Sexualization is a complex social process that involves the production of meaning around gender, sexuality, and desire through language and cultural artifacts. It has been observed to produce an array of negative effects on workers and their peers in various organizations such as workplace harassment, psychological distress, low productivity, high turnover rates, and even legal proceedings against them. Sexualization creates an environment where some individuals are perceived primarily in terms of their physical attributes rather than their competence. This makes it difficult for individuals who are deemed less desirable based on these criteria to participate fully in the workforce. In this article, I will explore how sexualized perception generates emotional strain for staff and subordinates within organizations.
Sexualized perception occurs when employees are viewed as objects of sexual attraction by their superiors or co-workers. The process involves assigning value to people based on their physical appearance, sexual attractiveness, or romantic potential. It can manifest in various ways, including verbal comments, unwanted touching, sexually suggestive jokes, or non-verbal gestures. This type of behavior often results in emotional distress and anxiety among victims since they feel objectified and exploited. Victims may experience feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment, and helplessness which can lead to low self-esteem, withdrawal, depression, or anxiety disorders. They may also find it challenging to concentrate on their job duties due to fear of retaliation or intimidation from colleagues.
In addition to creating a hostile working environment, sexualized perception leads to increased stress levels among subordinates. Employees who witness or experience this type of behavior tend to feel threatened, uncomfortable, and unsafe. This creates tension between workers and managers, making it difficult for productivity and collaboration. Subordinates may develop negative attitudes towards their jobs, co-workers, or even themselves. They may become resentful towards their organization's culture, policies, and procedures leading to poor performance and absenteeism.
Sexualization also affects the organizational culture whereby individuals start to judge others based on their physical attributes rather than merit. As a result, competent employees who do not fit into society's standard of beauty are seen as less valuable compared to those with perfect bodies. The organization becomes more focused on appearances than skills and abilities, leading to a lack of diversity in the workforce. It may also make it difficult for organizations to recruit talented people since potential candidates shy away from such environments.
Organizations that promote sexualized perception often face legal action from victims who may file harassment suits against them. This results in loss of time, money, and reputation which could have been used to improve operations. Therefore, employers should take proactive measures to prevent sexualization by implementing strict policies that address such behaviors, providing training on appropriate conduct, and offering support systems to affected parties.
Sexualized perception is harmful to both staff and subordinates since it limits access to opportunities and contributes to emotional strain within an organization. Organizations need to take concrete steps to create safe working environments free from any form of discrimination based on gender, sexuality, or appearance. Employees must also learn how to identify signs of sexualized perception and report incidents accordingly.
In what ways does sexualized perception generate emotional strain for staff and subordinates?
Studies show that perceiving oneself as sexually attractive can lead to an increased pressure on staff members and their subordinates to conform to social expectations of gender roles and behaviors (e. g. , heteronormativity). This may result in internalizing societal ideals of beauty and masculinity/femininity, leading to feelings of anxiety and self-doubt among both men and women (Hoffman et al.