Beauty at the Workplace

Article Review # 104891

Business > Human Resources

A critical review of the article "Beauty and the Labor Market" by Daniel Hamermesh and Jeff Biddle.

1,088 words () | 3 sources | MLA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper looks at the article "Beauty and the Labor Market" where the authors attempt to quantify the degree to which physical beauty impacts actual earnings. The paper relates the primary conclusion of this study that the labor market, irrespective of region or locale, does in fact reward physical attractiveness in terms of real wages. The paper then discusses how the subjective determination of beauty upon which this research project relies is one of its weakest points.

Outline:
Article Summary
Lessons Learned
Article Critique

From the Paper:

"Informal observation has long supported the supposition that physical beauty or handsomeness can pay dividends in the workplace irrespective of the type of employment. In Beauty and the Labor Market, the authors Hamermesh and Biddle attempt to quantify the degree to which physical beauty or the quality that the general public might ascribe to being good looking in terms of actual earnings. Hamermesh and Biddle begin their research by discussing the most significant existing literature that has examined this issue. One interesting point that they clarify at the outset of their argument is to make the case that although a significant amount of research has been conducted on this general topic, relatively little research has been undertaken in this topic that examines how the shifting standards of beauty have affected earnings of those deemed good looking or not good looking over time (1175)."

Sample of Sources Used:

Hamermesh, Daniel and Jeff Biddle. "Beauty and the Labor Market." The American Economic Review, Dec.(1994): pp.1174- 1194.
Kimmel, Sara and James Mahalik. "Measuring Masculine Body Ideal Distress: Development of a Measure." International Journal of Men's Health, 3/1(2004): p.1.
Von Drehle, David. "Looking Good: Our Obsession with Physical Appearance May not be so Shallow, After All." The Washington Post, Nov.12(2006) W.14.