Autore
Herpin, Nicolas

Titolo
Height: an Enigmatic Form of Social Inequality
Periodico
Sociologica
Anno: 2013 - Volume: 19 - Fascicolo: 2 - Pagina iniziale: 46 - Pagina finale: 50

Statistical analysis by Sarti shows that the correlation between height and the level ofeducation is stronger among men of older generations than among recent ones. Is educationamong men becoming more egalitarian? That would be true if height had the same social meaningat each generation.Since the Second World War, the average height increases by one centimeter every ten yearsamong men in Western Europe; but the distribution of heights among generations is stable.Among tall men, the proportion of individuals coming from the working class familiesis increasing and among the short men, it is the proportion of individuals coming frommiddle and upper class families. Height is less and less an information about the family oforigin.When all individuals reach their genetic potentiality, height takes a new meaning for importantdecision making processes. Short men are in greater danger of being discriminated againstin education and in job market but also in mate selection. When shared, beliefs are culturalconstraints. As a nexus of cultural forces, height contributes to social inequalities amongmen.



SICI: 1971-8853(2013)19:2<46:HAEFOS>2.0.ZU;2-1
Testo completo: http://www.mulino.it/download/article/10.2383/74859
Testo completo alternativo: http://www.mulino.it/doi/10.2383/74859

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