Refers to the unjust application of different sets of principles for similar situations. It’s when one group is allowed more leniency or privilege, while another group is judged more harshly for the same behavior. This unequal treatment often arises from biases and can lead to unfair judgments and discrimination.

Some examples of double standards have been practiced for so long that society has on the one hand accepted them, although knowing that they are blatant, economically devastating, and has hurt generations of groups; more so than others. Even the constitution has helped.

The late R&B legend Betty Wright, 1968 stated one plainly, in Girls Can’t Do What the Guys Do:  

When you put your faith in one guy

Sometimes he’ll make you happy

Sometimes he’ll make you cry

But don’t lose your self-respect

Trying to get revenge

Cause no matter how you do it

Girls, you can’t do what the guys do, no

And still be a lady, no

The authors below, mention 15 examples of double standards, but I will only mention six:

Fathers’ vs Mothers: Fathers are praised for cooking dinner every now and then, while women are expected to do it all the time, without any praise.

Parenting: If women work outside the home while their children are growing up, they are sometimes seen as unfit mothers, as abandoning their “duties”. Men on the other hand, whether they work or not are praised for doing things that are simply expected of mothers.

Gendered Professions: A man who wants to be a nurse is ridiculed while a woman who wants to be a nurse is encouraged (and vice versa for other professions).

Sons’ vs Daughters: A father who allows his 16-year-old son to stay out until midnight but doesn’t let his daughter go out past 10 pm. Using the excuse of safety concerns.

Elites get away with it: A politician who conscripts working-class men to go to battle, but makes exceptions for the sons of the elites.

Assertive Women: Assertive women are seen as ‘bossy’ while assertiveness for men is often seen as a positive leadership trait.

Written by Dalia Yashinsky (MA, Phil) August 20, 2023   Reviewed by Chris Drew PhD).