get the tail end of the bargain when they are reprimanded for wearing something that arouses a boy.

The major values and interests at stake for this article are girls in school who are being sent home because they are being seen as a distraction. Dockterman gives an example of a girl who was sent home to change clothing, resulting in her absence during an important exam review. This drives home the point that women are the ones getting blamed for a clearly male created problem.

Eliana Dockterman, who is a writer for Time, wrote this article. Although this article was written two years ago the information it possesses is still relevant today. This article has little bias for it gives both sides of the argument a fair chance. At the end Dockterman turns the focus on making this enforcement of the dress code more equal among boys and girls, which gives the article an overall informative vibe.

This research question is arguable because there are many different viewpoints on it. Some people believe that dress codes are necessary for the wellbeing of man and woman, but others believe that it is a double standard for women to have to cover up for the benefit of their male counterpart. Although all the authors are women, they come from different backgrounds and writing careers that adds to the spectrum of just how broad this issue is. The different perspectives of the sources allowed me to strengthen my own opinion and reaffirm it in the fact that rape culture is a male and female problem. I would revise my research question to be more about how rape culture, objectification, and hyper-sexuality of women in media affect younger girls.

