Laham states “In the workplace, we should be judged according to our merits, talent, intelligence, personality, and other innate and acquired characteristics and not purely or primarily on our looks” (20). Jennifer’s goal was to become a news reporter. As a recent graduate in journalism and experience as a part-time reporter at a magazine company, it was always hard for her to get a job or internship at a news station. Most of the women who were news reporters were quite attractive. They all had slim bodies, long hair, and distinctive features. It didn’t take long before Jennifer noticed she wasn’t being hired because of her features. For example, during a group interview, Jennifer had the most relevant experience and education, but yet they chose the girl with a high school diploma who had attractive features. Jennifer’s unique appearance that consisted of frizzy short hair and a full-figured body gave her slim chances of ever getting a job as a news reporter. However, her unique appearance also benefited Jennifer in other career advancements. For example, during an interview for a better position at the magazine company, there were many qualified attractive applicants, but they chose her because her appearance gave a professional and courteous …show more content…
Different types of prejudice like sexism, racism, classism, etc. are often encountered by many individuals. Discrimination is often a biased unreasonable opinion that affects career advancement and social lives. Jennifer’s experience shows the different types of discriminations that an individual can endure during their lives. Lookism and classism judge people on their monetary value or attractive features. It affects those who have a low income status or unattractive features. Sexism and racism are based on stereotypes and double standards. It affects and benefits those who are in a preferred gender or ethnicity. Even if discrimination varies in many similarities and differences, it’s still an unfair and unreasonable judgement that is often taken advantage of. Overall, discrimination is often permissible in many countries where it is hard for individuals to avoid it. Although prejudice is beneficial and harmful, it is hard to avoid the judgements and opinions of